
GlassBX£3=SS 

Book. -A 5 

GSPghtN°J2/X4^ 

CQPXRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



THE 

PRESBYTERIAN DIGEST: 



A COMPEND OF THE ACTS AND DELIVERANCES 

OF THE 

GENERAL ASSEMBLY 

OF THK 

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 

IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

COMPILED 

§g % ©rtcr attS §lflt|0rit]| of t|e General $mmhl%. 

BY 

WILLIAM E. MOORE, D.D. 

1873. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 

No. 1334 CHESTNUT STREET. 



^ 



& 



6b 



&* 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by 

THE TRUSTEES OF THE 

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



Westcott & Thomson, 
Slereohjpers and Eleclrolypers, Philada. 



INTRODUCTION 



The want of a Digest of the acts of the Supreme Judicatory of the 
Presbyterian Church was early felt. In 1818 the following overture was 
adopted by the Assembly, viz. : 

" Resolved, That Drs. Janeway, Neill and Ely be appointed a Commit- 
tee, and they are hereby appointed, to extract from the records of the Gen- 
eral Assembly, and of the late Synods of New York and Philadelphia, all 
such matters as may appear to be of permanent authority and interest 
(including a short account of the manner in which missions have been 
conducted, and their success), that the same may be published for the 
information of ministers and their people in our churches ; and that they 
report the same to the next Assembly." — 1818, p. 673. 
- The Committee reported to the next Assembly, and were authorized to 
complete the work on the plan reported, and to publish it at the expense 
of the trustees of the Assembly. — 1819, p. 713. 

The Digest thus authorized was published in 1820. — 1820, p. 727. 

In 1836, upon an overture on the subject of a new Digest, the Assembly — 

" 1. Resolved, That in the judgment of this Assembly it is expedient 
that -a new Digest of the acts and proceedings of the highest judicatory of 
our Church be prepared and placed within the reach of all our ministers 
and elders. 

" 2. Resolved, That Dr. John McDowell, Mr. Winchester and Mr. Duf- 
field be a Committee to prepare such a Digest, and report the same to the 
Assembly as soon as practicable, provided the expense of its •publication 
be not defrayed out of the funds of the Assembly." — 1836, p. 262. 

Nothing, however, resulted from this appointment. Further action look- 
ing to the preparation of a Digest was taken by the respective Assemblies 
N. S., 1838, p. 661 ; 1849, p. 189; O. S., 1841, p. 447 ; 1848, p. 45. See 
more fully New Digest, Introduction, pp. 7-10, and Baird., Rev. Ed., 
Preface, pp. 5-8. In 1850 the Board of Publication issued a Digest pre- 
pared by the Rev. Richard Webster. In 1856 the Board issued the Digest 
prepared by the Rev. Samuel J. Baird. In reference to this work the 
Assembly — 

Resolved, That the thanks of this General Assembly are due to the Rev. 
Samuel J. Baird for the labor incurred by him in the preparation of the 
"Assembly's Digest," recently published by the Board of Publication. 

Resolved, That the Digest is earnestly commended to the attention and 

3 



4 INTRODUCTION. 

patronage of all ill our connection, and that any persons having sug- 
gestions to make in reference to any proposed improvement in the work 
are invited to make them to the author thereof before the issue of a new 
edition.— 1856, p. 535, O. S. 

A new and revised edition was issued by the Board in 1859. In 1854 
the Assembly, N. S., took order, appointing a Committee, Rev. George 
Duffield, Jr., Henry Darling and Wm. E. Moore, with the stated clerk, 
Rev. E. F. Hatfield, D. D., to prepare and publish a new Digest, " if it can 
be done without expense to the Assembly." The Digest thus directed was 
prepared by Rev. Wm. E. Moore, and after delay, for want of funds, 
issued by the Presbyterian Publication Committee in 1861. It was ac- 
cepted with commendation by the Assembly. — 1861, p. 463. 

The necessity of a more complete work which should combine the pre- 
cedents of the Church in all its branches, and bring them down to the 
latest date, was felt at once upon the reunion. The Board of Publication 
accordingly took action looking to this end. The Assembly of 1871 
adopted the plan, as follows : 

"The Committee also call the attention of the Assembly to the action 
of the Board in reference to a new Digest of the Acts and Ordinances of 
the Presbyterian Church ; and it is recommended that the plan proposed 
on page 29 of the report be approved, and that the Moderator appoint the 
Committee, as recommended." 

The proposed plan (on page 29) is as follows : 

The attention of the Board having been called to the importance of 
the preparation of a new Digest of the Acts and Ordinances of the Su- 
preme Judicatories of the Presbyterian Church, brought up to the present 
time and suited to the circumstances of the united body, the following 
action was taken, upon which the judgment of the General Assembly is 
desired : 

Resolved, That it is expedient that a new Digest of the Acts and Deliv- 
erances of the Supreme Judicatories of the Presbyterian Church, from the 
year 1706 to the present time, be prepared and published by the Board. 

That this Digest contain under each chapter and section of the Form 
of Government, Book of Discipline and Directory, every decision which 
defines or explains it. 

Also, a complete Digest of all the rules of the several Boards of the 
Church as at present existing. 

That it omit whatever has become obsolete in the usage of the Church — 
e. g., in its benevolent operations — and all that pertains simply to matters 
of history. 

That it be requested that a Special Committee be appointed by the Gen- 
eral Assembly to examine and approve the book before it be issued. 

And it was recommended that the Rev. William E. Moore be requested 
to undertake the preparation of such a Digest. — 1871, p. 529. 

The following persons were appointed the Committee on the Digest, viz.: 



INTRODUCTION. 5 

Edwin F. Hatfield, D. D., Alexander T. McGill, D. D, LL. D., and Rob- 
ert M. Patterson, Ministers, Hon. George Sharswood, LL. D., and Hon. 
William Strong, LL. D., Elders— ib:, p. 586. 

The Gommittee on the new Digest reported its completion by the com- 
piler and its approval by the Committee ; also, that it would speedily be 
published.— 1873, p. 480. 

The plan pursued has been to print entire " The Book," under its three 
heads of "Form of Government" "Book of Discipline" and "Directory 
for Worship." Under each chapter and section of these is given every deliv- 
erance or decision of the Assembly which serves to define or explain it. 
As the same or kindred subjects are found under different heads in " The 
Book," a system of cross references directs the inquirer to the decision 
sought, or the subject illustrated. The greatest labor has been expended 
here in classifying the acts of the Assembly under their appropriate heads. 
Repetitions have been freely made, where it would facilitate the use of the 
Digest in actual practice. The decisions of each of the Supreme Judica- 
tories of the Church, from the beginning in 1706, have been given. Of 
those from 1838 to 1869 inclusive, the Assemblies of 1869, in their concur- 
rent declarations, affirm : 

" The official records of the two Branches of the Church for the period 
of separation should be preserved and held as making up the one history 
of the Church ; and no rule or precedent which does not stand approved 
by both the bodies should be of any authority until re-established in the 
united body, except in so far as such rule or precedent may affect the rights 
of property founded thereon." 

It will be seen, however, on comparing the decisions or deliverances of 
the two bodies during the separation, that in a very few cases indeed are 
they opposed or contrary to each other. In almost every case in which 
the two Assemblies have spoken upon the same subject they have uttered 
substantially the same thing. 

Even if not of " any authority " as binding law, most of these decisions 
will be found of the highest value, as expressing the deliberate judgment 
of the venerable bodies uttering them, upon points of constant recurrence. 
It is not likely that the united Assembly would now reverse any large 
proportion of the decisions of either body upon issues that are yet living. 

Under the discretion given, the compiler has omitted many of the earlier 
decisions, which are now found embodied in the Constitution. He has also 
omitted, with few exceptions, documents which are chiefly historical, and 
deliverances which pertain to the crises through which the Church has 
passed in the years long gone by. 

His duty, as he understood it, was to compile, not a history, but a Digest 
for the guidance of the judicatories of the Church. He has felt the more 
free to omit the history of the schisms of the past, because they are so 
fully recorded in the Digests heretofore prepared, and accessible to the 
investigator of history. He has not felt free to comment upon the de- 



b INTRODUCTION. 

cisions of the Assembly or to decide as to their force ; they have been left 
to speak for themselves. In every case the very words of the Assembly 
have been used, unless indicated by brackets. The discretion given has 
been used in a few cases in eliminating language offensive to either of the 
parties into which the Church was divided, but never so as to affect the 
meaning of the decision. 

The references in the Digest from 1706 to 1835 inclusive are to the 
three volumes published by the Board of Publication, viz. : " Records of 
the Presbyterian Church from 1706 to 1788," "Minutes of the General 
Assembly from 1788 to 1820," and " Minutes of the General Assembly from 
1821 to 1835." From 1838 to 1869 inclusive, the references are to the an- 
nual minutes of the two Assemblies, designated respectively as O. S. and N. 
S. ; from 1870 to 1873 inclusive, to the annual minutes of the Assembly. 

With great diffidence the compiler submits his work to the judgment 
of the Church. It has been a labor of love indeed, but yet a labor of no 
common toil and perplexity. To decide under what head to place a given 
deliverance cost often anxious thought. Nor can he flatter himself that 
his judgment will always meet the approval of those who pass upon his 
work. Believing, however, that every decision and deliverance of the 
Supreme Judicatories upon subjects of living interest will be found in the 
Digest and under the general head to which each belongs, he submits it with 
the hope that its method will tend to make the officers of our Church 
courts familiar with our incomparable Book, and with the prayer that its 
matter will be found to have made that Book so plain as to lessen, if not 
totally remove, all litigation. 

WILLIAM E. MOORE. 

Columbus, Ohio, 1873. 



SYLLABUS 



I. -FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 



IE -BOOK OF DISCIPLINE. 



III.-DIREOTORT FOR WORSHIP. 



SYLLABUS 



BOOK I. 



FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 



CHAPTER I. 

PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 

I. " God alone is Lord of the Conscience." The right of Private Judgment inalienable. 
The Civil Power to aid only by way of Protection and Security. 

II. The right of the Church to declare the Terms of Admission to its Communion and the 
Qualifications of its Ministers and Members. 

III. Christ hath appointed Officers to Preach the Gospel and Administer the Sacraments ; 
also, to exercise Discipline. 

IV. Truth is in order to Goodness ; is essential to Holiness. The connection between Faith 
and Practice is inseparable. 

V. All admitted as Teachers should be Sound in the Faith. But Charity is Duty where 
there may be Difference of Opinion. 

VI. DZoly Scriptures define the Qualifications and Authority of Church Officers. But the 
Flection to the exercise of this Authority is in the particular Society in which it is to be 
exercised. 

VII. All Church power is Ministerial and Declarative simply. No Church Court may 
make Laws to bind the Conscience. Their Decisions should be founded upon the Word 
of God. 

VIII. Ecclesiastical Discipline moral in its object; has no civil effect, and derives its force 
from its own justice and the blessing of God 43 

Adoption of the Westminster Standards. 
1. The Overture laid over for a year. 2. The Confession of Faith, Larger and 
Shorter Catechisms of the Westminster Assembly adopted. 3. The " Directory for 
Worship, Discipline," etc., recommended. 4. Intrants and Candidates to adopt the 
Standards, a, b. 5. The Adopting Act to be inscribed in each Presbytery Book. 6. 
An Act explaining the Adopting Act. 7. Plan of Union of the Synods of New 
York and Philadelphia, 1758. Declarations of the Synod — a, as to the mode of adopt- 
ing the Confession ; b, as to the Directory; c, d, as to the authority of "Pardovan's Col- 
lections." 8. The Constitution as adopted in 1788: a, Form of Government and 
Discipline, and the Confession of Faith, ratified; how they may be altered; b, The 
Directory for Worship and the Catechisms amended and adopted. 9. Proof texts 
added by order of the Assembly, a, b, c. 10. Authority of the Notes; the text alone 
contains the Constitution. 11. Use and Obligation of the Standards. 12. Subscription 
to them required in every case. 13. The Catechisms are an Integral part of the 
2 9 



10 SYLLABUS. 

Standards, a, b, c; d, The Heidelberg Catechism approved; e, Subscription to the 
Confession implies assent to the Catechisms. 14. Ministers who cannot adopt the 
Standards not to be received. 15. The Assembly refuses to alter the language of 
the Confession. Relations or the Old and New School Assemblies, 1838- 
1870. 16. Committee of Correspondence appointed, a; The result, 6. 17. Answers 
to Overtures on Reunion, N. S.. 18. O. S. 19. Correspondence between the Assem- 
blies initiated, O. S., a; Response of N. S., b. 20. Action looking to Reunion; 
Committees appointed, a, b, 1866. 21. Report of the Joint Committee on Reunion ; 
terms proposed. 22. Action on this Report; Assemblies of 1867; a, the O. S. ; b, 
the N. S. ; the Committee continued. 23. Second Report of the Joint Committee, 
1868 ; proposed Terms of Reunion : a, Action of the Assembly O. S. approved and 
sent to the Presbyteries ; b, Action of the Assembly N. S. approved and sent down 
as an Overture. 24. Report of Special Committee on the above Report, N. S. 25. 
Modification proposed, O. S., a; Answer, N. S., b. 26. Protest of E. P. Hum- 
phreys and others, a; Answer of the Assembly, b. 27. Answers of the Presbyteries 
to the Overture on Reunion — a, of the O. S. ; 6, of the N. S. 28. General As- 
semblies or 1869 at New York: Committees appointed, a, b, by both Assem- 
blies. 29. Report of the Joint-Committee: I. Plan of Reunion ; II. Concurrent 
Declarations ; III. Recommendation of a Day of Prayer. 30. The Report adopted 
— a, by the O. S., b, by the N. S. 31. The adjourned meetings at Pittsburg, Novem- 
ber, 1869 : a, Report of the Stated Clerk O. S. ; b, Report of the Stated Clerk N. S. 
32. Report of the Joint-Committee of Conference. 33. The Reunion declared as 
of binding force. 34. The Reunion Convention. 35. The "Memorial" Resolu- 
tion. 36. Plan of the Memorial Contribution. 37. Report of the Committee on 
the Memorial Fund 45 

CHAPTER II. 

OF THE CHURCH. 

I. The Church rs the Kingdom of Christ. II. The Universal Church. III. Consists of 
many Particular Churches. IV. A Particular Church defined. 1. New Churches, 
how organized : a, Ordinarily by application to Presbytery ; b, Mode of Procedure ; 
c, Entering into Covenant; d, Election of Elders and Deacons; e, Reported to Pres- 
bytery, and taken under its care; /and g, Imperfectly organized congregations. 2. 
Who are the constituent members of the Church, a, b, c, d. 3. Of Trustees and 
Charters, a, b. 4. Control of Trustees over a House of Worship. 5. Respective 
rights of Trustees and Sessions, a ; to be decided by local laws, b. 6. Congregations 
acting through their Trustees not responsible to the Presbyteries. 7. Decision of 
U. S. Supreme Court as to the relative rights of Trustees and Sessions 107 

CHAPTER III. 

OF THE OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH. 

I. The Extraordinary and Temporary. II. The Ordinary and Perpetual. See under 
Chaps. IV. V. VI 112 

CHAPTER IV. 

OF BISHOPS OR PASTORS. 

The Pastoral Office, its dignity, duties and titles. 1. Stated Supplies have not a Pastoral 
Relation : a, The Relation discouraged ; 6, The Pastoral Relation enjoined ; c, d, 
The system of Stated Supplies unknown to our system; e, Churches having Stated 
Supplies represented as if vacant ; /, Presbyteries should decline to ordain to serve 
as a Stated Supply. 2. Fidelity in Pastoral Duties enjoined, a, b, c 112 



FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 11 

CHAFIER V. 

OF RULING ELDERS. 

Ruling Elders are the Representatives rf the People, a, Assistants to aid the Minister. 
1. The Eldership Essential to the Existence of a Presbyterian Church. 2. Elders 
must be duly elected and set apart. 3. A Ruling Elder without Charge has no seat 
in a Church Court. 4. He cannot hold office in two Churches at the same time ; 5. Nor 
adjudicate in a Church in which he is not an Elder. 6. He lias the same Right to 
sit in Synod as in Presbytery. 7. Restoration after suspension from Church Priv- 
ilege does not Restore him to Office. 8. Elders are not to Participate in the Ordi- 
nation of ministers, by the Laying on of Hands, a, b, c, d. 9. They may not Ad- 
minister Sealing Ordinances. 10. May Explain the Scriptures and Exhort, in the 
Absence of the Pastor. 11. Are amenable to Presbytery, when the Session is In- 
competent to act 114 

CHAPTER VI. 

OF DEACONS. 

Scripture Warrant for the Office. 1. Deacons have no Juridical Power, a. Their Func- 
tions and Duties, b, c. 2. The same Person may hold the Office of Elder and of Dea- 
con, if necessary. 3. The appointment of Deacons Enjoined. 4. The Deacons alone 
have control of Funds Collected for the Poor of the Church. 5. The Session may 
determine whether the Deacons shall Officiate on Sacramental occasions. 6. Dea- 
cons may not Represent the Church in its Courts 118 

CHAPTER VII. 

OF ORDINANCES IN A PARTICULAR CHURCH. 
The Ordinances Enumerated. See, also, Directory for Worship 120 

CHAPTER VIII. 

OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT AND THE SEVERAL KINDS OF JUDICATORIES. 

I. The Necessity of Definite form in Government. Our Church governed by Congrega- 
tional, Presbyterial and Synodical Assemblies 120 

II. The Power of these Assemblies is wholly moral and Spiritual. It is Ministerial and 
Declarative. They possess the right — To require obedience, to the laws of Christ : To exclude 
the Disorderly : To obtain Evidence and inflict Censure. The highest Penalty they can 
inflict is Exclusion of the Impenitent and Contumacious. 1. Union of Church and State 
Disavowed ; Relations of the Church to the State Denned. 2. The right of any Ju- 
dicatory to bear Testimony against erroneous and injurious Publications 120 

CHAPTER IX. 

OF THE CHURCH SESSION. 
I. The members of the Session. The Pastor and Elders of that Particular Congregation. 
1. A Session formed of Elders, not of that particular Congregation, is unconstitu- 
tional and its acts void, a, b, c, d. 2. An Elder may not adjudicate in any other 
Church than that of which he is an Elder. 3. A Minister may not sit as a corre- 
sponding member; nor be assigned as Counsel. 4. Elders must be ordained before 
they can act judicially ; otherwise, the Decision is Invalid. 5. An Elder dismissed, 
and Returning his Let'.er unused, is reinstated in Office 123 



12 SYLLABUS. 

II. Quorum of Session. The Pastor must always be one, with two Elders, if there be so 
many. 1. A Minister, with one Elder, may be a Quorum, a, Where there is but 
one, b, c, Where Refusal to act or Incapacity leaves but One. 2. Less than a Quo- 
rum are incapable of any Organic Act 124 

III. The Moderator of the Session. Ordinarily the Pastor. For Special reasons the Ses- 
sion may invite any other Minister belonging to the Same Presbytery to Preside. [See 
under IV., below] 125 

IV. When a Church is without a Pastor. The Moderator may be the Minister appointed 
by the Presbytery for that purpose; or One of the Same Presbytery (See IV., above), 
or a Member of the Session. 1. Where a Minister is the Accuser, a Minister should 
Preside. 2. Who may Moderate the Session in the absence of a Pastor, a. b, Only 
a Member of the same Presbytery, in cases contemplated in Section III. and IV., 
Chap. IX., c. The Session to judge when it is impracticable to obtain a Mod- 
erator 125 

V. Where there are more Pastors than One, they Should Preside Alternately 127 

VI. The Duties and Powers of the Church Session : To Maintain the Spiritual Government 
of the Congregation. 1. The Session has Original Jurisdiction over the- Members of 
the Church, a, b, c, d. 2. Jurisdiction over a Suspended Member is in the Court which 
Suspended him. 3. A Church Member may not be Excommunicated on Confes- 
sion. Confession may Shorten Process, but does not Dispense with Trial. 4. To 
Receive Members to the Church. The vote of the Session admits the Members to the 
Church ; those unbaptized must be baptized ; the Session may prescribe a Public 
Profession of the Faith, and Employ a Church Covenant ; such Covenants Dis- 
cretionary. 5. An Unbaptized Person must make a Public Profession. 6. A Mem- 
ber Received from Another Church, should bring a Certificate. 7. Members should 
be received only by an Individual Session, regularly constituted, a, For a Session 
to Receive those intending to belong to another Congregation, irregular, b, also, to 
Receive Members from Churches of our connection who have not been Dismissed. 
8. Representation in the Superior Courts Required, a, b. 9. Attendance of Elders 
upon Synods Enforced, a, b. 10. The same Elder who Represented his Session at 
a Stated Meeting must Represent it at an Adjourned Meeting. 11. Session may not 
Prohibit Collections Ordered by the Superior Court, a, b 127 

VII. The Pastor may Convene the Session at his own Discretion, and must Convene it when 
> Two Elders 132 



VIII. The Session must keep full Records, and Submit them to Presbytery Annually, for 
Revieiv. 1. The Records must be full. 2. Testimony in Judicial cases must be en- 
grossed. 3. Records approved may not be altered ; How an error may be cor- 
rected 132 

IX. Register to be kept of Marriages, Baptisms and Admissions. 1. Reports to show 
only Actual Membership. 2. Ministers not to be Enrolled as Members of the 
Church they Serve , 133 

CHAPTER X. 

OP THE PRESBYTERY. 

I. The need, of Mutual Counsel and Assistance; hence Presbyterial and Synodical Assem- 
blies 134 

II. What constitutes a Presbytery. All the Ministers, not less than five, and one Elder 
from each Church within certain limits. 1. Presbyteries constituted of Ministers, a, b, 
c. 2. Presbyteries should be bounded by Geographical lines, a. Elective Affinity 



FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 13 

discouraged, b. Exceptions, c, d. 3. Ministers, AY. C, entitled to a seat. 4. An 
Elder, W. C, is not entitled. 5. Ministers living without the Bounds of their Pres- 
bytery to give Satisfactory Seasons, or be transferred to the Presbytery within which 
they Reside. 6. Ministers, W. C, must unite with the Presbytery within which 
they Reside, or are Nearest to. 7. The above Eule Denned : Its meaning, that 
every Minister should be a Member of the Presbytery in whose bounds he Resides. 
S. Presbyteries must be Defined by Geographical lines, or lines of Travel. 9. Pres- 
byteries may not be organized so as to cover the same ground 134 

III. Every Congregation having a Pastor has the Bight to be Represented in Presbytery by 
an Eider, and an additional Elder for every additional Pastor, Term " Collegiate 
Church " defined. 1. "A Church with more than one Pastor; " 2. " Two or more 
Churches united under one Pastor" 138 

IV. Two or more Churches, united under one Pastor, are entitled to but One Representative. 

I. United Congregations Represented by but One Elder. 2. Where a Minister 
serves one Church as Pastor, and another, or others, as Stated Supply, each is en- 
titled to a Representative. 3. Churches in different Presbyteries under one Pastor as 
permitted by the Reconstruction Act 138 

V. Every Vacant Congregation Entitled to a Representative. 1. Every congregation which 
has not a Pastor is vacant, a, b, Even though it may be Statedly Supplied 139 

VI. Presbytery may Require a Certificate of Appointment 139 

VII. Quorum. Three Ministers and as many Elders as may be present. 1. A Quorum may 
consist wholly of Ministers, a, b ; Explanatory, c. 2. Less than three Ministers not 
a quorum. 3. Less than a Quorum may adjourn ; any other act is void ; they can- 
not Receive a Member so as to get a Quorum. 4. The Assembly, on petition, sanc- 
tions the Reception of a Member by less than a Quorum, a, b, c, d 139 

VIII. Powers of the Presbytery. 1. To Receive and Tssue Appeals and Refer- 
ences from Church Sessions, etc. See Book of Discipline, Chap. VII. Sees. I., II., III. 
and IV 144 

2. To Examine and License Candidates for the Ministry. Licentiates should be Regularly 
received and with caution ; a. Case of John McClean ; b. Case of Francis Hind- 
man ; c. Case of James McCoy. See under Form of Government, Chap. XIV., " Of 
Licensing Candidates" 144 

3. To Ordain Ministers. 2. Ordination by a Commission, a; George Gillespie, b; 
Robert "VYotherspoon, c; David Evans, d. 3. Ordination by Foreign bodies not 
Approved of. 4. Lay Ordination is Invalid, a, b. 5. Rules for Receiving a Minis- 
ter from another Church ; the same Qualifications required as of our own Candi- 
dates : If found Qualified they are not to be re-ordained, but only Installed if called 
to settle over a Presbyterian Church, a, b. 6. Ordination procured by Deception 
and Fraud valid ; but Presbytery should at once Depose the Impostor. 7. Ordina- 
tion on the Sabbath at the Discretion of Presbytery. 8. Reasons for receiving an 
Ordained Minister to be Recorded. 9. Leave to Ordain Refused, where there is no 
Presbytery 145 

4. To Install Ministers. 10. The cognizance of settling Pastors belongs to Presbytery. 

II. A Pastoral Relation Recognized, without Installment. 12. The Presbytery may 
Refuse to Install, even where the Parties are Agreed 149 

5. To Remove Ministers. 13. The Presbytery may Dissolve a Pastoral Relation at its 
own Discretion, a, b. 14. Presbytery dissolves Pastoral Relation by order of Synod. 
15. A Pastor may not be Dismissed to a Body other than that to which his Church 
belongs 150 



14 SYLLABUS. 

6. To Judge Ministers. 16. The Presbytery is the Judge of the fitness of its Mem- 
bers. 17. It may Reject an Applicant; 18. But not without Sufficient Reason, 
a, b. 19. When a Presbytery has become extinct, and a Member of it is charged 
with an Offense, it is Optional with the Presbytery in whose bounds he lives to 
Receive and Try him, or not; in the latter case, the Jurisdiction is in the Synod. 
20. How Ministers and Licentiates are Received from Corresponding Bodies. 21. 
Ministers Dismissed in Good Standing should be Received on their Testimonials. 
22. The Presbytery has the Right to satisfy itself in every case, and to Decline to 
Receive. The " Imperative Rule." 23. A Presbytery may not give a qualified 
Dismission ; Nor Receive a Member of a Presbytery except upon a Letter of Dis- 
mission from his Presbytery ; where the Reception is void, the name should be 
Stricken from the Roll. 24. Dismission may be to a Presbytery to be Erected. 
25. To Dismiss by a Committee is Unconstitutional, a, b, c. 26. Rule for receiving 
Foreign Ministers. 27. The Rule Enforced, a, b, c. 28. Rule applies to one Seek- 
ing to be Restored. 29. Privilege lost by return to Europe. 30. The Rule applies 
to Canada, a, b. 31. One Educated and Licensed here, but settled abroad, excepted 
from the Rule. 32. Relaxation of the Rule Refused. 33. Waived in case of a 
Minister from a body in Correspondence. 34. The Rule Repealed, as to Ministers 
from the Presbyterian Churches of Great Britain. 35. Jurisdiction over Ministers 
non-resident, a, b, c. 36. A Presbytery may not Restore a Minister Deposed by 
Another. 37. One who has withdrawn can be restored only by the Presbytery from 
which he withdrew. 38. A Minister neither Suspended nor Dismissed, may not be 
Stricken from the Roll. 39. The Name of one Suspended is to remain upon the 
Roll, pending the final issue. 40. Deposition does not necessarily infer Excommu- 
nication ; Where so Intended, it should be so Expressed, a, b. 41. If a Deposed 
Minister persist in exercising the Functions of the Ministry, his Name to be Pub- 
lished 150 

42. Questions Pertaining to the Ministry. 1. Of those who Withdraw from 
the Work of the Ministry, a, Case of one Struck from the Roll, b, If persistent, 
to be Excluded or Deposed by Discipline, c, Presbytery to Inspect the Fidelity of 
its Members, d, Reasons for WithdraAval to be Required and Recorded with Ap- 
proval or Disapproval, e,f, To be called to account, g. The Rule of 1834 enforced, 
h. 2. When Providentially Incapacitated, Ministerial Privileges Remain. 3. The 
Right of Ministers, W. C, to sit in Church Courts Unimpaired, a, b, c. 4. May hold 
civil office, in Special case. 5. May serve as Chaplain in the Army or Navy, a, b, c, 
d,e,f. 6. Demission of the Ministry, a, Directed, b, Permitted by Presbytery, Dis- 
allowed by Synod, c, d, Similar Action, e, A Full Minute, Denying the Right to Demit. 
7. Ministers are not to be Enrolled as Members of the Churches they Serve. 8. 
One withdrawing from Presbytery Stricken from the Roll, a,b,c,d 161 

7. To Examine and Approve, or Censure Church Records. 43. The Presbytery must 
Review the Records of the Session, a, b 170 

8. To Resolve Questions of Doctrine or Discipline, Seriously Propounded 171 

O. To Condemn Erroneous Opinions which injure the purity or peace of the Church... 171 

10. To Visit Particular Churches ; to Inquire and Redress. 44. The right of Visitation 
asserted, a, Acts of Insubordination null and void, b. 45. Presbytery may, without 
petition, Direct an Elder to cease acting. 46. A Church may not Withdraw, with- 
out Consent of Presbytery, a, b. 47. When a Church wishes to withdraw — course 
to pursue. 48. Presbytery, on Visitation, may Dissolve a Church 171 

11. To Organize, Unite and Divide Churches. 49. To organize Churches is the pro- 
vince of Presbyteries, Except in Frontier and Destitute Settlements. 50. Organiza- 



FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 15 

tion on Petition of the Minority. 51. Presbytery Prohibits an Organization. 52. When 
New Congregations may be Formed. 53. Congregations should not be Divided 
without the Eequest of the People 173 

12, To Order Whatever Pertains to the Spiritual Welfare of the Churches. 54. Presby- 
tery, in its Discretion, Dissolves a Pastoral Relation, a, Minute in the case, b. 55. 
A Presbytery may not Dismiss a Church, without consent of Synod. 56. Power of 
Presbytery over Unemployed Ministers and Vacant Churches ; Mode of Proceed- 
ing 174 

IX. The Records. To be kept Full and Fair. To Report to Synod Every Year all Im- 
portant Changes. See under Form of Government, Chap. XL, Sec. VI. 1. Narrative 
and all Important Papers to be Recorded. 2. Rules as to Reports to Synod 
Modified 177 

X. Meetings of Presbytery. On its own Adjournment ; Pro re Nata ; How Called ; 
Who may Act; On what Authority ; What Notice to be Given, and What Business may 
be Done. 1. Presbytery may Meet out of its own Bounds. 2. A Meeting pro re nata 
may not be called by a Moderator chosen at a Former Meeting, pro re nata, but only 
by the Moderator chosen at the Stated Meeting. 3. When Meetings pro re nata may 
be called. 4. Applicants for a Meeting pro re nata may Specify Time and Place, 
which the Moderator may not change 178 

XL At Every Meeting a Sermon should be Preached, if convenient, and Every Particular 
Session must be Opened and Closed with Prayer. 1. The Preacher need not necessa- 
rily be a Member of that Presbytery 179 

XII. Presbytery may Invite Ministers to sit as Corresponding Members ; To Deliberate, 
but not to Vote. 1. Leave given to Correspond with Local bodies, a, b, c. 2. The 
Ecclesiastical Bodies must be Named 180 

CHAPTER XL 

OF THE SYNOD. 

I. The Synod, a Convention of the Bishops and Elders within a District, including at least 
Three Presbyteries ; Ratio of Elders, the Same as in Presbytery. 1. Synod may not 
Refuse to Receive the Members of its Presbyteries, a, b, c, Nor enjoin the Erasure of 
their Names. 2. The Synods as Constituted by the Enabling Act of 1870. 3. 
Changes in the Boundaries of the Synods, a, b, c, d, e,f, g, h, i, k, 1 181 

II. Quorum of Synod. Seven Ministers, but not more than Three Belonging to one Pres- 
bytery. 1. The Rule as to a Quorum must be Observed, a, Invalid Proceedings ; How 
Cured, b, Acts of Less than a Quorum, Void. 2. Session on the Sabbath for Busi- 
ness, Censured, a, b. 3. The Remedy when Synod fails to meet on its Adjournment, 
a, Less than a Quorum may Adjourn from Day to Day, The Moderator may fix 
time and place, b, The Assembly may fix both. 4. Pro re nata Meetings of Synod 
are Constitutional, a, The Moderator may call such Meeting, b, c. 5. The Mod- 
erator must Specify the Object for which it is Convened. 6. The Moderator 
has no power to change the Time of Meeting, a, b. 7. The Assembly may Change 
the Time and the Place 188 

III. Rules as to Corresponding Members, Same as in Presbytery 191 

IV. The Powers of the Synod. 1. To Receive and Issue Appeals, but has not Orig- 
inal Jurisdiction, a, b, c. 2. Appeals must be in Regular Order ; Parol Testimony 
may not Supersede the Records. 3. Synod may not Institute Judicial Process ; 
Such Proceeding Void. 4. The Synod may Reverse and Correct Proceedings on 
Complaint, but must Observe the Principles of Discipline. 5. The Synod has 



16 SYLLABUS. 

Jurisdiction over the Members of an Extinct Presbytery. 6. A Synod "visits" a 
Church to ascertain the acceptability of its Elders. 7. Directs a Presbytery to 
Dissolve a Pastoral Eelation 191 

V. Meetings of the Synod. At least Annual ; To be Opened with a Sermon ; Every Ses- 
sion to be Opened, and Closed with Prayer. 1. The Rule as to the Opening Sermon 
Literal, and to be Obeyed, a, b. 2. The Records should show that the Sessions 
were Opened and Closed with Prayer, a, b, e, d, e,f, g, h, i,j 193 

VI. The Records must be full and fair ; They must be Submitted Annually to the Assem- 
bly ; Report of Number of Presbyteries. 1. Report must be Full, a, b ; Assigning 
Reasons for Decisions, c, d; Recording the Nature of the Action, e, f g, h, i, 
Similar Defects. 2. The Records Should be Fair. 3. Must be Presented Annually, 
a, b. Reports to Assembly, c, d, Censure for Carelessness, e, and for not having 
Presented Annually,/, g, h, i. 4. The Records must Show all Changes in the Pres- 
byteries, a, b. 5. The Records should State the Body to which a Corresponding 
Member Belongs, a, b, c, d. 6. The Minutes Should be Read and Approved, a, b, c, 
d, e. 7. They should be Attested by the Stated Clerk, a, b, c. 8. Absentees must 
be called to Answer. 9. Their Names must be Recorded, a, b, c. 10. Synod may 
not Discipline Absentees, Without Trial. 11. A Narrative of the State of Religion 
Should be Prepared and Recorded, a, b, c 194 



CHAPTER XII. 

OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 

I. The General Assembly (he Highest Judicatory of the Church; Its Official Title. 1. 
The Formation of the General Assembly, a, b. 2. Annual Organization of the 
Assembly. 3. Rules of Organization; Committee on Commissions, a; Committee 
of Elections, b, c. 4. Mode of Choosing the Moderator. 5. Installing the Modera- 
tor. 6. Communications Addressed to the Moderator. 7. He has only the Casting 
Vote. 8. When the Moderator will not Preside, a, b, c. 9. Rules as Adopted in 
1871. 10. Officers of the Assembly. 1. The Stated Clerk ; His Appointment, a ; 
His Duties, b; To Notify Presbyteries whose Commissioners have left Without 
Excuse, c; Stated Clerk to act as Treasurer of the Assembly; His Salary, d. 2. 
The Permanent Clerk; His Appointment and Duties, a, b, c, d; His Salary, e. 
3. The Temporary Clerks, a, b; Choice not Confined to Members of Assem- 
bly, c, d 200 

II. Bishops and Elders, to be Equal in Number ; Ratio and Style of Delegates. 1. The 
Ratio. 2. Where more are Elected than their quota, the last Elected are Refused. 
3. Commissioners Should be Chosen who will Attend during all the Sessions. 4. 
Corresponding Members ; Not to be Invited. 5. Delegates from Other Bodies not 
now Entitled to Vote. 6. The Secretaries of the Boards; The Stated and Perma- 
nent Clerks have the Privileges of Corresponding Members, a, b. 7. The Standing 
Committees of the Assembly. I.— XVIII 211 

III. Quorum of the Assembly 217 

IV. Duties and. Powers of the General Assembly. 1. The Assembly will not Ordinarily 
Decide Questions in thesi, a, b, c, d. 217 

V. Powers of the General Assembly. 1. Decisions and Deliverances on Doctrine. 
1. Case of Samuel Harker. 2. Testimony against Universalism and Socinianism, a, 
b, c. 3. Case of Hezekiah Balch. 4. Of William C. Davis; His Book— The 
Gospel Plan — Condemned. 5. Of Thomas B. Craighead. 6. Of Albert Barnes. 
7. Testimony against Doctrinal Errors. 8. An Explication of Doctrines. 9. Tea- 



FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 17 

timony against Certain Disorders and Irregularities. 10. Powers of the Assembly 
•in Discipline; Definition and Limitations. 11. Testimony of the Assembly on the 
Outbreak of the Civil War, 1861. 12. Kesolutions on the State of the Country, and 
Letter to the President of the United States, 1862, a, b. 13. Duty of Citizens to Sup- 
port the Administration, 1863. 14. Resolutions Upholding the Government, 1864. 
15. Upon the Assassination of President Lincoln, 1865. 16. Powers of the Assembly 
in Defining and Determining which are True and Lawful Judicatories. 17. Case 
of the Walnut St. Church, Louisville; The Assembly Passes upon the Validity of 
the Election of Ruling Eiders, a, b ; The Case in the Courts of Kentucky, c; Ap- 
peal Directed to be Taken to the Supreme Court of the United States, d; Final 
Report; The Position of the Assembly Sustained by the Supreme Court, e ; Report 
of the Case; Opinion of the Court, /. 218 

2. Of Erecting New Synods; Altering their Bounds, etc., a ; Erecting, b ; Changing 
Boundaries, c; Transferring Churches, d; Dissolving Synods, e 263 

3. Of Erecting, Modifying, Changing and Dissolving Presbyteries, a, Of Erecting, etc., 
Carlisle, Huntingdon ; b, Columbia, Oneida, Albany ; c, Geneva, Detroit, Chenango ; 
d, Philadelphia, Second; ^Philadelphia, Third; /, Luzerne; #, Wisconsin ; h, 
Ningpo, Amoy, Western Africa; ?', California, San Francisco, Oregon, Sierra Ne- 
vada and San Jose; j, Yedo, Wyoming, Montana. 2. To Transfer Churches. 3. 
To Transfer Ministers, a, b. 4. To Receive other Ecclesiastical Bodies, a, The 
Presbytery of Suffolk ; b, The Presbytery of Charleston ; c, The Associate Reformed 
Synod ; d, The Presbytery of Pittsburg, of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. 5. 
To Define the Succession of Presbyteries 263 

4. Of Corresponding with Foreign Churches. 1. The Assembly alone may open Cor- 
respondence. 2. Proposals for Correspondence with the New England Churches. 
3. Plan of Correspondence with the General Association of Connecticut. 4. The 
Plan of Union and action under it. 5. Correspondence with the Reformed 
Churches, a, With the Reformed Dutch Church ; b, Amendments of the Plan ; 
c, Proposal Declined ; d, Complaint against Presbytery of North River. 6. South- 
ern Presbyterian Church Recognized as an Independent Body. 7. Correspond- 
ence with the Southern Presbyterian Church, a, b, c ; d, Answer of the Southern 
Assembly ; e, Action touching the Southern Assembly Declared null and void. 
8. Report on Foreign Correspondence, 1870. 9. Bodies with which the Assembly is 
at present in Correspondence, 1873. 10. Power of the Assembly to Expel a Member. 
11. Deliverance on the Perils of our System of Public Education. 12. The Pas- 
toral Letters. 1. On Missions. 2. On the Old French War, 1756. 3. On the 
Repeal of the Stamp Act, 1766. 4. On the Revolution, 1775. 5. Address to Wash- 
ington, 1789 ; Reply of the President, 1790. 6. On the Results of the French 
Revolution, 1798. 7. On the Disturbances in Kentucky, etc., 1804. 8. On the 
Sabbath, 1814. 9. On Christian Activity, 1817. 10. On prevalent Vices and Im- 
moralities, 1818. 11. On Revivals and their abuses, 1832. 12. On the Maintenance 
of Doctrinal Purity, 1839. 13. On Revivals of Religion, 1849. 14. On Diligence 
in repairing the Wastes of War, 1865. 15. On the Observance of the Sabbath, 
1867 267 

VI. 3Iodes in which Changes may be made in the Constitution; The Approval of a Ma- 
jority of Presbyteries Required. 1. Power of the Assembly to make Standing Rules. 
2. General Principles on which Amendments may be made, a, 6, c; In what way 
Doctrinal Portions may be Amended. 3. Amendments Approved by the Presby- 
teries, but not Adopted by the Assembly. 4. Where all the Presbyteries do not 
respond, the votes given are to be filed as the final answer of those Presbyteries, 
3 



18 SYLLABUS. 

unless reversed by them, a, b ; But the Assembly sends down the Overture again. 
5. The Manner in which Answers to Overtures are to be Authenticated to the 
Assembly 325 

VII. The Assembly to Meet at Least Once in Each Year ; How Opened; Who may Pre- 
side; Commissioners may not sit until Regularly Enrolled. 1. Adjourned Meetings of 
the Assembly ; Their Legality ; Opinion of Chancellor Kent. 2. The Adjourned 
Meetings of 1869, a, b. 3. Who may sit as Commissioners in an Adjourned Assem- 
bly, a, b. 4. The Assembly Excludes Commissioners from Sitting pending Inves- 
tigation, a, b ; Answer to Protest 330 

VIII. Opening and Closing of the Assembly with Prayer ; Final Dissolution. 1. Speci- 
men of the Minute of Dissolution 332 

The Charter of the Trustees of the Assembly; Style and Title, a ; The 
Charter Accepted, 6; Mode of Electing Trustees, c; Eules of Intercourse between 
the Trustees and the Assembly, d; Adjustments on the Reunion, e 333 



CHAPTER XIII. 

OF ELECTING AND ORDAINING RULING ELDERS AND DEACONS. 

I. The Mode in which Ecclesiastical Rulers should be Ordained to their Offices 337 

II. Ruling Elders and Deacons to be Chosen in the Mode most Approved, and in use in 
that Congregation; Must be male Members in Full Communion. 1. Elders must be 
duly Elected and set apart. 2. The Session may Propose Names to the Congrega- 
tion. 3. A Meeting of the Congregation to Elect Elders can be called only by the 
Session, or some Higher Court. 4. The Remedy, if the Session Refuse. 5. A 
Superior Judicature authorizes the Meeting. 6. Irregularity of the Call does not 
necessarily Invalidate the Election, a; nor does Irregularity in the mode of Elec- 
tion Invalidate the Ordination, b ; Those Elected must be Members in Full Com- 
munion with that Church, a. 7. Ministers not Eligible, b; Because not Members 
of a particular Church, c / An Exception made in case of Foreign Missionaries, d. 
8. Uniformity in the Mode of Election deemed Impracticable. 9. The Mode most 
Approved and in Use may be Changed ; There should be a Direct Vote of the 
Congregation. 10. A Superior Judicature may not Interfere with the Mode in use. 
11. Who are Electors of Ruling Elders and Deacons? a, Election not made Void 
where others than Communicants Vote; b, Only Baptized Persons may Vote; c, and 
that Communicants only Should Vote Advised ; d, No Distinction to be made as to 
the Age of the Electors. 12. Election for a term of years; a, Declared Irregular; 
b, Overture to limit the Term of Service Declined ; c, d, e, Overture to make the 
Office Temporary refused ; /, Plan Condemned. 13. The right to Elect to Serve for 
a Term of Years affirmed ; Judicial Case; a, History of the Case; b, Action of the 
Assembly ; c, Minute in the Case ; The Office Perpetual, but the Time of its Exer- 
cise Left to the Decision of the Church itself; d, Dissent ; e, Answer of the Assem- 
bly ; Limitation of the Term of Service Constitutional 337 

III., IV. Upon Acceptance of the Election, the Mode of Ordination and Installation. 
V. The Existing Session, to give the Right Hand of Felloioship. 1. Mode of Ordina- 
tion ; Laying on of Hands Approved, a, b, c ; but left to the Discretion of the Ses- 
sion. 2. Ordination Essential to the Validity of the Judicial Acts of an Elder. 
3. Must be Installed on Resuming Office. 4. Order of Installing an Elder already 
Ordained 346 



FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 19 

VL The Office of Ruling Elder and Deacon Perpetual ; But Either may Cease to Act. 

1. Perpetuity of the Office Affirmed, a, b. 2. Restoration to Church Privileges 
does not Restore to the Eldership. 3. An Elder without Charge can sit in no 
Church Court 348 

VII. Of the Way in which an Elder Incapable of Serving the Church to Edification, May 
be Relieved, of the Functions of his Office ; His own Consent or the Action of the Presby- 
tery must be had. 1. Elders who cannot obey the Superior Court should Resign. 

2. They may Resign to promote the Peace of the Church. 3. The Superior Court 
directs to cease acting. 4. A Presbytery may direct an Elder to cease to act, with- 
out a request from the Session. 5. When an Elder is unacceptable ; the Remedy, to 
Memorialize Presbytery. 6. When an Elder Resigns Presbytery may not order his 
Restoration. 7. The Official Relations of an Elder terminate with his Dismission. 
8. The return of a Letter, unused, Restores to Official Position 349 

CHAPTER XIV. 

OF LICENSING CANDIDATES OR PROBATIONERS TO PREACH THE GOSPEL. 

I. The Scriptural Requirements; Reasons for Trial of Candidates ; Presbyteries shall 
License. 1. Preaching without Licensure Condemned as Irregular, a; Disapproved 
of, 6. 2. On the Licensing and Ordaining of Women, a; Deliverance on the Sub- 
ject, b. 3. Education for the Ministry, a. The Board of Education Established ; 
6, Charter of the Board ; c, The Permanent Committee on Education Established ; 
d, Charter of the Committee. 4. Board of Education of the Reunited Church. 
a, Constitution ; b, Act of Incorporation ; c, Act Authorizing Transfer of Property 
of Committee to the Board ; d, Rules of the Board of Education 352 

II. Candidates to be under care of the Presbytery to which they naturally belong ; Defined ; 
Exceptions. 1. The Usage of the Olden Time. 2. Going Abroad for Licensure Dis- 
approved of. 3. Candidates for the Ministry should be placed under care of Pres- 
bytery ; a, Especially in their Theological Studies ; b, As soon as Possible, and 
Licensed, Ordinarily by the Presbytery to which they belong ; c, The Full Term 
should not be Shortened. 5. No Candidate to be Received until he has been a 
Communicant, and pursued his Classical Studies for a year. 6. Candidates must 
Connect themselves with the Presbytery to which they naturally Belong 364 

III. Literary and Moral Qualifications Demanded ; Must be a Member of some Particular 
Church, and give satisfaction as to Experience and Motives ; Testimonials of Scholarship. 

1. A liberal Education Required, a, b; To keep pace with the Progress of Society 
and of Letters, c. 2. Letter on the Thorough Literary Training of the Ministry. 

3. Liberal Education waived in certain cases, a ; b, Case of John Gloucester. 4. 
Theological, Instruction ; a, Overtures for the Establishment of a Theological 
School ; b, Plans Proposed ; c, Act Establishing the Seminary ; d, Agreement witli 
Trustees of College of New Jersey, e, Terms of Agreement; /, Location fixed at 
Princeton. 5. The Seminaries : 1. Princeton ; Plan of the Seminary, a ; Rules 
for Election of Directors, b ; Rule for Electing Professors, c; Plan as Amended by 
the Assembly of 1870, d; Substitute for Art. II., Sec. 1, of the Plan. 6. Report 
Detailing the Origin of the Seminaries, and their Relations to the Assembly, 1870. 

2. Auburn. 3, Western Theological Seminary; a, Proposition of the Assembly 
Accepted; b, Plan of the Seminary ; c, Change of Name Authorized. 4. Lane; 
The Assembly's Plan Adopted. 5. Union; a, Proposition to the Assembly; b. 
The Proposal Accepted by the Assembly; c, Memorial of the Directors. 6. Dan- 
ville. 7. North- Western, a; Plan of the Seminary Approved, b. 8. German Theo- 
logical School, Newark. 9. German Theological School of the North- West, Dubuque. 
10. Lincoln University; Oversight of Theological Department Accepted. 11. San 



20 SYLLABUS. 

Francisco. 12. Blackburn University. 7. Limitation of Time within which the 
Election of a Professor may be Vetoed 396 

IV. Candidates to be Examined in Languages, Arts and Sciences, Theology, History, Sacra- 
ments and Church Government; Parts of Trial 397 

V. The Presbytery to satisfy itself of the Candidate's Piety, Literature and Aptness to 
Teach. Candidates should be well versed in the Catechisms, and furnished with 
Proof-texts 398 

VI. Time of Study of Theology, at least two years. 1. a, Efforts to Extend the Term ; 
b, A Rule Requiring three years, Unconstitutional ; c, Overture sent down, but not 
Adopted. 2. Full Term of three years urgently Recommended, a, b, c ; Licensure 
at a time which would prevent a full course, Disapproved. 3. A Pledge of Three 
Years' Study, demanded by the Board, not Unconstitutional 398 

VII. The Questions to be Ashed of the Candidates 399 

VIII. The Form of Licensure. A "like form " may be used 400 

IX. A Candidate, having pursued his Course Partially in one Presbytery, may be taken up 
and. Licensed by Another 400 

X. Testimonials to be Furnished when a Candidate Removes from the Bounds of his Pres- 
bytery 400 

XI. License may be Becalled, if the Services of the Licentiate appear not to be to Edifica- 
tion of the Churches. 1. License Limited to Four Years; Presbyteries to Endeavor 
to open the way for the Settlement of their Candidates. 2. The above Rule does 
not abridge the Power of the Presbytery to License in Extraordinary Cases. 3. 
Licentiates belong to the Laity, and are Subject to the Session of the Church to 
which they Belong; b, But may Solemnize Marriage, where the Laws Expressly 
Authorize them so to do 401 

CHAPTER XV. 

OF THE ELECTION AND ORDINATION OF BISHOPS, OR PASTORS, AND 

EVANGELISTS. 

I. Order of Procedure in the Election of a Pastor ; The Session to Convene the Congre- 
gation. 1. Steps to be taken by a Vacant Congregation, looking to the Election of 
a Pastor 403 

II. Session to Procure a Moderator, unless highly Inconvenient 404 

III. Notice to be given on Sabbath, from the Pulpit 404 

IV. Mode of Procedure in the Election of a Pastor ; Who are Debarred from Voting, a, 
Those who Refuse to Contribute to his Support -; b, The Right of Voting not to be 
limited to Communicants, unless expressly so Limited by Charter; c, Overture to 
confine the vote to Communicants not Adopted 404 

V. Steps to be taken, in Case of a Minority Opposing 405 

VI. Form of the Call. 1. Early Action in the Support of the Ministry, a ; Glebe and 
Parsonage recommended, b. 2. Adequate provisions urged, a, b. 3. Liberality urged 
in Supporting the Ministry, a, b. 4. Presbytery may Refuse to Instal, when the 
Salary is Insufficient. 5. Congregations urged to procure Parsonages, a, b 405 

VII. The Call may be Attested by a Committee, but the fact of its being Authorized must 
be Certified to Presbytery , 409 

VIII. The Call given is a Petition of the People for the Installment of the Minister; Ac- 
cepted, it is a like Request on his part ; A Candidate Ordained on a Call, should at the 
Same Time be Installed , 409 



FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 21 

IX. The Call must come through the Presbytery to which the Candidate belongs, and only 
through the Presbytery 409 

X. Hoic a Call may be put into the hands of the Licentiate of another Presbytery 409 

XI. Trials for Ordination ; In what the Candidate is to be Examined ; A Fast before the 
Ordination Recommended. 1. Ordination on the Sabbath discouraged, but at the Dis- 
cretion of the Presbytery 410 

XII. Order of Exercises in Ordination ; Questions. The Assent Embraces the Larger 
and Shorter Catechisms 410 

XIII. Questions to be put to the Congregation 411 

XIV. The Ordination, by Prayer and the Laying on of Hands ; the Right Hand of Fel- 
lowship ; Record to be made 412 

XV. Ordination of an Evangelist, to Preach, Administer Seeding Ordinances and Organ- 
ize Churches in Destitute Places. 1. To Ordain Evangelists to labor in Feeble 
Churches is Lawful and Eight. 2. Case of Ordination of one who proposes to con- 
tinue Teaching. 3. Ordinations by Presbyteries to labor in the Bounds of Other 
Presbyteries Discountenanced. 4. Ordination, sine titulo, a, b, c ; Request Refused, 
d ; Granted, e,f g, h, i. 5. Overture on, Rejected, a, b. 6. A Censure for Ordina- 
nation, sine titulo, not Sustained 412 

CHAPTER XVI. 

OF TRANSLATION, OR REMOVING A MINISTER FROM ONE CHARGE TO 

ANOTHER. 

I. No Bishop shall be Translated, or Receive a Call, but by Permission of Presbytery. 1. 
Removal without Consent of Presbytery Censured. 2. The Irregularity Excused, 
but Caution Enjoined 416 

II. Mode of Proceeding in Calling and Translating a Settled. Pastor. 1. Consent of the 
Parties may Shorten the Process 410 

III. Order of Procedure, where the JSLinister Called-, and the Congregation Calling him, are 
in Different Presbyteries. 1. The Pastor to be Installed must belong to the same 
Presbytery with the Church over which he is Installed 417 

IV. Installment may be by Presbytery, or by a Committee; and in this Order: 418 

V. On the Day Appointed and Published 418 

VI. When the Presbytery has met, a Sermon shall be Preached, and the Constitutional 
Questions put to Both Parties; A Charge shall be given to Pastor and People 418 

VII. The Right Hand of Fellowship. 1. A Pastoral Relation without Installment 
Recognized 418 

CHAPTER XVII. 

OF RESIGNING A PASTORAL CHARGE. 

The Steps to be Taken by Either Party Desiring to be Released. 1. Whether the Rela- 
tion should be Dissolved at the time when the Request is made, left to the Discre- 
tion of the Presbytery. 2. The Rule should be Rigidly Enforced. 3. Where the 
Parties are Agreed, the Relation may be Dissolved at the First Meeting. 4. A 
Meeting of the Congregation, without the Pastor, valid, where lie had Requested 
the Dissolution. 5. A Synod Sustained where on Appeal, it Dissolves the Relation, 
on Petition of a Minority 419 



22 SYLLABUS. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

ON MISSIONS. 

The Duty and Power of the Presbytery, Synod and Assembly, in the matter of Providing 
for the Supply of Vacancies. 1. The Standing Committee on Missions Appointed ; 
Enlarged. 2. The Board of Missions. 3. Powers Enlarged, a, b. 4. Number of 
Members 422 

I. The Board of Home Missions: Its Constitution, a; Eules, b ; Charter, c; En- 
abling Act, d 42G 

II. The Board of Foreign Missions. 1. Constitution of the Board. 2. Altera- 
tions. 3. The Committee on Foreign Missions. 4. The Organization of the Board 
of Foreign Missions, 1870. 5. Alterations necessitated by Legislation. 6. The 
Charter, a, b 430 

III. The Board of Education. See under Chap. XIV., Sec. I., 3 433 

IV. The Board of Publication. 1. The Board Established. 2. Alterations and 
Enlargement of Plan, a, b. 3. The Publication Committee ; Its Powers and 
Duties, a, 6, c. 4. Change of Name, and 5, Scope Enlarged. 6. The Trustees of 
the Presbyterian House to act as Trustees for the Committee. 7. The Board of 
Publication Organized, 1870. 8. The Sabbath School Work of the Board, a, b. 
9. The Charter of the Board. 10. Rules 433 

V. The Trustees of the Church Erection Fund. 1. The Organization in 1870. 
2. The Plan. 3. The Charter. 4. The By-Laws 442 

VI. Belief Fund for Disabled Ministers and the Widows and Orphans of 
Deceased Ministers, a, The Plan Adopted by the Assembly, O. S. ; b, The Plan 
of the Assembly, N. S. 1. The Plan Adopted 1870. 2. Eules and Mode of Distribu- 
tion . 448 

VII. The Presbyterian Committee of Missions for Freedmen. 1. The Plan 
Adopted in 1870. 2. The Rules 451 

VIII. The Sustentation Fund. 1. The Scheme Adopted 1870. 2. Conditions of 
Aid 452 

IX. Committee on Benevolence and Finance. 1. The Plan Adopted in 1872. 
2. The Rules 455 

X. The Trustees of the Presbyterian House. 1. Act of Incorporation. 2. 
Charter Accepted ; Duties of the Trustees. 3. To Act as Trustees of the Publica- 
tion Committee. 4. Declaration of Trust. 5. Title Executed to the Board of Pub- 
lication. 6. Trusts Transferred. 7. By-Laws of the Board 456 

CHAPTER XIX. 

OF MODERATORS. 

I. The Necessity of a Presiding Officer 459 

II. The Authority of the Moderator and his Duties. 1. The Moderator not Necessarily 
a Member of the Judicatory 459 

III. The Moderator to be Chosen at each Session of Assembly and Synod, and by Pres- 
bytery at least Annually 460 

CHAPTER XX. 

OF CLERKS. 

I. The Clerk to be Cfiosen to Serve During the Pleasure of the Judicatory. His Duties. 
1. The Clerk not Necessarily a Member of the Court 461 



BOOK OF DISCIPLINE. 23 

CHAPTER XXI. 

OP VACANT CONGREGATIONS ASSEMBLING FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP. 

The Importance of Weekly Assembling of God's People; such Assemblies Encouraged for 
Prayer, Praise and Reading the Scriptures, etc., and that Elders and Deacons Preside. 

1. Vacant Congregations Encouraged to Meet. 2. Elders to be Interrogated as to 
the Observance of the Rule. 3. Right of Ruling Elders, in the Absence of the 
Pastor, to Explain the Scriptures and Exhort 461 

CHAPTER XXII. 

OF COMMISSIONERS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 

I. Commissioners to be Chosen at the Stated Meeting of the Presbytery next before the 
Meeting of the Assembly, unless the interval be too short. In that Case they may be 
Chosen at any Stated Meeting not more than Seven Months before; Alternates to be 
Appointed. 1. The Rule Relaxed in the Case of Missionary Presbyteries, a, b, c, d, e. 

2. Where a Presbytery Failed of a Quorum, the Assembly Refused to Receive a 
Commissioner, a, but in a Similar Case of a Missionary Presbytery a Commissioner 
was Admitted, on Request of Individuals, b, c, d. 3. Commissioners should Attend 
to the Close of the Sessions. Presbyteries to Require a Report on this Point, a, b. 
Presbyteries Recommended to Appoint only those who are Able and Willing to 
Remain to the Close, c. 4. Commissioners from New Presbyteries, a, to Furnish 
Evidence of the Organization of their Presbytery, b. 5. Commissioners, not Ruling 
Elders, under the Plan of Union. 6. A Commissioner having taken his Seat may 
not Resign to his Principal or Alternate. 7. Rule Dispensed with, under Peculiar 
Circumstances, a, b, c, d 462 

II. The Form of Commission. 1. Sundry Irregularities and Defects in Commissions, 
but the Commissioners Received, a-l, the Usage. 2. The Assembly will not go 
Behind a Commission 468 

III. The Expenses of Delegates should be Borne by the Bodies which they Represent. 
1. The Commissioners' Fund. Former Plans. 2. During the Separation, a, b, c. 
.3. The Plan as Adopted at the Reunion. 4. Presbyteries Enjoined to Secure the 
Full Quota. Those Delinquent Censured 470 



BOOK II. 
OF DISCIPLINE. 



CHAPTER I. 

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. 

I. Discipline the Exercise of the Authority, and, Application of the Laws which Christ hath 
Appointed in his Church 475 

II. The Exercise of Discipline Necessary. Its Ends. Removal of Offences. Vindication, 
of Christ's Honor. Benefit of the Offender. 1. Prompt Discipline best Fitted to 
Secure a Happy Issue 475 

III. An Offence, Defined. Moral Questions. 1. Breach of Sabbath Observance. 
Discipline Enjoined. 2. Theatrical Exhibitions and Dancing Condemned, a. 



24 SYLLABUS. 

Dancing a Dangerous Amusement, and to be Discouraged, b. Promiscuous Dan- 
cing Calls for Faithful and Judicious Discipline, c. Social Dances and Private 
Theatricals Condemned by the 139th Question of the Larger Catechism, d. The 
Session Competent to Decide in each Case, when Discipline is Required, e. The- 
atre-going and Card-playing Discountenanced, /. An Extended Deliverance on 
the Opera, the Theatre, the Dance and Card-playing. 2. Gambling, Lotteries, 
Horse-racing, Betting, etc., Condemned, a. Lotteries Immoral in their Nature and 
Ruinous in their Effects. Dealing in them to be Avoided, even where the Professed 
Object is Praiseworthy, b. 3. Dueling a Violation of the Sixth Commandment. 
Duelists to be Excluded from Church Privileges. 4. Slavery and Slave-holding 
Utterly Inconsistent with the Law of God. 5. Intemperance, a, b. Abstinence 
Urged from the Common Use of Ardent Spirits, c, d. Day of Fasting in View of 
the Evils and Sin of Drunkenness, e. 6. Entire Abstinence from the Use of Ardent 
Spirits, a, b, c. Wines and Fermented Liquors, d. Entire Abstinence from all that 
can Intoxicate, e, /. 7. Manufacture of and Traffic in Ardent Spirits, a, b, c. 
Deeply Deplored, but may not be made a Term of Communion, d. 8. The Manu- 
facture and Sale of Intoxicating Drinks an Offence. 9. Prohibitory Laws Endorsed, 
a, b. 10. Relation of Temperance and other Moral Societies to the Church, a, b. 
11. Authority of the Deliverances on Temperance. 12. Willful Absenting One's 
Self from the Ordinances of God's House an Offence, a. Case of Alexander 
Frazer, b. Case of Alexander Gordon, c. Case of Mr. Rowland, d. Discipline 
Enjoined, e, but may not be without Trial. 13. Deliverance on Marriage, Divorce 
and Infanticide 475 

IV. Nothing to be Judicially Counted an Offence which cannot be Proven such by Scripture, 
a, New Terms of Communion will not be sustained, b, Where Conduct is Disap- 
proved Generally, each Case must be Judged by its own Circumstances 495 

V. Exercise of Discipline Calls for Great Wisdom and Prudence in Adapting the means 
to the End in View. 1. The Censure must be Proportioned to the Offence, a. Case 
of Jabez Spicer, b. Case of George Browne; Sentence Reversed and New Trial 
Ordered, c. Case of David Price, d. Session Recommended to Revoke its Sentence 
and Admonish. 2. Great Tenderness Enjoined upon the Lower Courts 495 

VI. All Baptized Persons Subject to the Discipline of the Church 497 

VII. Offences, either Public or Private * 497 

CHAPTER II. 

OF PRIVATE OFFENCES. 

I. Private Offences Defined 497 

II. Such should not be Immediately Prosecuted before the Courts of the Church 497 

III. Complaint shall be Entertained only when Private Means have Failed. 1. In Actual 
Process no Testimony may be Introduced Injurious to Parties not on Trial 497 

IV. Those who bring Information of Private Injuries without having taken these Previous 
Steps to be Censured 498 

V. To Spread the Knowledge of an Offence, except in the Way of Duty, is Slander, a, b. 498 

CHAPTER III. 

OF PUBLIC OFFENCES. 

I. A Public Offence, such as Requires Notice of a Judicatory 499 

II. The Cases Defined. Notorious and Scandalous, and Incapable of Removal, but by 
Judicial Action 499 



BOOK OF DISCIPLINE. 25 

III. Offences not always to be Prosecuted. Failure of Proof Weakens Authority 499 

IV. In Case of Common Fame, the Steps Necessary in Private Offences need not be 
Taken 499 

V. What Benders it Proper that a Judicatory should take Notice of an Offence on Fama 
Clamosa 499 

VI. The Party Slandered may Bequest a Judicial Investigation, which the Judicature 
shall Institute 499 

CHAPTER IV. 

OF ACTUAL PROCESS. 

I. All other Means Failing, the Proper Court shall take Judicial Cognizance of the Offence. 
1. Judicial Cases should be Continued without Interruption 500 

II. Two Modes of Bringing an Offence before the Court: by Individual Accusers, or by 
Common Fame 500 

III. In the Former Case, Process is in the Name of the Accuser. In the latter, no Accuser 
is Named 500 

IV. Great Caution to be used in Beceiving Accusations from those of Malignant Spirit, 
Bad Character, under Process, Interested in Convicting, or Litigious and Bash. 1. Ad- 
monition to Prosecutors 500 

V. What may be done at the First Meeting of the Judicatory. 1. Censure without Trial 
is Informal, a, b. 2. A Judicatory may not Suspend without Trial. 3. Nor Cen- 
sure an Absent Person without Citing him. 4. Exclusion may not be without 
Trial 501 

VI. Citations, how Issued and Authenticated. Citations to be Issued for Witnesses for 
Defence 502 

VII. The Accused is not Bequired to give Notice of the Witnesses he Intends to bring 
Forward. 1. He may not be Required to State what he Expects to Prove by his 
Witnesses 502 

VIII. Time, Place and Circumstances shoidd be Definitely Stated in Making Charges. 
1. The Charges should be Specific, a, Especially in Cases of Heresy, b, c 502 

IX. The Judicatory may Proceed by Way of Conference with the Accused 503 

X. If a Citation be Disregarded, a Second shall be Issued, and on Befusal the Becusant to 
be Excluded for Contumacy until he Bepent. 1. Contumacy is not to be Hastily 
Inferred. Case of Craighead. 2. Proceedings in Case of Contumacy. 3. The 
Contumacious Restored on Submission 503 

XI. If the Person Cited shall Declare his Befusal to Obey, he shall yet be Cited again. 
1. Contumacy is not to be Charged on a First Citation. 2. If the Accused Plead 
Guilty, the Forms of Process may not be Dispensed with, a. If he Confess Judg- 
ment, the Process may be Shortened, but not Dispensed Avith, b 504 

XI. The Time in First Citation must be at least Ten Days. In Subsequent Citations at 
the Discretion of the Court 505 

XIII. Second Citation to be Accompanied with Notice that on Non-appearance the Cited 
will be Censured for Contumacy, and the Court will Proceed as if he were Present. 1. In 
the Absence of the Accused, Counsel must be Assigned. 2. Order of Proceeding 
in Case of Contumacy, a, when the Judicature has Taken the Testimony as above. 

It may Proceed to Pass Judgment thereon, as if he were Present 505 

4 



26 SYLLABUS. 

XIV. The Court should Ascertain that their Citations have been duly Served before Pro- 
ceeding to Judgment 510 

XV. The Trial must be Fair and Impartial. 1. Censure may not be Inflicted without 
a Trial, a, b 510 

XVI. Judgment shall be Entered on the Records of the Judicatory. Parties Entitled to 
Copies. In Appeals, etc., the Judicature shall Send up Authentic Copies of the whole 
Process. 1. Appellant Entitled to a Copy of the Sentence. 2. What is an Authentic 

, Copy. A Copy made by Appellant not Sufficient, a. To be under the Hand of 
the Clerk, b. 3. The Case Remanded when the Courts below Refuse to Send up the 
Documents, a, b. All the Documents in the Case Required, c 511 

XVII. What Censure is to be Inflicted on the Guilty. 1. Censure not to be Removed 
without Evidence of Repentance 512 

XVIII. Suspension from Privileges Pending Trial. 1. The Accused may be Suspended 
from the Exercise of Ministerial Functions Pending the Issue of his Case 513 

XIX. Sentence Ordinarily to be Published only in the Church in which the Offence was 
Committed, or it may be only in the Judicatory 513 

XX. The Incorrigible are to be Excommunicated 513 

XXI. No Professional Counsel Allowed. But a Member of the Judicature may Aid. 
Those Acting as Counsel may not Sit as Members of the Judicatory. 1. No one not a 
Member of the Judicatory may Act as Counsel. 2. Professional Counsel in all 
Cases Excluded. 3. One Acting as Counsel may Speak in any Discussion on the 
Adoption of a Minute in the Case. 4. Counsel Assigned by Request of Parties, a, b. 
Assigned by the Court, c 513 

XXII. Questions of Order to be Determined by the Moderator. Appeal from his Decision 
without Debate 514 

XXIII. Reasons for all Decisions, except XXII., to be Recorded at Length. And noth- 
ing but what the Record Shows may be Considered on Review of Proceedings. 1. Rea- 
sons for Decisions must be Recorded in Full, a, b, c, and must be Satisfactory, d. 
Case Ordered to a New Trial for Failure to Record Reasons for a Decision, e. 
2. All Testimony before the Court should be Engrossed on the Book of Permanent 
Records, a. But Filing the Testimony Declared to be Sufficient, b. 3. Testimony 
not on Record Admitted by Consent, a, b. 4. Records should Contain the Results 
of Interloquiturs in a Case, a, also the Report of the Judicial Committee on 
the Case, b 515 



CHAPTER V. 
OF PROCESS AGAINST A BISHOP OR MINISTER. 

I. The Presbytery Jealously to Guard the Conduct of all its Members, but Neither to 
Screen Offences nor Lightly to Receive Charges 517 

II. Process against a Minister must be Entered in his own Presbytery. The Principles 
Laid down in Chap. IV. Apply to Ministers. 1. Discipline of a Minister by Another 
than his own Presbytery not Permitted. 2. Even when Non-resident, a, Nor does 
Difficulty of Process Relieve the Presbytery of Responsibility, b, Discipline by 
Boards of Missions not Recognized, c, The Board may Exercise Discretion as to 
Appointment. 3. On Petition for Restoration, the Case Transferred to the Presby- 
tery within which the Respondent Resides, a, b 517 



BOOK OF DISCIPLINE. 27 

III. If the Facts Charged happened within the Bounds of Another Presbytery, that Pres- 
bytery may Cite the Witnesses or take the Testimony. 1. A Suspended Licentiate can 
be Restored only by the Presbytery which Suspended him ; Another may take the 
Testimony. 2. Such Presbytery may take the Testimony, but not try the Case... 519 

IV. The Presbytery within whose Bounds an Offence is Committed shall Notify the Pres- 
bytery to which the Accused Belongs of the Fact. Testimony may be taken by Either 
Presbytery. 1. The Presbytery within whose Bounds an Offence is Committed has 
Performed its Duty when it Informs the Presbytery to which the Offender belongs 
of the Allegations and the Grounds of them 520 

V. Process shall not be Commenced without a Prosecutor, unless the Scandal be of Common 
Fame. 1. An Action based on Common Fame, Sustained. Informalities before 
Trial Waived by Act of the Accused 521 

VI. If a Minister is knoivn to be Guilty of a Private, Censurable Fault, he is to be Warned 
in Private. If he Persists, Advice is to be Taken. 1. The Character of the Absent 
may not be Impeached in Discussion 521 

VII. The Prosecutor, Failing to Prove his Charges, to be held Guilty of Slander. 1. Failure 
to Prove Charges Incurs the Censure of Slander. 2. The Character of the Absent 
is not to be Involved, and Scandalous Assertions will not be Admitted unless under 
Charges Tabled. 3. The Sentence for Slander must be Inflicted only after the 
Trial 522 

VIII. Complaint must be in Writing. Nothing may be done at the First Meeting, but to give 
a Copy of Charges and Names of Witnesses, and Cite the Parties 524 

IX. Suspension Pending Process, Discretionary. 1. Suspension from the Ministry dur- 
ing Process, a, b. 2. Suspension from Privileges of Membership, a, b 524 

X. At the Next Meeting the Accused shall be Called to Plead, if he Confess, and the Matter 
is Flagitious, the Presbytery must Proceed to Suspend or Depose 525 

XI. On Refusing a Second Citation, he shall be Suspended, and on the Third, Deposed as 
Contumacious 525 

XII. If he Plead not Guilty, the Presbytery shall Act According to the Testimony in the 
Case 525 

XIII. In Charges of Heresy, the Presbytery to Judge Carefully as to the Nature and Tend- 
ency of the Errors, and Act Accordingly 525 

XIV. A Minister Charged with Heresy should be treated Tenderly. Dangerous Errors 
may Demand Suspension 525 

XV. If the Offence Charged be of Infirmity and Amendable, Prudent Measures are to be 
used to Remove the Offence 525 

XVI. Hasty Restoration of the Deposed to be Avoided, nor should it be, until Demanded 
by the Sentiments of the Religious Public. 1. Caution Enjoined in Restoring a Min- 
ister. Case of A. C. Collins, a, b. 2. A Presbytery other than that which Deposed, 
Authorized to Restore. Case of George Bourne. 3. The Assembly on Memorial 
Advises Restoration, the end of Discipline being Gained. Case of A. McQueen. 
4. Deposition does not Necessarily Infer Excommunication, a. When both are 
Intended, it should be Explicitly so Stated, b. 5. A Suspended Minister may not 
Exercise any Functions of the Ministry. 6. He does not Rank as a Common 
Christian in Good Standing. 7. The Names of Deposed Ministers to be Published 
if they Attempt to Exercise any Function of the Ministry o-ti 

XVII. When a Minister is Deposed, his Church is to be Declared Vacant 523 



28 SYLLABUS. 

CHAPTER VI. 

OF WITNESSES. 

I. All Persons not Competent as Witnesses, and all Witnesses not Credible; Impartiality 
Demanded , 528 

II. A Competent Witness Defined. Things that Affect his Competency. 1. A Prosecutor 
in any Case is not Excluded from Bearing Testimony in that Case 528 

III. Either Party may Challenge a Witness; the Judicatory must Hear and Decide... 529 

IV. The Credibility of a Witness, How Affected. 1. A Husband or Wife may be 
Allowed to Testify where Either is Interested 529 

V. A Husband or Wife shall not be Compelled to Testify against each other 529 

VI. TJte Testimony of more than one Witness Necessary to Convict, but Several Witnesses 
to Similar Acts may Establish a Charge 529 

VII. Witnesses must be Excluded, unless by Consent of Parties 529 

VIII. Order of Examination of Witnesses; No Question Allowed, but by Permission of 
the Moderator 530 

IX. Form of the Oath or Affirmation. 1. The Authority for Administering a Judicial 
Oath. 2. Testimony should be under Oath and on Record 530 

X. Questions must be Reduced to Writing, and Answers Recorded, if so Desired by Either 
Party 531 

XI. The Records of a Judicatory Regularly Authenticated, shall be Good Evidence in any 
other. 1. Testimony Attested by Moderator and Clerk Valid in References as in 
Appeals 531 

XII. Testimony Taken by one Judicatory and Certified, shall be Valid in any other... 531 

XIII. Testimony Taken by a Commission 531 

XIV. Both Parties may Comment upon the Testimony 531 

XV. A Member of the Court may be Called to Testify and then Resume his Seat. 1. Re- 
fusal to Testify would Subject him to Censure for Contumacy 531 

XVI. A Member of the Church Refusing to Obey Citation or to Testify, to be Censured for 
Contumacy. 1. A Minister Cited to Testify before the Session, must Obey 532 

XVII. Testimony must be Faithfully Recorded, and Read to the Witnesses for their Ap- 
proval 532 

CHAPTER VII. 

OF THE VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH A CAUSE MAY BE CARRIED FROM A 
LOWER JUDICATORY TO A HIGHER. 

I. The Design of Courts of Appeal; the Whole Church Sits in Judgment upon the Acts 
of a Part , 532 

II. Every Kind of Decision of any Judicatory, except the Highest, Subject to the Review 
of a Superior. 1. The Assembly may not Reverse the Judicial Acts of a Prede- 
cessor, unless Error is Shown, a. The Assembly, however, may Review the Course 
of a Predecessor, b. But may not Revise its Proceedings, c. 2. If Error is Shown 
to Exist, the Assembly will Correct it. 3. The Assembly will Adhere to the Rule 
Above 532 



BOOK OF DISCIPLINE. 29 

CHAPTER VII. 

Section I. 

GENERAL REVIEW AND CONTROL. 

I. The Superior Judicatories must Review the Records of the Inferior at least Annually. 
1. Annual Review Required and Enforced, a, b, c, d. 2. Minutes once Approved 
can be Corrected only by Recurrence to the Highest Court which has Endorsed the 
Mistake. 3. Records of Meetings just held may be Demanded for Review. 4. 
Copies of Originals Accepted only in Extraordinary Cases, a, b, c. 5. Members of 
a Judicatory may not Vote upon Review of their own Records, a, b 534 

II. The Review is to Ascertain whether the Proceedings have been — 1. Constitutional and 
Regular; 2. Wise, Equitable and for Edification ; 3. Correctly Recorded. 1. Uncon- 
stitutional and Irregular, a, b, c. A Synod may not Initiate Judicial Proceedings 
against a Minister 536 

III. If Censure is Passed, it should be Recorded in the Book Reviewed. If Irregularity be 
Found, the Judicature may be Required to Correct its Proceedings. 1. The Records 
must be Full ; Reasons for Decisions must be given, a, b, and must be Satisfactory, 
c. The Subject-matter of the Decision must be Stated, d, e. 2. Exceptions taken 
by a Court of Review must be Recorded on its own Minutes, a, b, c, d, e. 3. The 
Lower Courts must Respect the Decisions of the Superior, a, b. 4. A Synod is 
Censured for Failure to make a Deliverance. 5. Censured for Insubordination, 
a, b, c 537 

IV. A Judicial Decision may not be Reversed on Review, a, b 540 

V. Where it Appears by Common Fame that an Inferior Judicatory has been Guilty of 
Neglect, etc., not shown by the Record, the Superior Court is to Proceed as if by Review. 
Illustrations of the Principle, a, b 540 

VI. In Case of Delinquency, etc., the Superior Judicatory is to Cite the Judicatory Offend- 
ing, and Remit the Matter to it for Proper Action. 1. Citation of Judicatories on 
Review or on Common Fame, a, b 541 

CHAPTER VIL 
Section IT. 

OF REFERENCES. 

I. Reference Defined ; It should be always in Writing. 1. The Right to Petition and to 
Memorialize the Assembly Affirmed, a, b. 2. One who does not Submit is De- 
barred 542 

II. Cases in which Reference is Proper Stated. Instance of References Received, a, b, 
G,d, e,f 543 

III. References are for Advice or for Trial, a, 6 544 

IV. Reference for Advice Suspends the Decision; Reference for Trial Remits the whole 
Case to the Decision of the Court Above; an Example of the Latter 514 

V. Reference Discouraged. Each Court should Meet its own Responsibilities 545 

VI. The Court Above not Obliged to Answer a Reference, but may Remit the Cause with or 
without Advice, a , 545 



30 SYLLABUS. 

VII. In Case of Reference, the Members of the Court Referring Retain all their Rights of 
Deliberating and Voting 546 

VIII. References Generally to be Carried to the next Higher Court. 1. Reference Directly 
to the Assembly from a Presbytery, a, b, c, d 546 

IX. The Judicatory Referring should have the Case Fully Prepared for Issuing without 
Delay. 1. Testimony under Signature of the Moderator and Clerk is Duly Authen- 
ticated. 2. The Judicatory Referred to may itself take the Testimony 547 

X. References to the Assembly may be made for Advice or for Construction of Law, but not 
for Judicial Trial. Bills and Overtures to be Received only from Synods and 
Presbyteries 547 



CHAPTER VIL 
Section III. 

OF APPEALS. 

I. An Appeal Defined. Distinction between Appeal and Complaint. 1. Death of 
Respondent Bars an Appeal. 2. Appeals Limited to Judicial Cases 548 

II. The Parties who may bring an Appeal , 548 

III. The Causes for which an Appeal may be Taken. 1. For Refusing to Permit a Call, 

a, b. 2. Against a Refusal to Obey the Superior Court. 3. For Refusing to Receive 
an Applicant. 4. Against an Order of the Superior Court, a, b, c. 5. An Appeal 
will not lie against a Judicatory for Obeying a Superior Court. 6. Appeal Dis- 
missed for want of Evidence to Sustain the Allegations. 7. Appeal will not lie 
against a Refusal to Adopt a Paper, or to Determine a Question in thesi. 8. Nor 
when the Court Acts within the Limits of its Authority. 9. Nor when the Action 
below was Regular and Equitable 548 

IV. Appeals may be from Part of the Proceedings, or from a Definitive Sentence 552 

V. Notice of Appeal, with Reasons, to be given within Ten Days after the Adjournment. 
1. The Rule must be Complied with or the Appeal Dismissed, a, b, c. 2. Evidence 
Required that Notice has been given. A Synod Censured for Issuing an Appeal 
without Notice given, a. The Judicial Committee must have Evidence of Notice 
given, b. 3. Where a New Trial is Granted by the Superior Court, the Appellant 
must give Notice of his Intent. 4. If the Court Fail to Receive the Notice, the 
Appellant is not Barred. 5. Leave given to show that Notice has been given. 
6. On Evidence of Notice the Case Reinstated 552 

VI. Appeals Generally to be Carried by Regular Steps from the Lower to the Higher 
Courts. 1. Appeals may be Carried Directly to the Assembly, a, b, c. Principle 
Guiding in the Case. 2. Appeals Dismissed, because not first brought in the Lower 
Courts, a, b. No Reason having been Assigned, c, d, e. The Appeal having first 
been taken to the Synod,/. Leave given to Withdraw, g, h, i. 3. Where there is 
no Common Relation, the Appeal Allowed 555 

VII. The Appeal and Reasons must be Lodged with the Clerk of the Higher Court before 
the Close of the Second Day. 1. The Appellant must Furnish the Necessary Docu- 
ments, a, b. Debarred as not being within the Constitutional Time, c. 2. Deferred 
in the Absence of Necessary Documents. 3. Dismissed as not Lodged in Time, a, 

b, c, d. 4. Ignorance of the Rule Plead, the Case Entertained. 5. The Rule Lib- 
erally Interpreted where Due Diligence has been used. 6. In the Absence of 



BOOK OF DISCIPLINE. 31 

Records, through the Non-attendance of a Commissioner, the Appeal Entered and 
Referred. 7. Through Mistake the Appellant Fails to be in Time, the Appeal is 
Received and Referred 557 

VIII. Order of Taking up an Appeal or Complaint: First, To Bead the Sentence; 
Second, The Reasons Assigned for the Appeal ; Third, The whole Record of Proceed- 
ings of the Inferior Judicatories ; Fourth, To Hear the Original Parties; Fifth, To 
Hear the Inferior Judicatories in Defence. 1. In the Absence of the Records the 
Decision should be Suspended. 2. The Reading of the Documents Dispensed with 
by Consent. 3. The Hearing of a Voluminous Case Declined, and the Case Arrested 
by the Assembly without Further Trial. 4. Matters Foreign to the Issue Omitted 
by Consent, a, b. 5. Documents not Read may be used in Pleading; the Appellant 
the only Original Party in a Case under Common Fame. 6. Case Remanded for a 
New Trial, because the Original Parties were not Heard. 7. Case Issued where no 
Person Appears on Behalf of the Respondent. 8. Reasons Assigned by an Appel- 
lant must be Recorded, and must be Respectful in Language. 9. Commission Ap- 
pointed by Consent with Power. Case of Mrs. Maria Hill vs. The Synod of Albany, 
a. Case of Seventh Church and Presbytery of Cincinnati vs. The Synod of Cincin- 
nati, b. Appeal of Lewis R. Lockwood vs. The Synod of Iowa, c. Appeal of 
the Church of Mifflinsburg vs. The Synod of Philadelphia, d, e 560 

IX. After Full Hearing the Parties shall Withdraw, the Roll be Called for the Expression 
of Opinions and the Final Vote be Taken. 1. The Withdrawal to be Construed 
Literally, a, b, c, d. 2. An Opposite Construction. 3. Calling the Roll for Expres- 
sion of Opinions. Opinions to be given without Reasons, a. Omission of the 
Roll Call Censured, b, but may be Dispensed with by Vote, c. 4. The Final Vote 
must be Taken. 5. It is Taken Separately on each Charge 566 

X. The Decision may Either Confirm or Reverse in Whole or in Part, or Remit to Amend 
the Record or to try Anew 567 

1. The Decision may Confirm the Decision of the Lower Court. 1. See Cases Cited, a, b, 
c, d, e,f. 2. In Confirming a Decision the Assembly Limits the Time within which 
a New Trial may be had. 3. Confirmed because Alleged New Testimony is In- 
sufficient 567 

2. The Decision may Reverse the Lower Courts. 4. Reversed on Review of Testimony- 
5. No Reason Assigned. 6. Reversed because of Disproportionate Sentence, a, 6, c. 
7. Reversal for Undue Severity does not Determine the Innocence of the Accused, 
nor Relieve from other Process. 8. A Synod is Reversed as in Error for Prescribing 
a Form of Certificate. 9. Reversed because of Unconstitutional Action. 10. Where 
Sentence is Reversed for Irregularity, either Party may begin a New Trial within a 
Time Limited. 11. For Haste and Irregularity. 12. Sentence Reversed, and the 
Appellant Declared in Good Standing. 13. The Acts of the Lower Courts Declared 
Void, a, b, c. 14. The Reversal Annuls the Acts Complained of, a, b 568 

3. The Decision may Confirm or Reverse in Part. 15. Reversed in Part on the Ground 
of Irregularity; Sustained in Part; the Judicatory may not Inflict a New Sentence 
without New Trial, a, nor Remove all Censure where Rebuke is Demanded, b. 
16. Irregularity does not Necessarily Invalidate. 17. Sustained in Part ; Reversed 
in Part, a, b ; Minute in the Case; Effect of the Vote to Sustain in Part. 18. The 
Decision Censures Irregular Action, and Prescribes the Steps which should have 
been Taken. 19. The Decision finds Error in the Courts below ; a Presbytery may 
not Unduly Direct a Session ; A Synod may not Refuse an Appeal from a Party 
Aggrieved 572 

4. The Decision may Remit the Case to the Court below. 20. For Reconsideration. 



32 SYLLABUS. 

21. Judgment Reversed, and Case "Remitted on Grounds Stated. 22. Referred 
Back with Instructions. 23. The Decision Details the Irregularities of the Courts 
below. 24. And Remits the Case with Instructions. 25. A like Decision. 26. 
Referred Back by Consent of Parties. 27. Referred Back for Irregularities. 28. 
The Discretion of a Court in Remitting a Case is not Subject to Review. 29. Re- 
mitted by Recommendation of the Judicial Committee. 30. In Passing Judgment 
the Court may not open another Case already Settled. 31. A Minister Restored by 
Judicial Action can be Deprived again only by new Process and Conviction. 32. 
The Decision Reverses all the Courts below and Restores the Appellant. 33. The 
Decision Declares and Decides the Several Issues Involved. 34. Restores the 
status in quo 576 

XL If the Appellant Fail to Appear and Prosecute by the First or Second Day of the 
Next Session after his Appeal, it shall be Considered as Abandoned and the Sentence 
Confirmed. 1. Cases under the Rule, a, b, c, d, e. 2. Personal Attendance not 
Necessary. 3. The Appeal may be Prosecuted by Proxy, a, b. 4. In the Absence 
of the Appellant the Court Assigns Counsel, a, b. 5. In the Absence of a Com- 
plainant the Case Dismissed and the Defendant Sustained. 6. Case Continued on 
Satisfactory Reasons, a, b, c. 7. Where the Case is Continued at the Request of 
the Appellant the Sentence Remains in Force until the Case is Issued. 8. In the 
Absence of the Appellant, the Case Dismissed with Privilege of Renewal, a, 6, 
9. Where an Appeal has been Dismissed in Error, a Restoration Granted after Ten 
Years' Interval, on the Discovery of the Error 583 

XII. Members of the Court Appealed from are not Allowed to Vote on any Question Con- 
nected vjith the Appeal. 1. The Moderator of the Court above, being a Member, will 
not Sit, a, b, c, d. 2. An Interested Party should not Sit. 3. Members of the 
Court Appealed from may not Vote. 4. The Rule Applies as well to Review of 
Records. 5. Members of the Court Appealed from, may Vote on the Question of 
Postponement. 6. An Elder Belonging to the Court Appealed from, though not a 
Member when the Case was Issued, may not Sit. 7. Ministers who were Dismissed 
to other Bodies before the Action Complained of are not Excluded. 8. Case Re- 
manded when Members of the Courts Appealed from Sat in their own Case.... 586 

XIII. The Inferior Court Incurs no Censure by Reversal, if they have Acted vjith their 
best Knowledge. If otherwise, they may be Censured as the Case Demands. 1. A Case 
of Censure 588 

XIV. If the Appellant Exhibit an Unchristian Spii^it in the Prosecution of his Appeal 
he is to be Censured 589 

XV. An Appeal Suspends all Further Process until it is Issued. It does not ArrestSen- 
tence of Suspension, Excommunication or Deposition. 1. An Appeal Arrests all 
Further Process until it is Issued. 2. Suspension Continued until the Issue of the 
Appeal, which must be at the next Meeting of the Court above. 3. An Appeal 
against Certain Action, does not Debar the Court from Acting upon the Continued 
Disturbed State of a Church 589 

XVI. The Court Appealed from must Furnish all Needed Documents, of Record, Relating 
to the Appeal; Neglect of this Duly Censurable. 1. Copies Taken by the Appellant 
not Sufficient. 2. On the Failure of the Judicatory to Send up Attested Copies of 
the Testimony, the Appeal was Sustained. 3. In the Absence of Papers Referred 
to in the Records and of Attested Copies of Charges, the Case was Postponed. 4. 
In the Absence of Records of a Presbytery, its Synod Censured and the Case Post- 
poned. 5. Proceedings Dismissed where the Absence of Testimony is the Fault 
of the Court; and the Decision Confirmed 590 



BOOK OF DISCIPLINE. 33 

XVII. Only an Original Party may Enter an Appeal. 1. Examples, a, b. 2. Who 
are Original Parties, a, b, c. 3. The Members of the Court Trying a Case are not 
Original Parties. 4. In a Case Arising on Common Fame, the Appellate Court 
does not become an Original Party, a, b 592 

CHAPTER VII. 
Section IV. 

OF COMPLAINTS. 

I. The Complaint. Distinguished from Appeal: 1, As to the Matter; 2, As to the 
Parties; 3, As to the Effect. 1. Other than the Original Parties may Complain. 
2. The Distinction between an Appeal and a Complaint must be Observed. 3. The 
same Matter Subject of both Appeal and Complaint 593 

II. A Complaint Defined ; may be Brought — 1. By a Member or Members of an Inferior 
Judicatory, a, b, c, d, e. 2. By any other Person or Persons, a, b, c, d, e,f, g. 3. 
Dismissed ; on what Grounds, a, b, c, d, e,f, g, h. 4. Complaint will not lie against 
a Judicatory for Obeying the Order of a Superior Court, a, b. 5. Complaint will 
not lie against Advice given on Memorial. 6. Nor against Refusal to Adopt a 
Proposed Paper. 7. Nor against an Opinion of the Superior Court. 8. Nor against 
the Exercise of its Discretion by a Judicatory. 9. Nor in a Case already Adjudi- 
cated. 10. Nor against the Decision of a Commission not yet Confirmed. 11. Nor 
against the Decision of a Moderator Not Appealed from at the Time. 12. Complain- 
ant has Leave to Withdraw for Reasons Stated, a, b, c, d. 13. Complaint will not 
lie for Refusal to Read the Printed Minutes 594 

III. The Grounds on which a Complaint is Proper. 1. Subject-matter of Complaints 
Entertained. Regularity of Action, a, b. Constitutionality of an Ordination, c. 
Construction of Constitution, d. Constitutionality of Action, e. Discretion of 
Board of Missions, /. Against a Reference, g. Against the Dissolution of a 
Court, h. Against the Reversal of a Sentence, i. For Refusing to Divide a Pres- 
bytery, j. For Refusing to take up an Appeal, k. For Refusing to Enroll a Mem- 
ber, /. 2. Complainant Satisfied by Compromise and Leave to Withdraw 602 

IV. Notice of Complaint must be given, as in Appeal, before the Rising of the Court or 
within Ten Days. 1. Reasons as well as Notice must be given. 2. Evidence must 
be Furnished that Notice was given, a, b. 3. Right to Complain Waived by 
Failure to Complain within the Time, a, b 605 

V. A Complaint brings the whole Proceedings under Review, and may Lead to the Censure 
of the Court as well as the Reversal of its Judgment. 1. The Judicatory may not 
Decline the Merits of the Case. It must Observe the Alternatives of the Book, and 
may not Assume Original Jurisdiction. 2. Reversal Restores Matters to the Situ- 
ation in which they were 606 

VI. Reversal does not Necessarily Infer Censure of the Inferior Judicatory 607 

VII. Members of the Judicatory Complained of may not Vote on any Question Connected 
with the Complaint 607 

CHAPTER VIII. 

OF DISSENTS AND PROTESTS. 

I. A Dissent Defined, if without Reasons it is to be Entered on the Minutes. A Dissent 

without Reasons Demands no Reply 607 

5 



34 SYLLABUS. 

II. A Protest is a More Formal Declaration, and may be Accompanied with Reasons. 

1. The Right to Protest for the Relief of Conscience, a, b; a Protest Refused, c. 

2. A Protest Arguing the Case is Refused, a, 6 608 

III. If a Protest or Dissent be Respectful, etc., the Offerer has the Right to have it Recorded. 
1. Protest Admitted to Record without Answer. 2. Refused, as being Disrespectful. 

3. A Protest should be Recorded only by Order of the Court 608 

IV. A Dissent or Protest may or may not be Accompanied with a Complaint ; if not, the 
Record will Call Attention to the Matter. 1. A Protest without Complaint can come 
before the Superior Court only on Review of Records 609 

V. If a Protest, Respectful in Matter and in Manner, Imputes to the Judicatory Principles 
or Reasonings when it has not Adopted, the Judicatory may Appoint a Committee to 
Answer it. 1. No Answer Deemed Necessary. 2. The Answer Denies the Imputa- 
tions of the Protest 610 

VI. No Rejoinder to the Answer of the Court Permitted 610 

VII. If the Protestants are Aggrieved by the Answer, they may Recall and Modify their 
Answer 611 

VIII. None may Join in a Protest but those who had a Right to Vote in the Decision. 
1. A Protest from Persons not Members of the Judicatory Refused. 2. Protest 

. against the Action of a Judicatory can be made only by a Minority of the Body 
Itself. ; , 611 



CHAPTER IX. 

OF NEW TESTIMONY. 

I. A New Trial may be had on the Discovery of New Testimony. 1. New Trial on New 
Testimony, a, b. 2. New Trial after the Lapse of Years. 3. If the Court Refuse 
a New Trial on the Offer of New Testimony, a Complaint will lie. 4. Appeal 
Remitted for New Trial on New Testimony qh 

II. Testimony may be Alleged to Exist which was not before the Court below 613 

III. Caution should be used in Admitting such Allegations. The Superior Court shoidd 
Satisfy itself of the Value of the Testimony before Ordering a New Trial. An Illus- 
tration 613 

IV. The Judicatory should Satisfy itself as to the Import of the Testimony, and the Prob- 
ability of its Affecting the Result 613 

V. If it Appear that the Fact Proposed to be Proven is Important, that it ivould Alter the 
Result, and that it is likely to be Established, the Case should be sent back for a Neiv Trial. 
Cases Referred, a, b, c, on Examining the New Testimony; the Decision 
Affirmed 613 

VI. Cases in which -the Superior Court itself may take the Testimony and Issue the Case. 614 

VII. Where New Testimony has been Influential in Reversing a Decision, the Fact should 
be Stated 616 



BOOK OF DISCIPLINE. 35 

CHAPTER X. 

OF JURISDICTION. 

I. A Member Dismissed to Join another Church is under the Jurisdiction of the Church 
Dismissing him, until Actually Received by the other. 1. A Suspended Member may 
not be Eeceived by another Church. 2. The Effect of a Letter of Dismission. 
3. Members of an Extinct Church are Amenable to Presbytery 616 

II. The same Principles Apply to a Minister. 1. Jurisdiction over a Deposed Minister 
is in the Presbytery which Deposed him, a, b. 2. Where a Minister has been 
Deposed, his Name Remains on the Roll until the Case is Issued. 3. A Suspended ■ 
Minister is under the Jurisdiction of the Presbytery which Suspended him. 4. A 
Minister Holding a Letter of Dismission is a Member of the Presbytery Dismissing 
him until Received by another. 5. The Rights of a Member Cease on the Granting 
of the Letter. They may be Recovered by its Return. 6. While a Minister is in 
transitu, he is a Member of the Presbytery which gave him his Letter. 7. Where 
Ministers Withdraw Irregularly, their Names are to be Stricken from the Roll, a, 
b, c. 8. If such Desire to Return, it must be to the Presbytery from which they 
Withdrew 617 

III. If a Minister or Member become Amenable to Discipline while in transitu, but the 
Offence become known Afterward, the Body which has Received him shall Conduct the 
Process. 1. If the Presbytery Dismissing becomes Extinct, the Presbytery to which 
he comes may Refuse to Receive him, in which Case Jurisdiction is in the Synod. 
2. Reception without Dismission Null and Void. 3. Jurisdiction over an Alleged 
Offender is in the Presbytery of which he was a Member when the Offence was 
Committed. 4. If an Offence is Committed within the Bounds of a Presbytery by 
one not a Member, that Presbytery Discharges its Duty in giving Notice to the 
Presbytery to which he belongs, of the Allegations and Proofs 620 

IV. No Presbytery shall Dismiss a Minister, Licentiate or Candidate without Specifying 
the Body. 1. Must Specify the Body to which a Member is Dismissed. 2. May 
not Dismiss by a Standing Committee 622 



CHAPTER XL 

LIMITATION OF TIME. 

I. When a Member of one Church wishes to Join another, he shall Produce a Certificate of 
Membership and Dismission, unless the Church has other Satisfactory Knowledge. 1. A 
Certificate of Dismission should be Required. 2. To Receive Members of Churches 
of our own Connection without Certificate is Irregular. 3. Dismission to another 
Denomination, a, b. 4. The Form of Certificate in such Case left to the Discretion 
of the Session. 5. The Dismission may be Indefinite. 6. A Suspended Member 
may be Dismissed, the Case being Stated. 7. A Suspended Member Restored by 
the Superior Courts is Entitled to Dismission in Good Standing, a, b. 8. Irregu- 
larity in Dismissing and Receiving does not Necessarily Invalidate. 9. Members 
Removing should be Furnished Credentials, and urged to Transfer their Relations 
as soon as Possible. 10. Churches Receiving Members by Letter should Notify the 
Church from which they come 622 

II. A Certificate Valid for One Year only, unless there has been no Opportunity to Pre- 
sent it , 625 



36 SYLLABUS. 

III. Members Absent and beyond the Knowledge of the Session for a Considerable Time to 
be Furnished with Certificates of Good Standing only up to the Time of their Absenting 
Themselves. 1. The Standing of Members Absent and Unknown. Such Absence 
without Certificate is itself Censurable. If Willful, they should be Suspended, a. 
A Session Sustained for Suspending Members Absent for Years without Certificate, b. 
2. Such Members to be Entered on a Reserved Roll and not Reported. 3. After 
Two Years of such Absence, a Member Returning is to be Called to Account... 625 

IV. A Member Absent more than Two Years and Applying for a Certificate, the Facts 
must be Stated. 1. Names of those Absent more than Two Years not to be Returned 
in the Statistical Rolls. Absent Members should be Urged to Unite where they 
Reside 627 

V. Limitation of Time within which Process shall be Commenced : One Year from the 
Commission of the Offence or its Becoming Flagrant. In the Case of an Absent Member, 
Recent Discovery of his Church Membership is Equivalent to Recent Flagrancy of the 
Offence; the same Applies to a Minister. 1. Limitation of Time may not be Plead 
against the Order of the Superior Court. 2. The Plea is Good where the Offence 
was Known to Members of the Judicatory more than a Year 628 



BOOK III. 
THE DIRECTORY FOE WORSHIP. 



CHAPTER I. 

ON THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE LORD'S DAY. 

I. The Duty of every one, to Remember the Lord's Day ; to Prepare for it ; Worldly 
Business to be Laid Aside. 1. Petition to Congress against Sabbath Mails, a, b, c. 631 

II. The whole Day to be Sanctified by Worship and by Rest from Labor and from Recre- 
ation. 1. Deliverance on the Profanation of the Sabbath. Discipline Enjoined, a. 
Sabbath Travel Discouraged, b, c. 2. For the better Observance of the Sabbath, 
Sabbath Travel Condemned. Discipline Enjoined. 3. Sessions Enjoined to Fidel- 
ity. 4. Resolutions on the Sanctification of the Sabbath. 5. Traveling on the 
Sabbath Condemned. 6. Decoration of Soldiers' Graves on the Sabbath Deprecated, 
a, b, c 633 

III. Provision for the Family should be so Ordered as not to hinder Servants or others 
from Keeping the Day , 639 

IV. Personal and Private Prayer, Reading and Meditation 639 

V. The Assembling for Worship should be Prompt 649 

VI. Duties after Public Worship : Reading, Prayer, Singing, etc., Visiting the Sick, Deeds 
of Charity. 1. Instruction in the Holy Scriptures. 2. Sabbath-schools and In- 
struction of Youth. Family Instruction and Catechising Enjoined, a, b, c. Infant 
Schools. 3. Catechetical Instruction, a, b, c, d, e. 4. Relations of the Sabbath- 



DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 37 

School to the Family. 5. Relation of the Sabbath-school to the Session. Under 
the Direction of Pastor and Session, a. Under the Watch and Care of the Session, 
6. Responsibility of the Pastor, c, d 640 

CHAPTER II. 

ON THE ASSEMBLING OF THE CONGREGATION AND THEIR BEHAVIOR 
DURING DIVINE SERVICE. 

I. The Assembling for Worship 646 

II. Conduct During Public Worship. 1. Posture in Prayer. Sitting, unless in the 
case of the Infirm, Disapproved of, a, b, c 646 

CHAPTER III. 

OF THE PUBLIC READING OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 

I. Beading the Scriptures is a Part of the Public Worship of God, and ought to be Per- 
formed 646 

II. They should be Mead in the Vulgar Tongue, that all may Hear and Understand... 646 

III. The Portion to be Bead, at the Discretion of the Minister, as also the Expounding of 
it. Proportion to be Observed between the Various Parts of Worship. 1, 2. Reading 
the Scriptures Enjoined 647 

CHAPTER IV. 

ON THE SINGING OF PSALMS. 

I. The Duty of Praising God in Song, Publicly and Privately. 1. Early Action on 
Psalmody, a, b. Watts' Imitation of the Psalms of David Allowed, c, d, e. 2. 
Watts' Hymns Allowed. Dwight's Revision Approved. 3. Other Psalms and 
Hymns not Forbidden. Sessions and Presbyteries to take Cognizance. 4. The 
Book of Psalms and Hymns. Report on Psalmody; the Book Approved and 
Adopted, a. Revised, 6. 5. The Church Psalmist ; Recommended, a. Purchased 
by the Publication Committee, b. Appendix Prepared, c. 6. " The Book of 
Praise" Approved, and Ordered to be Published 647 

II. The Rules of Music should be Cultivated. 1. The Book of Tunes. 2. The Hymnal. 
3. The Social Hymn and Tune Book 651 

III. The whole Congregation should Join in Singing; Lining the Hymn to be Laid 
Aside 654 

IV. The Proportion of Time for Singing to be left to the Prudence of the Minister; a 
Liberal Allowance Recommended. 1. The Music is under the Control of the Session, 
a, b 654 

CHAPTER V. 

OF PUBLIC PRAYER. 

I. The Invocation ; Adoring God ; Abasing Self, and Imploring the Presence and Blessing 
of God, and the Assistance of the Spirit, through the Merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. 655 

II. The Comprehensive Prayer before Sermon: First, Adoration ; Second, Giving Thanks; 
Third, Confessing Sin; Fourth, Making Supplication; Fifth, Pleading with God ; 
Sixth, Intercession for others 655 

III. The Prayer after Sermon shoidd be Relevant to the Subject 656 



38 SYLLABUS. 

IV. The Pastor must Exercise great Wisdom in the Selection of Topics ; must Prepare 
Himself; must Exercise his own Spirit. 1. Liturgical Forms not Needed 656 

CHAPTER VI. 

OF THE PREACHING OF THE WORD. 

I. Great Attention should be given to the Manner of Performing it. Demands Diligent 
Application. 1. Reading Sermons Discouraged, a, b, c 657 

II. The Subject of a Sermon ; some Portion of Scripture ; the Object, to Explain, Defend 
and Apply to some Part of the System of Divine Truth, or to Point out some Duty. 1. 
Expository Preaching Commended 657 

III. The Method of Preaching Demands Study, Meditation and Prayer; should be 
Thoughtful, yet Simple, and Enforced by a Godly Example 658 

IV. The Sermon must not cut Short or Exclude Prayer and Praise, but should be Propor- 
tionate.... 658 

V. The Close of Worship: Prayer, Singing, Giving Alms and the Apostolic Benedic- 
tion 658 

VI. No Person should be Introduced to Preach in any of our Churches but by the Consent 
of the Pastor or Session 658 

CHAPTER VII. 

ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF BAPTISM. 

I. Baptism not to be Unnecessarily Delayed. Lay Baptism not Recognized. The Ad- 
ministrator must be a Minister. 1. The Age of Infancy is not Determined. Left to 
the Judgment in each Special Case. 2. Baptism by an Impostor Null and Invalid. 
3. Baptism by a Profligate. Unworthiness of the Minister does not Invalidate the 
Ordinance, but it may be Desirable to Administer the Ordinance in a Regular 
Manner; the Session to Judge. 4. Unitarian Baptism, not Valid, a, of Camp- 
bellites, b. 5. By a Deposed Minister ; as he is no Longer a Minister, he is a Private 
Person. 6. By a Suspended Minister; such a one has no Right to Administer the 
Sacrament. 7. Is Baptism in the Church of Rome Valid? Answered in the Neg- 
ative. 8. Left Unanswered. 9. The Deliverance of 1845 Affirmed. 10. Ruling 
Elders may not Administer Sealing Ordinances 658 

II. Baptism to be Usually in the Church and in Public, after Sermon 663 

III. The Child to be Presented by one or both the Parents. 1. "Who may be Presented. 
Infants of one or both Believing Parents, a, b. 2. Christian Masters should Dedi- 
cate the Children of their Household to God. 3. Children of Christian Slaves 
should be Baptized. 4. Infant Slaves of Christian Masters ; Masters should Pre- 
sent; Ministers should Baptize them. 5. Orphan Children of Heathen Parents, 
under Care of the Missions; Three Questions. Baptism is not to be Administered 
Irrespective of Age, a. Those only to be Baptized who have not Reached Years 
of Discretion, b. This Question left to the Judgment of the Officers of the Church 
in each Case, c. 6. The Obligations and Qualifications of the Parents, must be of 
Regular Life and Knowledge of the Gospel, a. Able to Instruct their Children in 
the Doctrines and Precepts of Christianity, b. What is a Credible Profession to be 
Judged of in each Case, c. The Right of Baptism belongs only to the Children of 
Members of the Church, d 663 



DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 39 

IV. Instructions as to the Nature, Use, etc., of the Ordinance; Duties Required of Parents. 
1. Parents Required to Enter into Engagements 666 

V. Prayer; the Formula; Discretion as to Private Baptism is with the Minister. 1. Mode 
of Baptism, Eefers to Confession of Faith, Chap. XXVIII., Sec. 3 667 

CHAPTER VIII. 

OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 

I. The Frequency of Administration Determined by the Session. 1. Administered where 
there is no Church Organized. 2. Not usually within the Bounds of a Congrega- 
tion without Consent. 3. Where a Minister may Statedly Preach, he may Admin- 
ister the Supper. 4. Administered in Case of Sickness in a Private House 667 

II. The Ignorant and the Scandalous to be Excluded 66S 

III. Notice to be given; Preparatory Services 66S 

IV. The Authority for the Ordinance; Who are to be Excluded and who Invited. 1. The 
Ignorant and Scandalous Excluded. 2. Not the Usage to Invite those not Members 
of any Evangelical Church 668 

V. The Administration ; Posture of the Communicants ; Setting Apart of the Elements ; 
Breaking and Distribution of the Bread; the Words; Distribution of the Cup; the 
Words; the Exhortation ; the Prayer ; the Collection ; the Hymn; the Benediction. 669 

VI. Services, Post- communion, Approved 670 

CHAPTER IX. 

OF THE ADMISSION OF PERSONS TO SEALING ORDINANCES. 

I. Children Baptized are under the Government of the Church, to be Taught the Catechism, 
Apostles'' Creed and Lord's Prayer, to Pray, to Abhor Sin, Fear and Obey God; When 
they should be Admitted to the Lord's Sapper. 1. Pastoral Care to be Exercised over 
Baptized Children, a, b. 2. As to the Discipline of Baptized Children, a, b; the 
Subject largely Discussed, c, d, e, and Dismissed,/, g ; Neglect Deprecated, h. 3. 
Children should be Trained in the Faith of their Fathers. 4. Catechetical Instruc- 
tion urged. The Shorter Catechism Commended. 5. Family Training for the 
Increase of the Ministry and the Church. 6. Placing Children in Catholic Schools 
a Violation of Covenant Engagements 671 

II. The Years of Discretion to be Decided by the Session; the Officers of the Church 
Judges of the Qualifications of Candidates, and of the Time of Admitting them 674 

III. Candidates to be Examined as to their Knowledge and as to their Piety. 1. Uni- 
versalists not to be Received to Sealing Ordinances, a, b. 2. Scruples on Infant 
Baptism may not Exclude. 3. Duelists to be Received only on Evidence of Re- 
pentance. 4. Postmasters Officiating on the Sabbath, Excluded from Communion, 
a, b, 5. Proprietor of Stages Running on the Sabbath. 6. Session to Judge 
in the Case of one Engaged in the Sale of Intoxicating Drinks. 7. Session to 
Judge of the Faith and Knowledge of Candidates. 8. Should be Admitted only 
by a Session Regularly Organized; Ordinarily Improper to Receive Immediately 
on the Profession of Conversion the Young, and those of Previously Immoral 
Lives. 9. The Session is to Judge of the Piety of Candidates, and is Referred to 
the Deliverances of the Assembly on Moral Questions. 10. One Professing his 
Faith in Christ and Obedience to him may be Baptized. 11. Intercommunion Dis- 
couraged in a Case Stated 674 



40 SYLLABUS. 

IV. Unbaptized Persons Applying for Admission to the Church Ordinarily to make a 
Public Profession and be Baptized. 1. Baptism not Ordinarily to be Administered 
without the Purpose of Uniting with the Church. Baptism is Necessary to Entitle 
one to Church Privileges. 2. Admission to Sealing Ordinances the Exclusive Pre- 
rogative of the Session 677 

CHAPTER X. 

OF THE MODE OF INFLICTING CHURCH CENSURES. 

I. Church Power for Edification, and not for Destruction. Discipline Authoritatively Dis- 
tinguishes between the Holy and Profane 678 

II. Censure should be with all Tenderness, and Inflicted with great Solemnity, Aiming to 
Lead to Repentance 679 

II T. Suspension from Church Privileges ; the Formula ; Censures Ordinarily to be in the 
Presence of the Judicatory only, but may be in the Presence of the Congregation 679 

IV. Treatment of the Suspended — to be Labored with and Prayed for 679 

V. Restoration on Evidence of Repentance. Declaration to be in the Presence of the Ses- 
sion or Congregation. See III. above 679 

VI. Sentence of Excommunication to be in Public 679 

VII. Design of Excommunication; the Order and Formula of Excommunication 679 

VIII. Order of Proceeding in Restoring an Excommunicate; Evidence of Repentance 
must be had, and the Concurrence of the Presbytery ; Notice to be given on Two Sabbaths ; 
the Formula of Restoration 680 

CHAPTER XI. 

OF THE SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE. 

I. Marriage not a Sacrament; the State should make Laws to Regulate Marriage, which 
ail Citizens are Bound to Obey 681 

II. Christians ought to Marry in the Lord ; Marriage should be Solemnized by a Lawful 
Minister, ivith Instruction and Prayer. 1. Licentiates may Solemnize Marriage where 
the Civil Law Authorizes them. 2. Marrying in the Lord Defined. 3. In Case of 
Marriage of Heathen Converts, Presbyteries to Judge 681 

III. Marriage to be between One Man and One Woman only, and not within the Degrees 
of Consanguinity or Affinity. 1. Questions of Marriage of Divorced Persons. 
2. A Minister, having Married again, Required to Cease Officiating until he Proves 
the Death of his Wife. 3. Adultery and Remediless Desertion the only Sufficient 
Cause of Divorce. 4. On Divorce for Adultery, the Innocent Party may Marry 
again. 5. A Bigamist to be Excluded from the Church; Willful Desertion a just 
Cause for Divorce; if Divorce be Refused where just Cause Exists, the Church may 
Receive him. 6. A Minister, having Married a Woman Divorced for Cause other 
than Adultery, or Willful Desertion, is Deposed, a, b, c. 7. Degrees of Consanguinity 
and Affinity. 8. Marriage with a Brother's Widow Declared Incestuous ; left to 
the Discretion of the Session, a. 9. With Deceased Wife's Sister, Declared Unlaw- 
ful, and Parties Suspended, a; Parties Restored on Petition; such Marriages Dis- 
countenanced, 6. 10. With Relicts of Brother and Sister Disapproved, but not De- 
clared Incestuous. 11. With Deceased Wife's Sister; Referred to Session ; Party Sus- 
pended, and Suspension Confirmed, a; Case of McQueen, 6, of John Cathey, c. 12. 



DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 41 

With a Wife's Brother's Daughter. 13. With a Wife's Half-brother's Daughter. 
14. With a Wife's Sister's Daughter, a, b, c, d. 15. With a Sister's Daughter. 16. 
With a Wife's Half-brother's Daughter 682 

IV. Parties should be of Years of Discretion, and if Minors the Consent of Parents 
should be had. Clandestine Marriages to be Discouraged 691 

V. Parents should not Compel their Children to Marry, nor Unreasonably Hinder.... 691 

VI. Marriage of a Public Nature ; Due Notice should be given ; Caution Enjoined on 
Ministers. Question as to Sufficient Publication of Marriage 691 

VII. Must always be in the Presence of Witnesses ; may be on any except a Fast Day ; 
Discouraged on Sabbath 692 

VIII. Directory for the Marriage Ceremony ; a Register to be kept for the Perusal of all 
Interested 692 

CHAPTER XII. 

OF THE VISITATION OF THE SICK. 

I. Duty of the Sick to make Known their Spiritual State; Duty of the Minister to Visit 
the Sick 694 

II. Instruction to be given as to the Dealings of God and his End in them 694 

III. The Ignorant to be Instructed in the Nature of Repentance and Faith and the Way 
of Life through Christ 694 

IV. Exhort to Self-examination by the Word of God, and Aid him by Noting Evidences 
of Piety 694 

V. Resolve Doubts, and Administer Instruction, as the Case may Require 694 

VI. Seek to Awaken the Thoughtless, to Arouse Conscience, to Convince of Sin and Lead 
to Repentance 694 

VII. When Encouragement should be given, and Consolation in the Gospel. Under 
what Circumstances the Communion may be Administered in the Chamber of the 
Sick. Chap. VIII., Sec. I., 2 694 

VIII. Guard against Delusion, Fear, Discouragement and Presumption, also against 
Despair 695 

IX. Summing up of the Duties of the Minister; at the Proper Time he shall Pray with 
the Sick 695 

X. Exhort those who may be Present to Consider, to Repent, and in Health to Prepare for 
Sickness and Death 695 

CHAPTER XIII. 

OF THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD. 

I. Proper Care to be taken of the Body ; not to be Hastily Buried 695 

II. Conduct Proper to the Occasion; the Living Exhorted. 1. Carousing, Ostentation 
and Parades to be Discountenanced , 695 

CHAPTER XIV. 

OF FASTING AND THE OBSERVATION OF DAYS OF THANKSGIVING. 

I. The Lord's Day the only Holy Day under the Gospel 696 

6 



42 SYLLABUS. 

II. But to Observe Days of Fasting and Thanksgiving both Scriptural and Rational. 
The Duty not to be Neglected ; a Means of Grace, a 696 

III. Such Days may be Observed by Individuals, Families, Congregations, etc., or by the 
Whole Church 696 

IV. Discretion left to Families, Sessions, Presbyteries, etc., as to Determining the Times for 
Themselves; Respect to be Paid to Public Appointments. Churches should Observe 
the Days Appointed by the Local Authorities, a. 1. Days of Fasting Appointed by 
the Supreme Judicatory, on the Occasion of the French War, a, on the same, 6. 
2. On the War with Spain. 3. On Account of Troubles with England, a, b. 4. 
Before the Second War with England. 5. During that War. 6. On the Outbreak 
of the Civil War, a, b. 7. On Account of the Profanation of the Sabbath. 8. For 
the Conversion of the World. 9. The Week of Prayer 702 

V. Public Notice to be given of Times of Fasting or Thanksgiving 702 

VI. Public Worship on all such Days Specially Adapted 702 

VII. Fast Days ; Directory for Services and Observance 702 

VIII. Thanksgiving Days; Directory for Services and Mode of Observance 702 

CHAPTER XV. 

THE DIRECTORY FOR SECRET AND FAMILY WORSHIP. 

I. Duty of Secret and of Family Worship 702 

II. Secret Worship Enjoined by our Lord ; Mode; Advantages 702 

III. Family Worship, Morning and Evening ; Mode 703 

IV. All the Members of the Family should Attend 703 

V. Duties of Heads of Families to Instruct; the Evenings of the Lord's Day to be 
Specially Devoted to this Duty. 1. Duty of Ministers to urge Family Religion upon 
their People, a, b, c; Heads of Families Enjoined, d, e. 2. Special Relations of 
the Sabbath to Family Instruction 703 



DIGEST 



ACTS AND DELIVERANCES 



PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES 
OF AMERICA. 



BOOK I. 

OF GOVERNMENT. 



CHAPTER I. 
PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES* 

The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, in present- 
ing to the Christian public the system of union and the form of govern- 
ment and discipline which they have adopted, have thought proper to 
state, by way of introduction, a few of the general principles by which 
they have been governed in the formation of the plan. This, it is hoped, 
will, in some measure, prevent those rash misconstructions and uncandid 
reflections which usually proceed from an imperfect view of any subject, 
as well as make the several parts of the system plain and the whole per- 
spicuous and fully understood. 

They are unanimously of opinion : 

I. That " God alone is Lord of the conscience ; and hath left it free 
from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are in any thing 
contrary to his word, or beside it in matters of faith or worship :" there- 
fore they consider the right of private judgment, in all matters that 
respect religion, as universal and unalienable ; they do not even wish 
to see any religious constitution aided by the civil power, further than 

*This introductory chapter, with the exception of the first sentence, was first 
drawn up by the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, and prefixed to the Form of 
Government, etc., as published by that body in 1788. In that year, after arranging 
the plan on which the Presbyterian Church is now governed, the synod was divided 
into four Synods, and gave place to the General Assembly, which met for the first 
time in 1789. 

43 



44 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

may be necessary for protection and security, and, at the same time, be 
equal and common to all others. 

II. That, in perfect consistency with the above principle of common 
right, every Christian church, or union, or association of particular 
churches, is entitled to declare the terms of admission into its communion, 
and the qualifications of its ministers and members, as well as the whole 
system of its internal government which Christ hath appointed ; that in 
the exercise of this right, they may, notwithstanding, err in making the 
terms of communion either too lax or too narrow ; yet even in this case 
they do not infringe upon the liberty or the rights of others, but only 
make an improper use of their own. 

III. That our blessed Saviour, for the edification of the visible Church, 
which is his body, hath appointed officers, not only to preach the Gospel 
and administer the sacraments, but also to exercise discipline for the pres- 
ervation both of truth and duty; and that it is incumbent upon these 
officers and upon the whole Church in whose names they act, to censure or 
cast out the erroneous and scandalous ; observing in all cases the rules 
contained in the word of God. 

IV. That truth is in order to goodness, and the great touchstone of 
truth, its tendency to promote holiness; according to our Saviour's rule, 
" by their fruits ye shall know them." And that no opinion can be either 
more pernicious or absurd than that which brings truth and falsehood 
upon a level, and represents it as of no consequence what a man's opinions 
are. On the contrary, they are persuaded that there is an inseparable 
connection between faith and practice, truth and duty. Otherwise it would 
be of no consequence either to discover truth or to embrace it. 

V. That while, under the conviction of the above principle, they think 
it necessary to make effectual provisions that all who are admitted as 
teachers be sound in the faith, they also believe that there are truths and 
forms with respect to which men of good characters and principles may 
differ. And, in all these, they think it the duty, both of private Chris- 
tians and societies, to exercise mutual forbearance toward each other. 

VI. That though the character, qualifications and authority, of church- 
officers are laid down in the Holy Scriptures, as well as the proper method 
of their investiture and institution, yet the election of the persons to the 
exercise of this authority, in any particular society, is in that society. 

VII. That all church-power, whether exercised by the body in general, 
or in the way of representation by delegated authority, is only ministerial 
and declarative : That is to say, that the Holy Scriptures are the only rule 
of faith and manners ; that no church judicatory ought to pretend to make 
laws to bind the conscience in virtue of their own authority, and that all 
their decisions should be founded upon the revealed will of God. Now, 
though it will easily be admitted that all synods and councils may err, 
through the frailty inseparable from humanity, yet there is much greater 
danger from the usurped claim of making laws than from the right of 
judging upon laws already made and common to all who profess the 
Gospel, although this right, as necessity requires in the present state, be 
lodged with fallible men. 

VIII. Lastly, That if the preceding scriptural and rational principles be 
steadfastly adhered to, the vigor and strictness of its discipline will con- 
tribute to the glory and happiness of any Church. Since ecclesiastical 
discipline must be purely moral or spiritual in its object, and not attended 
with any civil effects, it can derive no force whatever, but from its own 
justice, the approbation of an impartial public, and the countenance and 
blessing of the Great Head of the Church universal. 






PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 45 

ADOPTION OF THE WESTMINSTER STANDARDS. 
1. The Overture laid over for a year. 

" There being an overture presented to the Synod in writing, having 
reference to the subscribing to the Confession of Faith, etc., the Synod , 
judging this to be a very important affair, unanimously concluded to de- 
fer the consideration of it till the next Synod, withal recommending it to 
the members of each Presbytery present to give timeous notice thereof to 
the absent members." — 1728, p. 91. 

2. The Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms of the 
Westminster Assembly adopted. 

" The committee brought in an overture upon the affair of the Con- 
fession, which, after long debating upon it, was agreed upon in hcec 
verba : 

" Although the Synod do not claim or pretend to any authority of im- 
posing our faith upon other men's consciences, but do profess our just 
dissatisfaction with and abhorrence of such impositions, and do utterly 
disclaim all legislative power and authority in the Church, being willing 
to receive one another as Christ has received us to the glory of God, and 
admit to fellowship in sacred ordinances all such as we have grounds to 
believe Christ will at last admit to the kingdom of heaven, yet we are 
undoubtedly obliged to take care that the faith once delivered to the 
saints be kept pure and uncorrupt among us, and so handed down to our 
posterity. And do therefore agree that all the ministers of this Synod, 
or that shall hereafter be admitted into this Synod, shall declare their 
agreement in and approbation of the Confession of Faith, with the 
Larger and Shorter Catechisms of the Assembly of Divines at West- 
minster, as being, in all the essential and necessary articles, good forms 
of sound words and systems of Christian doctrine, and do also adopt the 
said Confession and Catechisms as the confession of our faith. And we 
do also agree, that all the Presbyteries within our bounds shall always 
take care not to admit any candidate of the ministry into the exercise of 
the sacred function, but what declares his agreement in opinion with all 
the essential and necessary articles of said Confession, either by sub- 
scribing the said Confession of Faith and Catechisms, or by a verbal 
declaration of their assent thereto, as such minister or candidate shall 
think best. And in case any minister of this Synod, or any candidate 
for the ministry, shall have any scruple with respect to any article or 
articles of said Confession or Catechisms, he shall at the time of his 
making said declaration declare his sentiments to the Presbytery or 
Synod, who shall, notwithstanding, admit him to the exercise of the 
ministry within our bounds, and to ministerial communion, if the Synod 
or Presbytery shall judge his scruple or mistake to be only about articles 
not essential and necessary in doctrine, worship or government. But if 
the Synod or Presbytery shall judge such ministers or candidates erro- 
neous in essential and necessary articles of faith, the Synod or Presby- 
tery shall declare them uncapable of communion with them. And the 
Synod do solemnly agree that none of us will traduce or use any oppro- 
brious term of those that differ from us in these extra-essential and not 
necessary points of doctrine, but treat them with the same friendship, 
kindness and brotherly love, as if they had not differed from us in such 
sentiments."— 1729, p. 94. 



46 FOKM OP GOVEKNMENT. 

On the afternoon of the same day, 

Ordered, That the minutes of our last sederunt be read. 

All the ministers of this Synod now present, except one * that declared 
himself not prepared, viz : Masters Jedidiah Andrews, Thomas Craighead, 
John Thomson, James Anderson, John Pierson, Samuel Gelston, Joseph 
Houston, Gilbert Tennent, Adam Boyd, Jonathan Dickinson, John Brad- 
ner, Alexander Hutchinson, Thomas Evans, Hugh Stevenson, William 
Tennent, Hugh Conn, George Gillespie and John Wilson, after proposing 
all the scruples that any of them had to make against auy articles and 
expressions in the Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms 
of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, have unanimously agreed in 
the solution of those scruples, and in declaring the said Confession and , 
Catechisms to be the confession of their faith, excepting only some clauses 
in the twentieth and twenty-third chapters, concerning which clauses the 
Synod do unanimously declare that they do not receive those articles in 
any such sense as to suppose the civil magistrate hath a controlling power 
over Synods with respect to the exercise of their ministerial authority, or 
power to persecute any for their religion, or in any sense contrary to the 
Protestant succession to the throne of Great Britain. 

The Synod, observing that unanimity, peace and unity which appeared 
in all their consultations and determinations relating to the affair of the 
Confession, did unanimously agree in giving thanks to God in solemn 
prayer and praises. — 1729, p. 95. 

3. The "Directory" recommended. 

A motion being made to know the Synod's judgment about the Directory, 
they gave their sense of that matter in the following words, viz : The 
Synod do unanimously acknowledge and declare, that they judge the 
Directory for worship, discipline and government of the church, commonly 
annexed to the Westminster Confession, to be agreeable in substance to 
the word of God, and founded thereupon, and therefore do earnestly 
recommend the same to all their members, to be by them observed as near 
as circumstances will allow and Christian prudence direct. — 1729, p. 95. 

4. Intrants and Candidates to adopt the Confession in the same 
manner and as fully as those then present. 

a. Whereas some persons have been dissatisfied at the manner of wording 
our last year's agreement about the Confession, etc. ; supposing some ex- 
pressions not sufficiently obligatory upon intrants; Overtured, that the 
Synod do now declare that they understand these clauses that respect the 
admission of intrants or candidates in such a sense as to oblige them to 
receive and adopt the Confession and Catechisms at their admission in the 
same manner and as fully as the members of the Synod did that were 
then present. Which overture was unanimously agreed to by the Synod. 
—1730, p. 98. 

b. Ordered, That the Synod make a particular inquiry during the time of 
their meeting every year, whether such ministers as have been received as 
members since the foregoing meeting of the Synod have adopted, or have 
been required by the Synod, or by the respective Presbyteries, to adopt 
the Westminster Confession and Catechisms with the Directory, according 
to the acts of the Synod made some years since for that purpose, and 
that also the report made to the Synod in answer to said inquiry be re- 
corded in our minutes. — 1734, p. 109. 

* Daniel Elmer, who gave in his adherence the next yenr. — 1730, p. 97. 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 47 

5. To be inscribed in the book of each Presbytery. 

Ordered, That each Presbytery have the whole Adopting Act inserted 
in their Presbytery book. — 1735, p. 115. 

6. Ah Act explaining the Adopting Act. 

An overture of the committee upon the supplication of the people of 
Paxton and Deny was brought in and is as followeth : That the Synod 
do declare, that inasmuch as we understand that many persons of our 
persuasion, both more lately and formerly, have been offended with some 
expressions or distinctions in the first or preliminary act of our Synod, 
contained in the printed paper, relating to our receiving or adopting the 
Westminster Confession and Catechisms, etc. ; That in order to remove 
said offence, and all jealousies that have arisen or may arise in any of our 
people's minds on occasion of said distinctions and expressions, the Synod 
doth declare that the Synod have adopted and still do adhere to the West- 
minster Confession, Catechisms and Directory, without the least variation 
or alteration, and without any regard to said distinctions. And we do fur- 
ther declare that this was our meaning and true intent in our first adopt- 
ing of said Confession, as may particularly appear by our adopting act 
which is as followeth : All the ministers of the Synod now present (which 
were eighteen in number, except one that declared himself not prepared), 
after proposing all the scruples any of them had to make against any 
articles and expressions in the Confession of Faith and Larger and Short- 
er Catechisms of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, have unani- 
mously agreed in the solution of these scruples, and in declaring the said 
Confession and Catechisms to be the confession of their faith, except only 
some clauses in the twentieth and twenty-third chapters, concerning which 
clauses the Synod do unanimously declare, that they do not receive these 
articles in any such sense as to suppose the civil magistrate hath a con- 
trolling power over Synods with respect to the exercise of their ministerial 
authority, or power to persecute any for their religion, or in any sense 
contrary to the Protestant succession to the throne of Great Britain. 

And we hope and desire that this our Synodical declaration and expli- 
cation may satisfy all our people, as to our firm attachment to our good 
old received doctrines contained in said confession, without the least 
variation or alteration, and that they will lay aside their jealousies that 
have been entertained through occasion of the above hinted expressions 
and declarations as groundless. This overture approved nemine contradi- 
cente.—l7S6, p. 126. 

7. Upon the reunion of the Synods of New York and Philadelphia, 
May 29, 1758, the following Plan of Union was adopted, viz. 

The Synods of New York and Philadelphia, taking into serious con- 
sideration the present divided state of the Presbyterian Church in this 
land, and being deeply sensible that the division of the Church tends to 
weaken its interests, to dishonor religion, and consequently its glorious 
Author ; to render government and discipline ineffectual, and finally to 
dissolve its very frame ; and being desirous to pursue such measures as 
may most tend to the glory of God and the establishment and edification 
of his people, do judge it to be our indispensable duty to study the things 
that make for peace, and to endeavor the healing of that breach which 
has for some time subsisted amongst us, that so its hurtful consequences 
may not extend to posterity; that all occasion of reproach upon our 
society may be removed, and that we may carry on the great designs of 



48 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

religion to better advantage than we can do in a divided state ; and since 
both Synods continue to profess the same principles _of faith, and adhere 
to the same form of worship, government and discipline, there is the 
greater reason to endeavor the compromising those differences which were 
agitated many years ago with too great warmth and animosity, and unite 
in one body. 

For which end, and that no jealousies or grounds of alienation may 
remain, and also to prevent future breaches of like nature, we agree to 
unite and do unite in one body, under the name of the Synod of New 
York and Philadelphia, on the following plan : 

I. Both Synods having always approved and received the Westminster 
Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms as an orthodox 
and excellent system of Christian doctrine founded on the word of God, 
we do still receive the same as the confession of our faith, and also adhere 
to the plan of worship, government and discipline contained in the West- 
minster Directory, strictly enjoining it on all our members and probation- 
ers for the ministry, that they preach and teach according to the form of 
sound words in said Confession and Catechisms, and avoid and oppose all 
errors contrary thereto. 

II. That when any matter is determined by a major vote, every mem- 
ber shall either actively concur with or passively submit to such deter- 
mination ; or if his conscience permit him to do neither, he shall, after 
sufficient liberty modestly to reason and remonstrate, peaceably withdraw 
from our communion without attempting to make any schism. Provided 
always that this shall be understood to extend only to such determinations 
as the body shall judge indispensable in doctrine or Presbyterian 
government. 

III. That any member or members, for the exoneration of his or their 
conscience before God, have a right to protest against any act or procedure 
of our highest judicature, because there is no further appeal to another 
for redress ; and to require that such protestation be recorded in their 
minutes. And as such a protest is a solemn appeal from the bar of said 
judicature, no member is liable to prosecution on the account of his pro- 
testing. Provided always that it shall be deemed irregular and unlawful 
to enter a protestation against any member or members, or to protest facts 
or accusations instead of proving them, unless a fair trial be refused, even 
by the highest judicature. And it is agreed, that protestations are only 
to be entered against the public acts, judgments or determinations of the 
judicature with which the protester's conscience is offended. 

IV. As the protestation entered in the Synod of Philadelphia, Ann. 
Dom. 1741, has been apprehended to have been approved and received by 
an act of said Synod, and on that account was judged a sufficient obstacle 
to an union ; the said Synod declare that they never judicially adopted the 
said protestation, nor do account it a Synodical act, but that it is to be 
considered as the act of those only who subscribed it ; and therefore can- 
not in its nature be a valid objection to the union of the two Synods, 
especially considering that a very great majority of both Synods have 
become members since the said protestation was entered. 

V. That it shall be esteemed and treated as a censurable evil, to accuse 
any member of heterodoxy, insufficiency or immorality in a calumniating 
manner, or otherwise than by private brotherly admonition, or by a regu- 
lar process according to our known rules of judicial trial in cases of scan- 
dal. And it shall be considered in the same view if any Presbytery ap- 
point supplies within the bounds of another Presbytery without their 
concurrence ; or if any member officiate in another's congregation without 






PKELIMINARY PEINCIPLES. 49 

asking and obtaining his consent, or the sessions in case the minister be 
absent ; yet it shall be esteemed unbrotherly for any one, in ordinary cir- 
cumstances, to refuse his consent to a regular member when it is requested. 

VI. That no Presbytery shall license or ordain to the work of the min- 
istry, any candidate, until he give them competent satisfaction as to his 
learning, and experimental acquaintance with religion, and skill in divin- 
ity and cases of conscience ; and declare his acceptance of the Westmin- 
ster Confession and Catechisms as the confession of his faith, and promise 
subjection to the Presbyterian plan of government in the Westminster 
Directory. 

VII. The Synods declare it is their earnest desire that a complete union 
may be obtained as soon as possible, and agree that the united Synod 
shall model the several Presbyteries in such manner as shall appear 
to them most expedient. Provided, nevertheless, that Presbyteries, 
where an alteration does not appear to be for edification, continue in their 
present form. As to divided congregations it is agreed that such as have 
settled ministers on both sides be allowed to continue as they are ; that 
where those of one side have a settled minister, the other being vacant, 
may join with the settled minister, if a majority choose so to do ; that 
when both sides are vacant they shall be at liberty to unite together. 

VIII. As the late religious appearances occasioned much speculation 
and debate, the members of the New York Synod, in order to prevent 
any misapprehensions, declare their adherence to their former sentiments 
in favor of them, that a blessed work of God's Holy Spirit in the conver- 
sion of numbers was then carried on ; and for the satisfaction of all con- 
cerned, this united Synod agree in declaring that as all mankind are 
naturally dead in trespasses and sins, an entire change of heart and life is 
necessary to make them meet for the service and enjoyment of God ; that 
such a change can be only effected by the powerful operations of the 
Divine Spirit ; that when sinners are made sensible of their lost condition 
and absolute inability to recover themselves, are enlightened in the know- 
ledge of Christ and convinced of his ability and willingness to save, and 
upon gospel encouragements do choose him for their Saviour, and re- 
nouncing their own righteousness in point of merit, depend upon his im- 
puted righteousness for their justification before God, and on his wisdom 
and strength for guidance and support ; when upon these apprehensions 
and exercises their souls are comforted, notwithstanding all their past 
guilt, and rejoice in God through Jesus Christ; when they hate and 
bewail their sins of heart and life, delight in the laws of God without 
exception, reverentially and diligently attend his ordinances, become hum- 
ble and self denied, and make it the business of their lives to please and 
glorify God and to do good to their fellow-men, — this is to be acknow- 
ledged as a gracious work of God, even though it should be attended with 
unusual bodily commotions or some more exceptionable circumstances, by 
means of infirmity, temptations or remaining corruptions ; and wherever 
religious appearances are attended with the good effects above mentioned, 
we desire to rejoice in and thank God for them. 

But on the other hand, when persons seeming to be under a religious 
concern, imagine that they have visions of the human nature of Jesus 
Christ, or hear voices; or see external lights, or have fainting and con- 
vulsion-like fits, and on the account of these judge themselves to be truly 
converted ; though they have not the scriptural characters of a work of 
God above described, we believe such persons are under a dangerous 
delusion ; and we testify our utter disapprobation of such a delusion, 
wherever it attends any religious appearances, in any Church or time. 
7 



50 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Now as both Synods are agreed in their sentiments concerning the 
nature of a work of grace, and declare their desire and purpose to pro- 
mote it, different judgments respecting particular matters of fact ought 
not to prevent their union ; especially as many of the present members 
have entered into the ministry since the time of the aforesaid religious 
appearances. 

Upon the whole, as the design of our union is the advancement of the 
Mediator's kingdom, and as the wise and faithful discharge of the minis- 
terial function is the principal appointed mean for that glorious end, we 
judge that this is a proper occasion to manifest our sincere intention 
unitedly to exert ourselves to fulfill the ministry we have received of the 
Lord Jesus. Accordingly, we unanimously declare our serious and fixed 
resolution, by divine aid, to take heed to ourselves that our hearts be up- 
right, our discourse edifying, and our lives exemplary for purity and god- 
liness; to take heed to our doctrine, that it be not only orthodox, but 
evangelical and spiritual, tending to awaken the secure to a suitable con- 
cern for their salvation, and to instruct and encourage sincere Christians, 
thus commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of 
God ; to cultivate peace and harmony among ourselves, and strengthen 
each other's hands in promoting the knowledge of divine truth, and dif- 
fusing the savor of piety among our people. 

Finally, we earnestly recommend it to all under our care, that instead 
of indulging a contentious disposition, they would love each other with a 
pure heart fervently, as brethren who profess subjection to the same Lord, 
adhere to the same faith, worship and government, and entertain the 
same hope of glory. And we desire that they would improve the present 
union for their mutual edification, combine to strengthen the common 
interests of religion, and go hand in hand in the path of life ; which we 
pray the God of all grace would please to effect, for Christ's sake. Amen. 

The Synod agree, that all former differences and disputes are laid 
aside and buried; and that no future inquiry or vote shall be proposed 
in this Synod concerning these things ; but if any member seek a Synod- 
ical inquiry or declaration about any of the matters of our past differ- 
ences, it shall be deemed a censurable breach of this agreement, and be 
refused, and he be rebuked accordingly. — 1758, p. 285, 288. 

[In answer to the Dutch Church the Synod reply.] 

a. Mode of Adopting the Confession. 

The Synod of New York and Philadelphia adopt, according to the 
known and established meaning of the terms, the Westminster Confession 
of Faith as the confession of their faith, save that every candidate for the 
gospel ministry is permitted to except against so much of the twenty- 
third chapter as gives authority to the civil magistrates in matters of re- 
ligion. The Presbyterian Church in America considers the Church of 
Christ as a spiritual society, entirely distinct from the civil government, 
having a right to regulate their own ecclesiastical policy, independently 
of the interposition of the magistrate. — 1786, p. 519. 

b. The Directory for Worship and Form of Government. 

The Synod also receives the Directory for public worship and the form 
of church government recommended by the Westminster Assembly as in 
substance agreeable to the institutions of the New Testament. This mode 
of adoption we use, because we believe the general platform of our gov- 
ernment to be agreeable to the sacred Scriptures ; but we do not believe 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 51 

that God has been pleased so to reveal and enjoin every minute circum- 
stance of ecclesiastic government and discipline as not to leave room for 
orthodox churches of Christ, in these miuutise, to differ with charity from 
one another. — 1786, p. 519. 

c. Authority of Pardovan's Collections. 

The rules of our discipline and the form of process in our church judi- 
catures are contained in Pardovan's (alias Stewart's) Collections, in con- 
junction with the acts of our own Synod, the power of which, in matters 
purely ecclesiastical, we consider as equal to the power of any Synod or 
General Assembly in the world. Our church judicatures, like those in 
the Church of Scotland, from which we derive our origin, are Church Ses- 
sions, Presbyteries and Synods, to which it is now in contemplation to add 
a National and General Assembly. — 1786, p. 519. 

d. It was moved and carried, That the Form of Process in Stewart of 
Pardovan's Collections, be read and considered as a basis of deliberation 
along with the draught. — 1787, p. 535. 

8. The Constitution Amended and Adopted, 1788. 

[In 1786 the "Book of Discipline and Government" was referred to 
a committee "to digest such a system as they shall think to be accommo- 
dated to the state of the Presbyterian Church in America." The com- 
mittee consisted of Drs. Witherspoon, McWhorter, Rodgers, Sproat, Duf- 
field, Alison and Ewing, Mr. Mathew Wilson and Dr. Smith, with 
Isaac Snowden, Esq., Mr. Robert Taggart and John Pinkerton, Elders. 

In 1787, the Synod, preparatory to forming the General Assembly, 
ordered a thorough revision of the standards, altering the articles ex- 
cepted to on the Adopting Act, and making such amendments as were 
found to be necessary. — 1787, p. 539.] 

a. Form of Government, Discipline, and Confession of Faith. 

The Synod having fully considered the draught of the form of govern- 
ment and discipline, did, on a review of the whole, and hereby do ratify 
and adopt the same, as now altered and amended, as the Constitution of 
the Presbyterian Church in America, and order the same to be considered 
and strictly observed as the rule of their proceedings, by all the inferior 
judicatories belonging to the body. And they order that a correct copy 
be printed, and that the Westminster Confession of Faith, as now altered, 
be printed in full along with it, as making a part of the Constitution. 

Resolved, That the true intent and meaning of the above ratification 
by the Synod, is, that the Form of Government and Discipline and the 
Confession of Faith, as now ratified, is to continue to be our Constitution 
and the Confession of our faith and practice unalterable, unless two-thirds 
of the Presbyteries under the care of the General Assembly shall propose 
alterations or amendments, and such alterations or amendments shall be 
agreed to and enacted by the General Assembly.— 1788, p. 546. 

[See below under xii. ; vi. Amendments of constitutional rules may be 
made by a majority of the Presbyteries. Alterations of the Doctrinal 
Standards still require two-thirds as above.] 

b. Directory for Worship and Catechisms, Larger and Shorter. 

The Synod having now revised and corrected the draught of a Directory 
for worship, did approve and ratify the same, and do hereby appoint the 
said Directory, as now amended, to be the Directory for the worship of 
God in the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. They 



52 FOEM OF GOVERNMENT. 

also took into consideration the Westminster Larger and Shorter Cate- 
chisms, and having made a small amendment of the larger, did approve, 
and do hereby approve and ratify the said Catechisms, as now agreed on, 
as the Catechisms of the Presbyterian Church in the said United States. 
And the Synod order, that the said Directory and Catechisms be printed 
and bound up in the same volume with the Confession of Faith and the 
Form of Government and Discipline, and that the whole be considered 
as the standard of our doctrine, government, discipline, and worship, 
agreeably to the resolutions of the Synod at their present sessions. 

Ordered, That Dr. Duffield, Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Green, be a com- 
mittee to superintend the printing and publishing the above said Con- 
fession of Faith and Catechisms, with the Form of Government and 
Discipline, and the Directory for the Worship of God, as now adopted 
and ratified by the Synod, as the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church 
in the United States of America, and that they divide the several parts 
into chapters and sections properly numbered. — 1788, p. 547. 

9. Proof Texts added by order of the Assembly. 

a. The committee appointed to consider the expediency of a new im- 
pression of the Confession of Faith, Form of Government and Discipline 
of this Church, reported .... that another impression appeared ex- 
pedient, in which, if the Scripture proofs were inserted at length, it 
would become more acceptable, and might be of greater utility to the 
churches ; and proposed that a committee be appointed properly to select 
and arrange the Scripture texts to be adduced in support of the articles 
in the Confession of Faith, Form of Government and Discipline, and pre- 
pare the same to be laid before the next General Assembly. 

Resolved, That Dr.- Robert Smith, and Messrs. Mitchell and Grier, be a 
committee to carry the above into execution. — 1792, p. 58. 

b. " A letter was received and read from Mr. Mitchell, one of the mem- 
bers of a committee appointed by the Assembly of 1792, to revise and 
prepare for publication an edition of the Confession of Faith, Catechisms, 
and Form of Government and Discipline of this Church, informing this 
Assembly that considerable progress had been made in the business, but 
that it was still incomplete. Whereupon the business was recommitted, 
and the Moderator (the Rev. James Latta), added to the committee in 
the place of the Rev. Dr. Robert Smith, deceased, and they were directed 
to report to the Assembly in 1794."— 1793, p. 66. 

c. " The committee appointed to prepare the Scripture proofs in support 
of the doctrines of the Confession of Faith, the Catechisms, etc., of the 
Presbyterian Church, submitted their report, which was read, examined, 
and approved as a specimen of the work. Whereupon Dr. Green, 
Messrs. John B. Smith, James Boyd, William M. Tennent, Nathaniel 
Irwin and Andrew Hunter, were appointed a committee to compare the 
proofs prepared by said committee, and now reported to the General 
Assembly, with the proofs annexed to the Westminster Confession of 
Faith, Catechisms, and Directory ; to revise the whole, prepare it for the 
press, to agree with the printer for its publication, and to superintend the 
printing and vending of the same." — 1794, p. 88. 

10. Authority of the Notes.— The Text alone contains the Consti- 
tution. 

The committee to which was referred an inquiry, proposed to the 
Assembly by the Presbytery of Philadelphia, relative to the notes found 






PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 53 

in the book containing the Constitution, reported. Their report was 
adopted, viz. : 

" That the book referred to was first published with nothing but the 
simple text, without any Scripture proofs, or any notes of any description 
whatsoever. This is evident not only from the minutes of the General 
Assembly, but from the numerous copies of this first edition of the 
standards of our Church which are now in existence. It is also equally 
evident, from examining the records of the General Assembly, that not 
a single note in the book has been added to or made a part of the Con- 
stitution of the Church, since it was first formed and published, in the 
manner above recited. Several alterations and additions have been made 
by referring them, when contemplated, to the Presbyteries for their 
decision thereon, in the manner pointed out in the Constitution itself. 
But among all the points thus referred, there is not found a single note 
which now appears in the book containing the Constitution of our 
Church. Hence it follows, beyond a doubt, that these notes are no part 
of that Constitution. If, then, it be inquired how these notes obtained 
the place which they now occupy, and what is the character, as to 
authority, which they possess, the answer is this : When a second edition 
of the standards of our Church was needed, it was thought by the Gen- 
eral Assembly, that it would be of great use in itself, highly agreeable to 
the members of our Church generally, as well as conformable to the ex- 
ample of the Church of Scotland, from which we derive our origin, if the 
Scripture proofs were added in support of the several parts and clauses 
of the Confession of Faith, Catechisms, and Form of Government. A 
committee was accordingly appointed by the Assembly to select the Scrip- 
ture proofs, and to prepare them for being printed in the second edition 
of the book. The work of this committee was, the following year, re- 
ferred to another, and ultimately the committee charged with preparing 
the Scripture proofs reported, along with these proofs, the notes which 
now appear in the book, and which were approved by the General 
Assembly, and directed to be printed with the proofs, in the form in 
which they now appear. These notes, then, are explanations of some of 
the principles of the Presbyterian Church, given by the General Assem- 
bly, and which, of course, the General Assembly may modify or alto- 
gether exclude, at their pleasure, whereas the articles of the Constitution 
must govern the Assembly themselves, and cannot be altered or abro- 
gated, but in the manner pointed out in the Constitution itself. 

" On the whole, in the book containing the standards of our Church, 
the text alone contains the Constitution of our Church ; the notes are an 
exposition of principles given by the highest judicature of that Church, 
of the same force, while they continue, with the other .acts of that judica- 
ture, but subject to alterations, amendments, or a total erasure, as they 
shall judge proper. 

"Resolved, That as it belongs to the General Assembly to give direc- 
tion in regard to the notes which accompany the Constitution, of which 
they are the supreme judicatory, this Assembly express it as their opin- 
ion, that in printing future editions of the Constitution of this Church, 
the parenthesis on the note, on this part of the Form of Government, 
which defines a Synod, and which is expressed in these words, ' since :i 
Synod is only a larger Presbytery,' be omitted, as well as the note con- 
nected with the Scripture proofs in answer to the question in the Larger 
Catechism, 'What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?' in which 
the nature of the crime of man-stealing and slavery is dilated upon. In 
regard to this last omission, the Assembly think proper to declare, that in 



54 FOEM OF GOVERNMENT. 

directing it, they are influenced by far other motives than any desire to 
favor slavery, or to retard the extinction of that mournful evil as speedily 
as may consist with the happiness of all concerned." — 1816, p. 629. 

[Note. — These notes are not found in the Constitution as revised in 
1820.] 

"Resolved,, That as the notes which have been expunged from our pub- 
lic formularies, and which some of the memorials referred to the commit- 
tee request to have restored, were introduced irregularly, and never had 
the sanction of the Church, and therefore never possessed any real author- 
ity, the General Assembly has no power to assign them a place in the 
authorized standards of the Church, and does not deem it proper to take 
the constitutional measures for effecting their restoration." — 1836, p. 248. 

11. Use and Obligation of the Standards. 

1. That, in the opinion of this Assembly, Confessions of Faith, con- 
taining formulas of doctrine, and rules for conducting the discipline and 
worship proper to be maintained in the house of God, are not only recog- 
nized as necessary and expedient, but as the character of human nature 
is continually aiming at innovation, absolutely requisite to the settled 
peace of the Church, and to the happy and orderly existence of Christian 
communion. Within the limits of Christendom, few are to be found in 
the attitude of avowed hostility to Christianity. The name of Christian 
is claimed by all, and all are ready to profess their belief in the Holy 
Scriptures, too many reserving to themselves the right of putting upon 
them what construction they please. In such a state of things, without 
the aid of Confessions, Christian fellowship can exist only in a very lim- 
ited degree, and the disorder of the Corinthian Church, condemned by 
the Apostle, w 7 ould be realized: "lam of Paul and I of Apollos." 

2. That, though the Confession of Faith and standards of our Church 
are of no original authority, independent of the Scriptures, yet we regard 
them as a summary of those divine truths which are diffused throughout 
the sacred volume. 

They, as a system of doctrines, therefore, cannot be abandoned, in our 
opinion, without an abandonment of the word of God. They form a 
bond of fellowship in the faith of the Gospel, and the General Assembly 
cannot but believe the precious immortals under their care to be more 
safe in receiving the truth of God's holy word, as exhibited in the stand- 
ards of our Church, than in being subject to the guidance of any in- 
structor, whoever he may be, who may have confidence enough to set up 
his own opinions in opposition to the system of doctrines which men of 
sound learning, full of the Holy Ghost, and mighty in the Scriptures, 
have devised from the oracles of the living God. It should never be 
forgotten, that the Church is solemnly cautioned against the danger of 
being carried about by every wind of doctrine. 

3. This Confession of Faith, adopted by our Church, contains a system 
of doctrines professedly believed by the people and the pastors under the 
care of the General Assembly, nor can it be traduced by any in the com- 
munion of our Church, without subjecting the erring parties to that salu- 
tary discipline which hath for its object the maintenance of the peace and 
puritv of the Church, under the government of her great Master. — 1824, 
p. 114. 

12. Adoption of the Standards in every case required. 

The committee appointed on an overture respecting the consistency of 
admitting into this Church ministers who manifest a decided hostility to 






PKELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 55 

ecclesiastical creeds, confessions, and formularies, make the following re- 
port, which was adopted, viz. : 

1. That the Constitution, as is well known, expressly requires of all 
candidates for admission, a solemn declaration that they sincerely receive 
and adopt the Confession of Faith of this Church, as containing the sys- 
tem of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures. 

2. That the last Assembly, in a report of their committee, to be seen 
on the minutes, have so explicitly and fully declared the sentiments of 
this Church in regard to her ecclesiastical standards, and all within her 
communion who may traduce them, that no further expression of our 
views on this subject is deemed necessary. — 1825, p. 155. 

13. The Catechisms an Integral Part of the Standards of the 

Church. 

a. The committee to whom was referred Overture No. 5, viz. : " On sub- 
scribing the Confession of Faith," made the following report, which was 
unanimously adopted, viz. : 

That, in their judgment, any further legislation on the subject by the 
Assembly would be unnecessary and inexpedient. They consider the 
formula contained in our book, and the rule adopted by the Assembly in 
1830 — viz. : " That, in their judgment, every licentiate coming by certifi- 
cate to any Presbytery, in connection with the General Assembly, from 
any portion of a corresponding ecclesiastical body, should be required to 
answer in the affirmative, the constitutional questions directed by chapter 
fourteenth of our Form of Government, to be put to our candidates before 
they are licensed ; and that in like manner every ordained minister of 
the Gospel, coming from any church in correspondence with the General 
Assembly by certificate of dismission and recommendation, should be 
required to answer affirmatively the first seven questions directed by 
chapter fifteenth of our Form of Government, to be put to one of our own 
licentiates when about to be ordained to the sacred office" (p. 287, 1830) — 
sufficiently explicit; and would earnestly recommend these to the atten- 
tion of the Presbyteries under the care of the Assembly. 

b. As to the question submitted to them, " Whether the Catechisms, 
Larger and Shorter, are to be considered as a part of the Standards of 
our Church, and are comprehended in the words, Confession of Faith of 
this Church?" the committee feel no hesitation in answering that question 
in the affirmative. It does not appear that any doubts on that subject 
have ever been entertained until very recently. The committee find in 
the minutes of the old Synod, at the union of the Synod of Philadelphia 
.with the Synod of New York, in 1758, that the first article of the Plan 
of Union contains the following words (Digest, p. 118), viz.: "Both 
Synods, having always approved and received the Westminster Confession 
of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms as an orthodox and excel- 
lent system of Christian doctrine founded on the word of God, w r e do 
still receive the same as the Confession of our Faith ; and also the plan 
of worship, government, and discipline, contained in the Westminster 
Directory, strictly enjoining it on all our members and probationers for 
the ministry that they preach and teach according to the form of sound 
words in said Confession and Catechisms, and avoid and oppose all error 
contrary thereto." In the recital of the manner in which a Presbytery 
was received by the Synod of New York, 1763, we have the following 
record, which is contained in the Assembly's Digest, p. 50: "It was agreed 
to grant their request, provided that they agree to adopt our Westminster 
Confession of Faith and Catechisms, and engage to observe the Directory 



56 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

as a plan of worship, discipline, and government, according to the agree. 
ment of this Synod." 

In 1788, in the Adopting Act of the Confession, as entered in the Di- 
gest, p. 124, the Catechisms are distinctly mentioned as a part of our 
standards. " They also took into consideration the Westminster Larger 
and Shorter Catechisms, and having made a small amendment of the 
Larger, did approve, and do hereby approve and ratify the said Cate- 
chisms as now agreed on, as the Catechisms of the Presbyterian Church 
in the said United States. And the Synod order that the said Directory 
and Catechisms be printed and bound up in the same volume with the 
Confession of Faith and the Form of Government and Discipline ; and 
that the whole be considered as the standard of our doctrine, govern- 
ment, discipline, and worship, agreeably to the resolutions of the Synod 
at their present sessions" — one of which resolutions was (p. 123), "that 
the Form of Government and Discipline, and the Confession of Faith, as 
now ratified, is to continue to be our constitution and the confession of 
our faith and practice unalterably, unless two-thirds of the Presbyteries 
under the care of the General Assembly shall propose alterations or 
amendments, and such alterations or amendments shall be agreed to and 
enacted by the General Assembly." Accordingly, in the Directory for 
the administration of baptism, the Larger and Snorter Catechisms of the 
Westminster Assembly are mentioned in connection with the Confession 
of Faith, as adopted by this Church, and are to be recommended as con- 
taining a summary of the principles of our holy religion, taught in the 
Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. 

The committee therefore recommend to the Assembly the adoption of 
the following resolutions, viz. : 

1. Resolved by the Assembly, that in receiving and adopting the Con- 
fession of Faith, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy 
Scriptures, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms of the Westminster As- 
sembly of Divines are included, and do constitute an integral part of the 
standards of this Church. 

2. Resolved, That the use of the Catechisms in the religious instruction 
of the young and of the children under the care of the Church, be affec- 
tionately and earnestly recommended to the Sessions in connection with 
the General Assembly, as the most effectual means, under God, of pre- 
serving the purity, peace, and unity of our Church. — 1832, p. 371. 

c. Standard Copy of the Shorter Catechism. 

Resolved, That the Assembly approve the revised copy of the Shorter 
Catechism, with the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the 
Creed, presented by the Board of Publication, and hereby adopt the same 
as the standard edition of our Church. — 1872, p. 22. 

d. The " Heidelberg Catechism " Approved. 

The Resolutions reported by the Committee on the Heidelberg Cate- 
chism, were adopted, as follows, viz. : 

1. Resolved, That this General Assembly recognizes, in the Heidelberg 
Catechism, a valuable scriptural compendium of Christian doctrine and 
duty. 

2. Resolved, That if any churches desire to employ the Heidelberg 
Catechism in the instruction of their children, they may do so with the 
approbation of this Assembly. 

3. Resolved, That this Assembly cordially rejoices at the continued and 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 57 

increasing evidences of agreement and union, among those whose symbols 
maintain in common the faith once delivered to the saints. — 1870, p. 120. 

e. Adoption of the Confession includes the Catechisms. 

When Ministers and other officers are ordained in the Presbyterian 
Church, and give an affirmative answer to the question : Do you sincerely 
receive and adopt the Confession of this Church as containing the system 
of doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures? are such Ministers and 
officers to be understood as embracing and assenting to the doctrines, 
principles, precepts, and statements contained in the Larger and Shorter 
Catechisms, in the same unqualified sense in which they are understood to 
embrace and assent to the doctrines, principles, precepts, and statements 
contained in other parts of the Confession of Faith ? 

The committee recommend that the question be answered in the 
affirmative, and the recommendation was adopted. — 1848, p. 18, O. S. 

14. Ministers who cannot adopt the Standards, not to be Received. 
On an overture from the Presbytery of Bethel relative to a Union with 
the Independent Presbyterian Church, the Assembly answers, " The 
privilege claimed by the Independent ministers, of holding and teaching 
doctrines not in harmony with the Confession of Faith, is a privilege, which, 
even if harmless in this particular case, might be abused as a precedent, and 
lead in other quarters and in other relations to serious mischief. The Assem- 
bly expresses the desire that these ministers may soon be able to embrace our 
standards, without reservation, and in that case the Presbytery of Bethel 
is "hereby authorized to ratify the Union, without further application to 
this body ; but in the event that the Independent ministers and churches 
cannot relinquish their peculiarities, with a good conscience, this Assembly 
will cherish them in the bonds of Christian love, but it cannot see its way 
clear to embrace them in the same Denomination." — 1857, p. 42, O. S. 

15. Refusal to alter the Language of the Confession. 

Overture from Rev. Sayres Gazley in relation to changes in the lan- 
guage of our Confession of Faith, regarding the doctrine of the Trinity, 
and other doctrines. 

The Committee recommend as an answer, that no change in the lan- 
guage of the Confession, respecting the points suggestr#d, is desirable, or 
consistent with the word of God. Adopted unanimously. — 1859, p. 
532, O. S. 

RELATION OF THE ASSEMBLIES, O. S. AND N. S., PREVIOUS TO RE- 
UNION. 

16. Committee of Correspondence Appointed. 

a. The Committee on Bills and Overtures reported an overture in these 
words : 

"Resolved, That a proposal be made to the General Assembly of the 
Presbyterian Church, now holding its sessions in the city of Pittsburg, to 
institute fraternal correspondence by the interchange of delegates." — 
1849, p. 174, N. S. 

The unfinished business of yesterday, viz., the indefinite postpone- 
ment of the notice to send delegates to the Assembly at Pittsburg, was re- 
sumed. 

The motion to postpone was lost. 

The Rev. G. R. H. Shumway then moved to refer the whole subject 
to a special committee of five, to report to the next General Assembly, 



58 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

which was carried, and Rev. Thomas Brainerd, T>. D., Rev. James G. 
Hamuer, D. D., Rev. Henry G. Ludlow, and Messrs. Ambrose White and 
Frederick A. Raybold were appointed. — 1849, p. 175, N. S. 

The Remit 

b. A letter was received from the Rev. Thomas Brainerd, D. D., 
chairman of the committee appointed by the last Assembly, to correspond 
with a committee of the other General Assembly of the Presbyterian 
Church, if such should be appointed, stating that "as no corresponding 
committee was appointed by our brethren of the Assembly which met in 
Pittsburg last year, no opportunity has been had to carry out the fra- 
ternal and Christian spirit of' our Assembly."^ 

The committee were thereupon discharged. — 1850, p. 306, N. S. 

17. In answer to overtures for a Reunion, the Assembly, O. S., 

reply— 

An overture from the Presbytery of Rochester, asking this Assembly 
to adopt some measures to effect a union between the two branches of the 
Presbyterian Church — 

This Assembly having in former years (see Minutes of 1838, pp. 35 
and 36, and Minutes of 1842, p. 32) fully declared that it was not its in- 
tention " to cause any sound Presbyterian to be permanently separated 
from our connection," and having provided a mode of return to our body 
(see Minute of 1838, p. 36) on principles which have seemed adapted to 
preserve the purity and peace of our Churches, consider it inexpedient to 
take any further action on the subject at this time. Yet the Assembly 
would reiterate its desire to see all sound Presbyterians reunited in one com- 
munion, according to the doctrine and polity of our standards, and would 
affectionately invite all such to seek this union in the ways that are now 
open to them.— 1850, p. 467, O. S. 

18. In answer to overtures for a Reunion, the Assembly, N. S., reply — 

The report of the Committee on the union of the two branches of the 
Presbyterian Church, was taken from the docket, considered, adopted, and 
is as follows : 

Resolved, 1. That the temper of these overtures meets the hearty ap- 
proval of the Assembly, entirely accordant, as it is, with that spirit of 
brotherly affection toward other denominations, and of co-operation in 
matters of common interest, which has marked our whole history. 

Resolved, 2. That while we have ever regretted the divisive acts of 1837, 
deeming them at variance alike with the Constitution of our Church and 
the word of God, we have never cherished an unkind or exacting spirit ; 
as has been evinced in various ways, particularly in the proposal, made by 
us some years since, to gather with Our brethren of the other Assembly, 
around the table of our common Lord. 

Resolved, 3. That it would give us pleasure to unite, in the closest fel- 
lowship, with all persons who can stand with us on the basis of our Con- 
fession of Faith and Book of Discipline; and who substantially agree 
with us on the great moral questions of the day — in the matter, especially, 
of loyalty to the Government, and in the views of Slavery set forth, prior 
to the division, in the deliverance of 1818. 

Resolved, 4. That, while we bear in remembrance the prayer of our 
Lord, that his disciples may be one, and while we can see some special 
advantages to be derived from a reunion of the two branches of the Pres- 
byterian Church ; Ave do not perceive, that, beyond the preceding declara- 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 59 

tion of our views, anything remains for us, at the present, but to await 
humblv and teachably the movements of Divine Providence. — 1862, p. 
38, N. S. 

19. Initiation of Correspondence between the Assemblies. 

a. In the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States of America, in session at Columbus, Ohio, the matter of a fraternal 
correspondence by commissioners, with the General Assembly of the Pres- 
byterian Church (New-school), in session at Cincinnati, Ohio, being duly 
considered, is decided as follows : 

This Assembly having considered certain overtures sent to it by a few 
of the Presbyteries under its care, proposing that steps should be taken 
by it towards an organic union between this Church and the Church 
under the care of the Presbyterian General Assembly (New-school) ; and 
having determined against the course proposed in said overtures, has also 
been informed that the other General Assembly has, about the same time, 
come to a similar conclusion on similar overtures laid before it by a cer- 
tain number of its own Presbyteries. Of its own motion, this General 
Assembly, considering the time to have come for it to take the initiative 
in securing a better understanding of the relations which it judges are 
proper to be maintained between the two General Assemblies, hereby pro- 
poses that there shall be a stated, annual, and friendly interchange of 
commissioners between the two General Assemblies ; each body sending 
to the other one minister and one ruling elder, as commissioners, year by 
year ; the said commissioners to enjoy such privileges, in each body to 
which they are sent, as are common to all those now received by this body 
from other Christian denominations. 

The Moderator of this Assembly will communicate this Deliverance to 
the Moderator of the other Assembly, to be laid before it with our Chris- 
tian salutations.— 1862, pp. 633, 634, O. S. 

[This action was communicated to the Assembly, 1ST. S., of 1863, whose 
response was as follows.] 

b. The Committee, to whom was referred the communication from the 
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of 
America, that met at Columbus, Ohio, in May, 1862, addressed to this 
General Assembly, and proposing "a stated, annual, and friendly inter- 
change of Commissioners between the two General Assemblies," recom- 
mend the adoption of the following resolutions : 

Resolved, 1. That this Assembly, with heartfelt pleasure and Christian 
salutations, accept the proposition thus made, hoping and praying, that it 
may result "in securing a better understanding of the relations," which, 
in the judgment of this Assembly, "are proper to be maintained between 
the two Assemblies." 

2. That, in accordance with the suggestion of the Moderator of the 
Assembly that met at Columbus, Ohio, in May, 1862, that this inter- 
change of Commissioners should commence at the earliest practicable 
period, the Rev. Robert W. Patterson, D. D., and the Hon. William H. 
Brown, Principals, and the Rev. Arthur Swazey and Mr. Oliver H. Lee, 
Alternates, all of the Presbytery of Chicago, be appointed Commission- 
ers to represent this General Assembly in the General Assembly now in 
session at Peoria, 111. 

3. That it be suggested that future General Assemblies of the two 
branches of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, hereafter, 
designate each other respectively by the places in which their sessions 
are appointed to be held. 



60 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

4. That a certified copy of this action be at once transmitted to the 
Moderator of the General Assembly now in session at Peoria, 111., and 
that the Commissioners appointed be requested to repair to that body, and 
express to them the fraternal and Christian regards of this General 
Assembly.— 1863, p. 230, N. S. 

20. Action of the O. S. looking to Reunion.— Committee appointed. 

a. The Committee of Bills and Overtures report Overture No. 10, on 
the subject of the reunion of the two branches of the Presbyterian Church, 
from the Presbyteries of Leavenworth, Muncie, New Lisbon, Madison, 
Erie, and Oxford. These Presbyteries ask the Assembly to take measures 
at this session to secure, at an early day, the organic union of the two 
bodies whose General Assemblies are now in session in this city. 

The Committee recommend the adoption of the following resolutions : 

Resolved, 1. That this Assembly expresses its fraternal affection for the 
other branch of the Presbyterian Church, and its earnest desire for re- 
union at the earliest time consistent with agreement in doctrine, order, and 
polity, on the basis of our common standards, and the prevalence of mu- 
tual confidence and love which are necessary to a happy union, and to the 
permanent peace and prosperity of the united Church. 

Resolved, 2. That it be recommended to all our churches and church 
courts, and to all our ministers, ruling elders, and communicants, to cher- 
ish fraternal feelings, to cultivate Christian intercourse, in the worship of 
God and in the promotion of the cause of Christ, and to avoid all need- 
less controversies and competitions adapted to perpetuate division and 
strife. 

Resolved, 3. That a Committee of nine ministers and six ruling elders 
be appointed, provided that a similar Committee shall be appointed by the 
other Assembly now in session in this city, for the purpose of conferring 
in regard to the desirableness and practicability of reunion, and if, after 
conference and inquiry, such reunion shall seem to be desirable and prac- 
ticable, to suggest suitable measures for its accomplishment, and report to 
the next General Assembly. — 1866, p. 44, O. S. 

b. Response of the N. S. Committee appointed. 

The Committee on the Polity of the Church reported on several over- 
tures relating to Reunion with the Other Branch of the Presbyterian 
Church. The report was unanimously adopted, and is as follows : 

The Committee on the Polity of the Church report overtures, numbered 
5 to 16, on the subject of the Reunion of the two branches of the Presby- 
terian Church : from the Presbyteries of New York, 3d, and New York, 4th, 
Newark, Dubuque, Greencastle, Alton, Steuben, Athens, Monroe, Keokuk, 
Long Island, Trumbull, and San Jose. All these Presbyteries, with dif- 
ferent degrees of urgency, recommend to this Assembly to initiate, or to 
respond to, proposals looking to an entire Reunion of the churches repre- 
sented by the two General Assemblies now in session in the city of St. Louis. 

The General Assembly now in session at the Second Presbyterian 
Church of this city has also adopted resolutions, appointing a Committee 
to confer with a similar Committee of our own Church in regard to the 
desirableness and practicability of such Reunion. 

Your Committee recommend to this Assembly the adoption of the fol- 
lowing resolutions: 

Resolved, That this Assembly tender to the Assembly, representing the 
Other Branch of the Presbyterian Church, its cordial Christian saluta- 



PKELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 61 

tions and fellowship, and the expression of its earnest wish for Keunion, 
on the basis of our common standards, received in a common spirit. 

Resolved, That a committee of fifteen, nine of whom shall be Ministers of 
the Gospel, and six Kuling Elders, be appointed to confer on this sub- 
ject, in the recess of the Assemblies, with the Committee to be appointed 
by the other General Assembly, and to report the results to the next Gen- 
eral Assembly. 

Resolved, That we enjoin upon this Committee, and upon all our ministers 
and church members, to abstain from whatever may hinder a true Chris- 
tian fellowship, and to cherish and cultivate those feelings and purposes 
which look to the peace and prosperity of Zion, the edifying of the body 
of Christ, and the complete union of all believers, especially of those who 
live in the same land, and have the same history, and the same standards 
of Doctrine and Polity. 

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions, with the names of our Com- 
mittee, be sent to the other General Assembly now in session in this city. 
—1866, pp. 273, 274, K S. 

[Under these Resolutions the following Committees were appointed, viz. : 
of the Old School.] 

Ministers. — J. M. Krebs, D. D., of the Synod of New York, C. C. 
Beatty, D. D., of the Synod of Wheeling, J. T. Backus, D. D., of the 
Synod of Albany, P. D. Gurley, D. D., of the Synod of Baltimore, J. G. 
Monfort, D. D., of the Synod of Cincinnati, W. D. Howard, D. D., of the 
Svnod of Pittsburg, W. E. Schenck, D. D., of the Synod of Philadelphia, 
Villeroy D. Reed, D. D., of the Synod of New Jersey, F. T. Brown, D. D., 
of the Synod of Chicago. Ruling Elders. — James M. Ray, of the Synod 
of Northern Indiana, Robert McKnight, of the Synod of Allegheny, 
Samuel Galloway, of the Synod of Ohio, H. K. Clarke, of the Synod of 
Sandusky, George P. Strong, of the Synod of Missouri, Ormond Beatty, 
of the Synod of ^Kentucky.— 1866, p. 48, O. S. 

[Of the New School.] 

Thomas Brainerd, D. D., Chairman, William Adams, D. D., Edwin F. 
Hatfield, D. D., Jonathan F. Stearns, D. D., Philemon H. Fowler, D. D., 
James B. Shaw, D. D., Henry L. Hitchcock, D. D., Robert W. Patterson, 
D. D., and Henry A. Nelson, D. D., with Ruling Elders — Joseph Allison, 
LL. D., Henry W. Williams, LL. D., and Messrs. Truman P. Handv, 
Robert W. Steele, and William H. Brown.— 1866, p. 278, N. S. 

[The joint committee thus constituted, reported to the Assemblies of 
1867, as follows:] 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE REUNION OF THE PRES- 
BYTERIAN CHURCH. 

The Committee appointed by the last General Assembly to confer with 
a similar Committee of the other Assembly, on the desirableness and prac- 
ticability of reuniting the bodies which they severally represent, would 
respectfully report : 

That in the discharge of the duty assigned them, the two Committees 
assembled in the city of New York on Wednesday, February 20th, 1867, 
and after organizing in their respective places of appointment, met in 
joint session for conference and prayer. These meetings continued to a 
late hour on Friday evening, February 22d, when the Committees ad- 
journed, to meet again in the same city, on the first day of May. Re- 
assembling at that time, they continued their conferences till Tuesday, 
May 7th, when they finally adjourned. 



62 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

The circumstances in which the Committees held their first meeting were 
so peculiar as to demand a special mention, as they were fitted to produce 
an unusual sobriety. 

The chairmen of both Committees, as originally constituted, were ab- 
sent. One, Rev. Dr. Brainerd, had been translated to that world where 
all the distinctions of Christian discipleship which exist on the earth are 
lost in the harmony of heaven. The other, Rev. Dr. Krebs, was disabled, 
by severe illness, from all participation in our conferences, waiting for 
that change to come which will unite him to the great company of Chris- 
tian ministers in the kingdom of God. 

All the meetings of the Committees were distinguished by a degree of 
courtesy and unanimity which was more than common. Composed of 
men of decided individuality, representing divers interests and sections, 
they have discussed every question — many of them of admitted delicacy 
and difficulty — with the utmost frankness, without one word or expression 
of any kind ever to be regretted by Christian brethren who felt the grave 
responsibilities of their position. 

The result of their conferences is contained in the following document, 
adopted in joint Committee with remarkable unanimity. 

PROPOSED TERMS OF REUNION BETWEEN THE TWO BRANCHES 
OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES OF 
AMERICA. 

The Joint Committee of the two General Assemblies of the Presby- 
terian Church, appointed for the purpose of conferring on the desirable- 
ness and practicability of uniting these two bodies, deeply impressed with 
the responsibility of the work assigned us, and having earnestly sought 
Divine guidance and patiently devoted ourselves to the investigation of 
the questions involved, agree in presenting the following for the consid- 
eration, and, if they see fit, for the adoption of the two General Assem- 
blies. 

Believing that the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom would be pro- 
moted by healing our divisions ; that practical union would greatly aug- 
ment the efficiency of the whole Church for the accomplishment of its 
divinely-appointed work ; that the main causes producing division have 
either wholly passed away or become in a great degree inoperative ; and 
that two bodies, bearing the same name, adopting the same Constitution, 
and claiming the same corporate rights, cannot be justified by any but 
the most imperative reasons in maintaining separate and, in some respects, 
rival organizations ; and regarding it as both just and proper that a Re- 
union should be effected by the two Churches as independent bodies, and 
on equal terms ; we propose the following Terms and Recommendations, 
as suited to meet the demands of the case. 

1. The Reunion shall be effected on the doctrinal and ecclesiastical 
basis of our common standards. The Confession of Faith shall continue 
to be sincerely received and adopted "as containing the system of doc- 
trine taught in the Holy Scriptures ;" and its fair historical sense, as it is 
accepted by the two bodies, in opposition to Antinomianism and Fatalism 
on the one hand, and to Arminianism and Pelagianism on the other, shall 
be regarded as the sense in which it is received and adopted ; and the 
government and discipline of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States shall continue to be approved as containing the principles and rules 
of our polity. 

2. All the ministers and churches embraced in the two bodies shall be 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 63 

admitted to the same standing in the united body which they may hold in 
their respective connections up to the consummation of the union ; and 
all the churches connected with the united body, not thoroughly Presby- 
terian in their organization, shall be advised to perfect their organization 
as soon as is permitted by the highest interests to be consulted ; no other 
such churches shall be received ; and such persons alone shall be chosen 
Commissioners to the General Assembly as are eligible according to the 
Constitution of the Church. 

3. The boundaries of the several Presbyteries and Synods shall be ad- 
justed by the General Assembly of the united Church. 

4. The official Records of the two branches of the Church for the 
period of separation shall be preserved and held as making up the one 
history of the Church ; and no rule or precedent, which does not stand 
approved by both the bodies, shall be of any authority until re-established 
in the united body. 

5. The corporate rights, now held by the two General Assemblies and 
by their Boards and Committees, shall, as far as practicable, be consol- 
idated and applied for their several objects as defined by law. 

6. There shall be one set of Committees or Boards for Home and For- 
eign Missions, and the other religious enterprises of the Church, which 
the churches shall be encouraged to sustain, though left free to cast their 
contributions into other channels if they desire to do so. 

7. As soon as practicable, after the union shall be effected, the General 
Assembly shall reconstruct and consolidate the several Permanent Com- 
mittees and Boards which now belong to the two Assemblies, in such a 
manner as to represent, as far as possible, with impartiality, the views and 
wishes of the two bodies constituting the united Church. 

8. When it shall be ascertained that the requisite number of Presby- 
teries of the two bodies have approved the terms of union, as hereinafter 
provided for, the two General Assemblies shall each appoint a Committee 
of Seven, none of them having an official relation to either the Board or 
the Committee of Publication, who shall constitute a joint Committee, 
whose duty it shall be to revise the Catalogues of the existing publica- 
tions of the two Churches, and to make out a list from them of such 
books and tracts as shall be issued by the united Church ; and any cata- 
logue thus made out, in order to its adoption, shall be approved by at 
least five members of each Committee. 

9. If, at any time after the union has been effected, any of the theo- 
logical seminaries, under the care and control of the General Assembly, 
shall desire to put themselves under Synodical control, they shall be per- 
mitted to do so at the request of their Boards of Direction ; and those 
seminaries which are independent in their organization, shall have the 
privilege of putting themselves under ecclesiastical control, to the end 
that, if practicable, a system of ecclesiastical supervision of such institu- 
tions may ultimately prevail through the entire united Church. 

10. It shall be regarded' as the duty of all our judicatories, ministers, 
and people in the united Church, to study the things which make for 
peace, and to guard against all needless and offensive references to the 
causes that have divided us ; and in order to avoid the revival of past is- 
sues by the continuance of any usage in either branch of the Church, 
that has grown out of our former conflicts, it is earnestly recommended to 
the lower judicatories of the Church, that they conform their practice in 
relation to all such usages, as far as consistent with their convictions of 
duty, to the general custom of the church prior to the controversies that 
resulted in the separation. 



64 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

11. The terms of the reunion shall be of binding force, if they shall be 
ratified by three-fourths of the Presbyteries connected with each branch 
of the Church within one year after they shall have been submitted to 
them for approval. 

12. The terms of the reunion shall be published by direction of the 
General Assemblies of 1867, for the deliberate examination of both 
branches of the Church, and the Joint Committee shall report to the 
General Assemblies of 1868 any modification of them they may deem de- 
sirable, in view of any new light that may have been received during the 
year. 

13. It is recommended that the Hon. Daniel Haines and the Hon. 
Henry W. Green, LL. D., of New Jersey, Daniel Lord, LL. D., and 
Theodore W. Dwight, LL. D., of New York, and Hon. William 
Strong and Hon. George Sharswood, LL. D., of Pennsylvania, be ap- 
pointed by the General Assemblies a Committee to investigate all ques- 
tions of property and of vested rights as they may stand related to the 
matter of reunion, and this Committee shall report to the Joint Commit- 
tee as early as the first of January, 1868. 

14. It is evident that, in order to adapt our ecclesiastical system to the 
necessities and circumstances of the united Church as a greatly enlarged 
and widely-extended body, some changes in the Constitution will be re- 
quired. The Joint Committee, therefore, request the two General Assem- 
blies to instruct them in regard to the preparation of an additional article 
on this subject, to be reported to the Assemblies of 1868. 

Signed by order of the Joint Committee, 

Charles C. Beatty, Chairman. 
Edwin F. Hatfield, Secretary. 

New York, May 7th, 1867. 

Leaving their report with the General Assemblies, and the ministers 
and churches of our denomination throughout the land, your Committee 
cannot disregard the Providential auspices under which their recommen- 
dations await decision. The present is thought to be a favorable time, 
now that many questions of former controversy have lost their interest, 
for adopting a magnanimous policy, suited to the necessities of our country 
and the world. 

The Presbyterian Church has a history of great renown. It has been 
intimately associated with civil and religious liberty in both hemispheres. 
Its republican and representative character, the parity of its clergy, the 
simplicity of its order, the equity of its administration, its sympathy with 
our institutions, its ardent patriotism in all stages of our history, its flex- 
ible adaptations to our heterogeneous population, its liberal support of 
schools, colleges, and seminaries designed for general education and the- 
ological culture, its firm and steadfast faith in the extension of the Re- 
deemer's kingdom, and this by means of revealed truth and the special 
effusions of the Holy Spirit, in distinction from all trust in human arts 
and devices all unite to promise, if we are wise and faithful, a future for 
the Presbyterian Church in these United States greater and better than 
all the past. Amid all the changes which have occurred around us, we 
are confident that nothing true and good will ever recede or decay ; and 
it becomes all those who love the same faith, order, and worship, abound- 
ing iu love and hope, to pray that God would " count them worthy of 
their calling, that they may fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness 
and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 65 

Christ may be glorified in them and they in him, according to the grace 
of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

Signed by order of the Committee. Charles C. Beatty, Chairman. 

William Adams, Chairman. 
New York, May 7, 1867. 

1867, pp. 387-390, O. S. 
1867, pp. 480-484, N. S. 

23. In the respective Assemblies of 1867 action was taken upon the 
above report as follows, viz. : 

a. 1. Resolved, That this Assembly has listened with grateful and pro- 
found satisfaction to the report of the Committee on Church Reunion, 
and recognizes in the unanimity of the Joint Committee the finger of 
God as pointing toward an early and cordial reunion of the two sister 
Churches now so long separated. 

2. Resolved, That said Committee be continued and directed to co-oper- 
ate with any similar Committee of the other branch in furtherance of this 
object, and to report thereon to the next General Assembly. 

3. Resolved, That the Committee be empowered to fill all vacancies that 
may occur in their body during the coming year, whether by resignation, 
protracted sickness, or by death. 

4. Resolved, That the necessary expenses incurred by this Committee, in 
the discharge of the duties assigned them, be paid from the profits on the 
sale of books by the Board of Publication. 

5. Resolved, That the Report of the Committee be published in the 
Appendix to the Minutes, and in our religious newspapers, and commend- 
ed to the careful consideration of our whole Church, and that the Com- 
mittee be directed to report to the next General Assembly any modifica- 
tion of the terms of reunion specified therein, which may appear desirable 
to the Joint Committee, in view of any further light that may have been 
received during the year. 

6. Resolved, That the Hon. Daniel Haines, and the Hon. Henry W. 
Green, LL. D., of New Jersey, Daniel Lord, LL. D., and Theodore Dwight, 
LL. D., of New York, and the Hon. Wra. Strong, and the Hon. Geo. 
Sharswood, LL. D., of Pennsylvania, be appointed a Committee to inves- 
tigate all questions of property and of vested rights as they may stand 
related to the matter of reunion ; and that this Committee be requested 
to report to the Joint Committee as early as January 1, 1868; and that 
our share of the necessary expenses incurred by this Committee be also 
paid by our Board of Publication from the profits on its book-sales. 

7. Resolved, That in submitting the Report of the Committee on Re- 
union to the consideration of the Churches and Presbyteries, the Assem- 
bly is not called upon at this time to express either approbation or dis- 
approbation of the terms of reunion presented by the Committee in its 
details, but only to afford the Church a full opportunity to examine the 
subject in the light of all its advantages and difficulties, so that the Com- 
mittee may have the benefit of any suggestions which may be offered, be- 
fore making a final report for the action of the next Assembly. 

On motion of Rev. P. D. Young, the Moderator was requested to ap- 
point a member of the Reunion Committee of Fifteen to fill the virtual 
vacancy occasioned by the illness of the Rev. John M. Krebs, D. D. In 
accordance with this request, the Moderator appointed the Rev. J. E. 
Rockwell, D. D., of the Synod of New York.— 1867, p. 362, O. S. 

b. The Committee, to whom was referred the Report of the Special 
Committee, appointed by the last General Assembly to confer with a sim- 
9 



66 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

ilar Committee on the desirableness and practicability of reuniting the 
bodies which they severally represent, would respectfully report : 

That they have given the document committed to them a careful con- 
sideration, in view of its grave importance, and the manifold interests it 
involves in its relations to our own Church and the progress of the King- 
dom of Christ in the earth. It presents a basis for the proposed Reunion, 
which, if the two Assemblies so order, is to be submitted to the deliberate 
examination of both Branches of the Church for one year, subject to 
such modifications as may appear necessary or desirable with.in that pe- 
riod. It leaves the General Assemblies of 1868 free to act with reference 
to these terms of Reunion, in whole or in part, as providential signs may 
indicate; and, if advisable, to submit them to the constitutional and final 
action of the Presbyteries. Ample opportunity is thus afforded for a full 
and deliberate consideration of the whole subject, in all its bearings, as 
they shall affect local interests or the well-being of the entire Church. 

For this and kindred reasons, your Committee conclude it was not the 
intention of this body, in referring to them this proposed basis of Reunion, 
that its several articles should be discussed at this time and place ; and 
yet they cannot withhold their conviction, expressed in these general 
terms, that results have already been reached full of promise and hope ; 
that, whatever concessions have been made, they only indicate how near 
the two parts of the divided Church have approached each other ; that 
nothing more and nothing less than Christian charity would dictate has 
been yielded ; and that, in the adjustment of any difficulties or differ- 
ences, a proper regard has been preserved for the honor and rights of the 
respective bodies, to which the work of their Joint Committee is now sub- 
mitted. The remarkable unanimity with which these initiatory proceed- 
ings have been concluded, after a thorough and frank discussion of the 
basis of Union, is full of encouragement; and whatever may be the ulti- 
mate result, much has already been accomplished for the healing of our 
divisions, and the promotion of peace and good-will in the Presbyterian 
body. 

Impressed with these considerations, and gratefully recognizing therein 
the guiding providence of God in the successive stages of this work of 
concord, and especially in the spirit of wisdom and love given to His ser- 
vants in their several conferences, we do recommend, that this Assembly 
approve of the whole action of its Special Committee as declared in their 
Report, and that the same Committee be continued for the purposes for 
which it was constituted. 

There is a single point on which the Joint Committee ask instructions 
from the two General Assemblies. It relates to the changes in represen- 
tation, etc., which will be required to adapt our ecclesiastical system to 
the necessities and circumstances of the united Church. We would rec- 
ommend, that it be left to the Joint Committee to examine carefully the 
whole subject, and suggest such changes in the Constitution as in their 
wisdom they may deem requisite. 

It is further recommended, that the report of the Joint Committee be 
published under the authority of the General Assembly, for general dis- 
tribution among our ministers and churches. 

It is also recommended, that the Assembly appoint the several gentle- 
men designated by the Joint Committee as legal advisers, and that, in 
case of the inability of any one of them to serve, the Committee have 
power to fill his place. 

It is indicative, we would believe, of the temper of this Assembly, the 
largest during our history of thirty years since the separation, that your 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 67 

Committee, though representing the extremes of our territory, and even 
the lingering memories of the conflict which culminated in the division, 
are of one mind in desiring the speedy and permanent Reunion of our 
beloved Church. It is but reasonable to anticipate, that the same spirit 
will characterize the action of the other Assembly, in the recollection of 
the fraternal, not to say magnanimous, advances made one year ago, and 
which gave rise to present measures for Reunion, and the hope increas- 
ingly and fondly cherished in the great Presbyterian household. Other 
members of that renowned family, than those represented in the two As- 
semblies now in session, at home and across the sea, are stirred in sym- 
pathy at the goodly prospect. The friends of Christian Union every- 
where claim an interest in the completion of our work, so happily begun, 
as another sigu of the predicted day when all Christ's people shall be one, 
keeping: the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.— 1867, pp. 485, 
486, N. S. 

[The Committee was continued, and in 1868 presented the following.] 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OX REUNION. 

The Committee appointed by the General Assembly of 1866 to confer 
with a similar Committee of the other Assembly, in regard to the Re- 
union of the two Branches of the Presbyterian Church ; and continued 
by the Assembly of 1867, with directions and instructions to co-operate 
with the other Committee in furtherance of the object, and " report to the 
General Assemblies of 1868 any modification of the terms of Union which 
might seem desirable to the Joint Committee, in view of any new light 
that may have been received during the year" — would now respectfully 
report : 

That the two Committees again assembled in joint meeting, in the city 
of Philadelphia, on Wednesday A. M., the 11th of March, 1868, and con- 
tinued in conference, reviewing the terms of Union, with the further light 
which they had received, till Saturday afternoon the 14th, when, having 
finished the important business with which they were intrusted, they 
finally adjourned. 

Every member of these large Committees was present with the ex- 
ception of Rev. Dr. Hitchcock, of Ohio, absent in Europe, Rev. Dr. 
Howard, of Pennsylvania, detained by severe illness, and Judge Strong, 
of Missouri, prevented by unavoidable professional engagements. Rev. 
Dr. Patterson, of Illinois, arrived from a foreign voyage, after a long ab- 
sence, in season to meet the Committee ; but feeling himself obliged to 
leave for home on Thursday afternoon, did not participate in the final 
action. This large and patient attendance was a new indication of the 
deep interest, which is felt throughout the country in the subject under 
consideration, and also of the profound sense of responsibility on the part 
of the several members of the Joint Committee, charged to take action 
in a matter, which must affect extensively and permanently the interests 
of our country and the kingdom of our Lord Je<us Christ. 

To our regret, the report expected from the Legal Advisers appointed 
to investigate questions of property and vested rights was not received, 
owing to the death of Mr. Daniel Lord, and the fact that Judges Strong 
and Sharswood had declined to act in the premises, because of their pres- 
ent official position on the Bench. After rilling a vacancy by the appoint- 
ment of Hon. William A. Porter, of Philadelphia, we requested the Legal 
Committee to meet as soon as practicable and prepare their report, which 
will be submitted bv them directlv to the Assemblies. 



68 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

To affirm that all the meetings of the Joint Committee were distin- 
guished, as heretofore, by Christian courtesy and kindness, would be but 
a faint expression of the truth. This sentiment of fraternal confidence 
and regard assumed such forms of expression, that all who participated 
in the conference will be sure to remember it, as one of the greatest and 
happiest privileges of their lives. This kindness of feeling, however, did 
not repress or modify the utmost frankness in the statement of difficulties, 
real and alleged, on either side. It ought to be stated distinctly, in justice 
to all the many interests and sections represented by these Committees, 
that there was not the least reserve in the expression of the objections, 
which had been urged in any quarter, against the proposed reunion. So 
frank and explicit was this utterance, that at times it appeared as if hon- 
est differences of opinion would render success uncertain. But the effect 
of continued and candid conference was the increase of confidence, through 
the correction of misapprehensions and the removal of obstacles, so that 
the very clouds, which threatened to obscure the light, arranged them- 
selves at last so as to reflect and increase what they could not hide. The 
prayers of many churches and Conventions, in different parts of the coun- 
try, known to the Committee to be ascending to God in their behalf, were 
abundantly answered in the entire harmony and unanimity to which they 
eventually attained. By this unanimity it is not meant, that in every 
article and act of the Committee the preferences of each member were 
fully met; but that all were finally agreed, that the basis of Union now 
to be reported was, in the circumstances, the best that could be framed in 
the way of adjusting divers conflicting views and interests ; and as such 
it was adopted in the final vote, with entire unanimity, pledges of cordial 
support, and sincere thanks to Almighty God. 

Your Committee are fully persuaded that, if the ministers, elders, and 
members of both branches of the Church had been present at our recent 
conferences, seen what we saw, and heard what we heard, they would 
heartily join in the result which was reached by their representatives. 
With this belief the Committee have judged it expedient and proper, to 
accompany their report with such explanatory words, as may serve to 
convey to others the facts and motives which proved of such weight to 
themselves. 

Your Committee were not at liberty to forget or overlook the premises 
upon which they received their appointment. The Resolution of the Gen- 
eral Assembly (O. S.) in which this movement originated, expressed the 
" earnest desire " of that body for reunion at the earliest time consistent 
with agreement in doctrine, order, and polity, on the basis of our common 
standards and the prevalence of mutual confidence and love. The Gen- 
eral Assembly (N. S.), in responding to this action by a similar vote, 
expressed " its earnest wish for reunion " on a similar basis. 

This earnest desire for union, as confessed by both bodies, is a fact 
which antedates the appointment of your Committee. They were not 
oommissioned to inquire whether it existed, or to take measures to excite 
and promote it. The existence of this acknowledged sentiment was the 
basis upon which the two Committees were appointed. These premises 
assumed, the position occupied by the Joint Committee, and the point of 
view from which they should survey their work, were already decided by 
both Assemblies. 

The desirableness of reunion, if it can be consummated on satisfactory 
terms, is not to be treated and put aside as a blind and imbecile impulse ; 
it is the act and expression of Christian wisdom. The movement, thus 
inaugurated and advanced, was not made necessary by the condition or 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 69 

prospects of either of the bodies now in conference. Each is thoroughly 
organized, equipped, and prosperous. Neither needs the accession of the 
other for its own sake merely. The motives which impel to union are 
higher and greater than any which pertain to denominational advantage. 
They relate to the welfare of the whole country, and the kingdom of our 
Lord in all the earth. On this high ground, chosen for them in the prov- 
idence of God, by the action of both Assemblies, the two Committees took 
their stand, inclined in advance, when any concessions were to be made, 
that the lesser preference should defer to the greater and the stronger. 

The changes which have occurred in our own country and throughout 
the world, during the last thirty years — the period of our separation — ar- 
rest and compel attention. Within this time the original number of our 
States has been very nearly doubled. It was in the year 1837 that what 
is now the great and prosperous State of Michigan was admitted into the 
Union. Florida, Texas, Wisconsin, Iowa, California, Minnesota, Oregon, 
Kansas, Nevada, Nebraska, have followed in rapid succession ; with nu- 
merous territories already organized, soon to take their places in the Na- 
tional Union. And all this vast domain is to be supplied with the means 
of education and the institutions of religion, as the only source and pro- 
tection of our national life. The population crowding into this immense 
area is heterogeneous. Six millions of emigrants, representing various 
religions and nationalities, have arrived on our shores within the last 
thirty years ; and four millions of slaves, recently enfranchised, demand 
Christian education. It is no secret that anti-Christian forces — Roman- 
ism, Ecclesiasticism, Rationalism, Infidelity, Materialism, and Paganism 
itself — assuming new vitality, are struggling for the ascendency. Chris- 
tian forces should be combined and deployed, according to the new move- 
ments of their adversaries. It is no time for small and weak detachments 
which may easily be defeated in detail. A lesson has been given us in 
recent years, as to the ease with which diversities of sentiment may be 
harmonized and combined in one purpose to maintain the national life. 
The time has come when minor motives should be merged in the mag- 
nanimous purpose, inspired both by patriotism and religion, to Christian- 
ize the whole country. 

The necessity of a closer union among Christians of a common faith 
and order has come to be felt in a new sense, by the members of our sev- 
eral churches. It cannot be denied, that there exists a widespread and 
earnest longing for more of visible unity among all classes of Christian 
people. This is especially noticeable among the most intelligent, active, 
and generous in our connection. Responding to the teachings and chal- 
lenges of the pulpit, the laity in our large cities and towns have entered 
upon a new stage of Christian, activity, demonstrating the possibility of 
practical union in the stewardship of Christ. In many quarters there is 
an evident increase of evangelic life and energy. With these facts well 
authenticated before them, your Committee feel that, should the elements 
now stirred and converging toward union be diverted and repelled from 
their object, the effect would be most disastrous on the prospects of true 
religion. If the hearts of Christian people, combined already throughout 
the land in Christian work, should be disappointed as to that organic union 
which they crave, and this, through differences asserted by the clergy, 
which the laity either do not understand or with which they have no sym- 
pathy, the certain effect will be to lessen the sentiment of respect and con- 
fidence on their part toward their appointed leaders, and weaken the force 
of paramount motives. 

Nor is the proposed union desirable on our own account only. It is 



70 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 

inevitable that its effects should be felt throughout the whole of Christen- 
dom. Many of the ecclesiastical organizations of Protestant Europe had 
their origin in remote controversies connected with the Reformation. 
That was a time for the assertion of truth, rather than for the expression 
of love. It was not so much a season for extending Christianity as for 
purifying and preparing it for future aggression. If we must judge now, 
that segregation was then carried to an extreme beyond what was required 
by necessity and Christian charity, surely we possess peculiar advantages 
in this country and age, for availing ourselves of a wiser and happier 
policy. Nothing is so long-lived and inveterate as ancestral memories 
and prejudices. Before the world we are now engaged, as a nation, in 
solving the problem whether it is possible for all the incongruous and 
antagonistic nationalities thrown upon our shores, exerting their mutual 
attraction and repulsion, to become fused in one new American sentiment. 
If the several branches of the Presbyterian Church in this country, rep- 
resenting to a great degree ancestral differences, should become cordially 
united, it must have not only a direct effect upon the question of our 
national unity, but reacting by the force of a successful example on the 
Old World, must render aid in that direction, to all who are striving to 
reconsider and readjust those combinations, which had their origin either 
in the faults or the necessities of a remote past. The results of our 
present movement are eagerly observed by many, and its success or fail- 
ure must inevitably affect other efforts, at home and abroad, looking to 
the consolidation of other branches of the Christian Church ; nor can we 
doubt that, if any hindrance should frustrate the consummation of that 
union now contemplated by ourselves, a pang of grief and disappoint- 
ment would be felt not only in our own country, but throughout Protest- 
ant Christendom. 

The third of a century, the life of a whole generation, has indeed 
wrought wondrous changes, of the greatest promise for the future. An- 
other order of things exists. Old causes of irritation are removed. A new 
generation in the ministry and the membership of the Church has arisen, 
with little sympathy for those controversies that resulted in division. A 
new evangelic spirit is abroad, like the breath of Spring, inviting to a 
new style of action. 

It would have betrayed a criminal temper, on the part of your Com- 
mittee, had they been indifferent to those events and sentiments to which 
they owe their own appointment, and under the influence of which they 
addressed themselves honestly, patiently, and prayerfully to the duty 
assigned to them. The result of their deliberation is embodied in the 
following document, which they now submit for the consideration of the 
Assemblies : — 

PROPOSED TERMS OF REUNION BETWEEN THE TWO BRANCHES 
OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES OF 
AMERICA. 

The Joint Committee of the two General Assemblies of the Presby- 
terian Church, appointed for the purpose of conferring on the desirable- 
ness and practicability of uniting these two bodies, deeply impressed Avith 
the responsibility of the work assigned us, and having earnestly sought 
Divine guidance, and patiently devoted ourselves to the investigation of 
the questions involved, agree in presenting the following for the considera- 
tion, and, if they see fit, for the adoption, of the two General Assemblies. 

Believing that the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom would be 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 71 

promoted by healing our divisions; that practical union would greatly 
augment the efficiency of the whole Church for the accomplishment of its 
divinely-appointed work ; that the main causes producing division have 
either wholly passed away, or become so far inoperative, as that Reunion 
is now " consistent with agreement in doctrine, order, and polity, on the 
basis of our common standards, and the prevalence of mutual confidence 
and love;" and that two bodies, bearing the same name, adopting the 
same Constitution, and claiming the same corporate rights, cannot be 
justified by any but the most imperative reasons in maintaining separate 
and, in some respects, rival organizations; and regarding it as both just 
and proper, that a Reunion should be effected by the two Churches, as 
independent bodies, and on equal terms ; we propose the following Terms 
and Recommendations, as suited to meet the demands of the case : 

1. The Reunion shall be effected on the doctrinal and ecclesiastical basis 
of our common standards ; the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments 
shall be acknowledged to be the inspired Word of God, and the only 
infallible rule of faith and practice ; the Confession of Faith shall con- 
tinue to be sincerely received and adopted, " as containing the system of 
doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures ;" it being understood, that this 
Confession is received in its proper, historical — that is, the Calvinistic 
or Reformed — sense ; it is also understood, that various methods of view- 
ing, stating, explaining, and illustrating, the doctrines of the Confession 
which do not impair the integrity of the Reformed or Calvinistic system, 
are to be freely allowed in the united Church, as they have hitherto been 
allowed in the separate Churches : and the Government and discipline of 
the Presbyterian Church in the United States shall be approved as con- 
taining the principles and rules of our polity. 

2. All the ministers and Churches, embraced in the two bodies, shall be 
admitted to the same standing in the united body, which they may hold 
in their respective connections up to the consummation of the union ; im- 
perfectly organized churches shall be counseled and expected to become 
thoroughly Presbyterian, as early, within the. period of five years, as is 
permitted by the highest interests to be consulted ; and no other such 
churches shall be hereafter received. 

3. The boundaries of the several Presbyteries and Synods shall be ad- 
justed by the General Assembly of the united Church. 

4. The official records of the two Branches of the Church, for the 
period of separation, shall be preserved and held as making up the one 
history of the Church ; and no rule or precedent, which does not stand 
approved by both the bodies, shall be of any authority, until re-established 
in the united body, except in so far as such rule or precedent may affect 
the rights of property founded thereon. 

5. The corporate rights, now held by the two General Assemblies, and 
by their Boards and Committees, shall, as far as practicable, be consoli- 
dated, and applied for their several objects, as defined by law. 

6. There shall be one set of Committees or Boards for Home and 
Foreign Missions, and the other religious enterprises of the Church, which 
the churches shall be encouraged to sustain, though free to cast their 
contributions into other channels, if they desire to do so. 

7. As soon as practicable after the union shall be effected, the General 
Assembly shall reconstruct and consolidate the several Permanent Commit- 
tees and Boards, which now belong to the two Assemblies, in such a man- 
ner as to represent, as far as possible, with impartiality, the views and 
wishes of the two bodies constituting the united Church. 

8. The publications of the Board of Publication, and of the Publica- 



72 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

tion Committee, shall continue to be issued as at present, leaving it to the 
Board of Publication of the united Church to revise these issues, and 
perfect a catalogue for the joint Church, so as to exclude invidious refer- 
ences to past controversies. 

9. In order to a uniform system of ecclesiastical supervision, those Theo- 
logical Seminaries that are now under Assembly control may, if their 
Boards of Direction so elect, be transferred to the watch and care of one 
or more of the adjacent Synods; and the other Seminaries are advised to 
introduce, as far as may be, into their Constitutions, the principle of Sy- 
nodical or Assembly supervision ; in which case, they shall be entitled to an 
official recognition and approbation on the part of the General Assembly. 

10. It is agreed, that the Presbyteries possess the right to examine 
ministers applying for admission from other Presbyteries ; but each Pres- 
bytery shall be left free to decide for itself when it shall exercise the 
right. 

11. It shall be regarded as the duty of all our judicatories, ministers, 
and people in the united Church, to study the things which make for 
peace, and to guard against all needless and offensive references to the 
causes that have divided us ; and, in order to avoid the revival of past 
issues, by the continuance of any usage in either Branch of the Church 
that has grown out of our former conflicts, it is earnestly recommended to 
the lower judicatories of the Church, that they conform their practice in 
relation to all such usages, as far as is consistent with their convictions of 
duty, to the general custom of the Church prior to the controversies that 
resulted in the separation. 

12. The Terms of the Reunion, if they are approved by the General 
Assemblies of 1868, shall be overtured to the several Presbyteries under 
their care, and shall be of binding force, if they are ratified by three 
fourths of the Presbyteries connected with each Branch of the Church, 
within one year after they shall have been submitted to them for 
approval. 

13. If the two General Assemblies of 1869 shall find, that the plan of 
Reunion has been ratified by the requisite number of Presbyteries in each 
body, they shall, after the conclusion of all their business, be dissolved 
by their respective Moderators, in the manner and form following, viz. : — 
Each Moderator shall address the Assembly over which he presides, say- 
ing, " By virtue of the authority delegated to me by the Church, and in 
conformity with the Plan of Union adopted by the two Presbyterian 
Churches, let this Assembly be dissolved ; and I do hereby dissolve it, 
and require a General Assembly, chosen in the same manner, by all the 
Presbyteries in connection with this body, and all those in connection 

with the General Assembly meeting this year in , to meet in , 

on the — day of May, A. D. 1870; and I do hereby declare and pro- 
claim, that the General Assembly thus constituted will be the rightful Gen- 
eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of Amer- 
ica, now, by the grace of God, happily united." 

Signed, by order of the Joint Committee, 

Charles C. Beatty, Chairman. 
Edwin F. Hatfield, Secretary. 

Philadelphia, March 14, A. D. 1868. 

It will be observed that the Committee have agreed upon a few modifi- 
cations of the Basis of Union, reported in May, 1867 ; this, not so much 
from any change of opinion on their own part, as with a view, if possible, 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 73 

of preventing or correcting misapprehension, and to meet, more fully, the 
views and wishes of the bodies which they represent. 

In reference to the First Article, containing the doctrinal basis, the 
language employed is so explicit, that the Committee believe it will prove 
satisfactory to all who desire union on the terms of Christian confidence 
and honor. First of all, following the order of the " Constitutional Ques- 
tions " proposed by our Form of Government to all who are ordained to 
the Ministry and Eldership of the Presbyterian Church, we assert the 
great Protestant principle — the sole supremacy and undivided authority 
of the Word of God, in all matters of faith and practice : assigning to 
this the foremost place above Church, Creed, Confession, School, and 
System. 

Magnifying the Inspired Scriptures, we next adopt, endorse, and honor, 
our common Confession, as " containing the system of doctrine taught in 
the Holy Scriptures." So far as they were concerned themselves, the 
Committees would have been content to rest in this prescribed form of 
words, as received and used by Christian brethren. Unhappily, misap- 
prehension, prejudices, and distrust are engendered by divisions, to obviate 
which the Committee have endeavored to modify the language of their 
former report, thought by some to be ambiguous, so as to make it precise, 
without surmising or exaggerating differences of opinion. 

In their judgment, the line of distinction between the two Assemblies, 
as now drawn, does not consist, as some have supposed, merely in theo- 
logical diversities. The same Confession is adopted by all. It is adopted 
in the same terms as containing the same system. To make this agree- 
ment the more determinate, the Committee have given this system its 
historic name. At the same time that we mutually interchange these 
guarantees for orthodoxy, we mutually interchange guarantees for Chris- 
tian liberty. Differences always have existed and been allowed in the 
Presbyterian Churches in Europe and America, as to modes of explain- 
ing and theorizing within the metes and bounds of the one accepted 
system. What exists in fact, we have undertaken to express in words. 
To put into exact formulas what opinions should be allowed and what 
interdicted, would be to write a new Confession of Faith. This neither 
branch of the Church desires. Your Committee have assumed no such 
work of supererogation. Neither have they made compromises or con- 
cessions. They append no codicil to the old symbols. They have 
asserted, as being essential to all true unity, the necessity of adopting the 
same Confession and the same System, with the recognition of liberty on 
either hand, for such differences as do not impair the integrity of the sys- 
tem itself; which is all the liberty that any branch of the great Calvinistic 
family of churches has ever claimed or desired. Your Committee cannot 
see how it was possible for them to employ language more precise and 
guarded, unless they were prepared to substitute "private interpretations" 
for the recognized standards of the Church. To go further in either 
direction than they have done, would certainly lead to useless and endless 
"strifes of words." Language somewhere must find a limit. It would 
be impossible so to frame expressions on this subject, that those who are 
opposed to reunion may not find occasion to cavil and object. But the 
Committee hope and trust that the Article now reported will commend 
itself to all fair-minded men, as containing what is precise, yet not ex- 
clusive ; definite, yet not rigid; specific, yet not inflexible; liberal, with- 
out laxity ; catholic, without latitudinarianism. If exact uniformity in 
all shades of opinion, in technical adjustments, in philosophic theories, be 
regarded as essential to union, we should earnestly recommend the in- 
10 



74 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

definite adjournment of the present movement. Nor would consistency 
allow us to rest here; our present organizations should be dissolved and 
exchanged for disintegration and individualism. 

Nothing need be said in vindication of the Second Article, to those who 
are fully informed concerning the churches referred to therein. Your 
Committee had to deal, not with abstractions, but with facts and realities. 
The churches here described originated in a policy which was itself inau- 
gurated by a remote necessity; their number is limited, and cannot be 
increased; the terms of their relationship are prescribed and limited also; 
their Presbyterial relationship is at present cordial, happy, and eminently 
useful ; and some of them are deemed, by the Presbyteries with which 
they are connected, as among their most efficient and excellent churches. 
As nothing is intended by our action to disturb the present relations of 
these churches, so nothing is designed to be done, at any time, which can 
be regarded as inconsistent with good faith and honor; but such state- 
ments were made by those members of the Joint Committee more imme- 
diately representing the sections of country in which these churches exist, 
as led the Committee to believe, that the friendly counsel contained in 
this Article would prove not unacceptable to these churches themselves, 
and that the specification of a definite time might be an aid to them in 
perfecting that organization which is now suggested by Christian ex- 
pediency. 

The several Articles, which contemplate the combination and re-ad- 
justment of the respective Boards and Committees of the two Assemblies, 
look only to economy and increased efficiency. 

The recommendation contained in the Eighth Article calls for the brief- 
est explanation, as it is believed that it will prove more satisfactory than 
the former Article, to which various objections were made. No dispo- 
sition was manifest in the Committee to press invidious distinctions and 
preferences. Neither Publishing Committee is to supersede or endorse the 
other. Both, earnestly engaged at present in publishing what is received 
by the churches at large, as valuable literature in theology and practical 
religion, are advised to continue as now organized, till such a new Board 
or Committee shall be appointed in the united Church, as, it may be sup- 
posed, would be prompted, by every instinct of Christian propriety, to 
omit painful and invidious references to past strifes, leaving undisturbed 
what is now, and ever must be, highly, prized by all our ministers and 
churches. 

As to the action of the Committee concerning Theological Seminaries, 
as embodied in Article Ninth of their report, all difficulty springs from 
the obvious fact, that there is no authority which is competent to forbid 
the endowment of Seminaries at any time by any individuals in our con- 
nection. Those Theological Seminaries which are now independent of 
ecclesiastical control, were founded before the disruption, and endowed by 
men representing alike what are now known as Old- and New-School 
Churches. What was done then maybe repeated again. A recommenda- 
tion, looking to some uniformity of ecclesiastical supervision, is all which 
the Committee felt to be within their province or that of the Assembly ; 
except that those Seminaries, now belonging to either branch of the 
Church, should have every guarantee and protection for their chartered 
rights which they might desire. 

A new Article, here designated as the Tenth, has been introduced, in 
which some concession has been made on both sides, designed to reconcile 
conflicting claims and usages. Many churches and presbyteries, in both 
Assemblies, claim the right, as now expressed in formal vote, of pro- 









PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 75 

nouncing upon the expediency of admitting, to their own membership, 
those who bear testimonials from correlative bodies. One Assembly now 
makes this obligatory upon all the Presbyteries. The Committee recom- 
mend the recognition of the right, and the abolition of the imperative 
rule. As all difficulties springing from this cause had their origin in 
times of suspicion and distrust which, it is hoped, are passing away, it is 
believed that the whole matter may safely be left to adjust itself in a new 
era of confidence and harmony. In this connection, however, the Com- 
mittee would particularly refer to the next Article (No. 11), which em- 
phasizes the duty of all our judicatories to study the things which make for 
peace, and earnestly recommends to the Presbyteries to conform to earlier 
and more ancient usages. The examination of ministers passing from 
one Presbytery to another is altogether unknown to the Presbyterian 
Churches of Scotland and Ireland ; nor was it originally practiced in our 
own. The extent of territory covered by the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States may have been one reason for another method, in later 
years, in our own country; but, inasmuch as the right and usage asserted 
and defended by some, and denied and discarded by others, were related 
to controversies w T hich are past, the Committee are confident that practical 
difficulties, from this quarter, will be obviated by the adoption of their 
entire action in the premises. Amid the diversified practices which now 
prevail as to the subject in both branches of the Church, this recommen- 
dation of the Committee was designed to allay, and not to promote dis- 
trust and suspicion. 

That some changes must be made in the present method and ratio of 
representation is apparent from the size of the two Assemblies. Differ- 
ences of opinion also have long existed in both branches, as to the powers 
and prerogatives of -the General Assembly as now exercised. Many are 
jealous and apprehensive lest these may transcend the limits of expedi- 
ency and constitutional law. Whether the proposed reunion would create 
the necessity of enlarging the authority of the local Synods and modifying 
somewhat the power and province of the General Assembly, is a subject 
upon which, as not having been referred to them, the Committees have 
not felt at liberty to make suggestions or to take action, beyond that of 
commending it to the attention of the two Assemblies, which they do in 
the following terms, to wit : 

"The Joint Committee recommend that each of the two General Assem- 
blies of 1868 appoint a Committee of five, to constitute a Joint Committee 
of ten, whose duty shall be to prepare and propose to the first General 
Assembly of the united Church a proper adjustment of the boundaries of 
Presbyteries and Synods. 

" This Committee shall also recommend to the General Assembly any 
amendments of the Constitution, which they may think necessary to se- 
cure efficiency and harmony in the administration of a Church so greatly 
enlarged and so rapidly extending." 

Thus have the Committee discharged the duty with which they were 
entrusted. Having acted to the best of their ability, according to all the 
wisdom they could command, their responsibility ceases. The grave ne- 
cessity of decisive action is now r devolved on the respective Assemblies 
and Presbyteries of the Church. That this responsibility transcends what 
ordinarily occurs in the life of men, no one will question. 

The union contemplated in this report is one based on " mutual confi- 
dence and love." The Committees are aware that they have personally 
enjoyed peculiar opportunities, in the way of intimate fraternal inter- 
course, for the cultivation and expression of these Christian sentiments. 



76 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Whatever differences may exist among themselves on subordinate matters, 
they have come to rest in mutual confidence concerning that which is of 
paramount importance. If the same sentiment prevails throughout the 
whole Church, organic union cannot be prevented ; if it should prove to 
be wanting, no technical formulas, no cautious definitions, no well-guarded 
conditions, can produce union of any value or permanence. There is a 
so-called unity, which is like the freezing together into one solid mass of 
all incongruous and heterogeneous substances. Such icy compression is 
undesirable. There is another unity, which the Holy Ghost has com- 
pared to the living " body fitly joined together, and compacted by that 
which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the 
measure of every part," making " increase of the body unto the edifying 
of itself in love" Such is the Divine model of ecclesiastical Union, com- 
bining diversity and harmony, liberty and love, and the whole instinct with 
life, and predestined to growth and perfection. Love demands few con- 
ditions, and confidence builds on something better than verbal guarantees. 
Your Committee have never expected to reconcile all local interests, all 
private preferences, all personal memories and prejudices. Content are 
they, if the Articles of Agreement, herewith reported and recommended, 
approve themselves to the thoughtful and judicious in both branches of 
the Church, as suited to promote, not the advantage of any school or sect, 
but the healthful vigor of the entire Church, the prosperity of the whole 
country, the honor of our adorable Lord. 

We make no computation of majorities and minorities, in the united 
Church, as related to past distinctions. We recognize no such idea as one 
body absorbing the other ; our whole action is based on the principle of 
two bodies, now independent and equal, becoming assimilated and fused 
together in cordial " agreement as to doctrine, order, and polity, on the 
basis of our common standards, and the prevalence of mutual confidence 
and love." In such a sublime act, something must be trusted to the 
power of Christian sentiment; something left to be accomplished by faith 
in one another, as well as in our common Lord. Signs are visible in 
every quarter of increased confidence among Christian churches and min- 
isters, long separated by ecclesiastical differences, now yearning for more 
of unity. As well might we deny the return of Spring and the putting 
forth of buds and the tender grass, as question this obvious fact. Do not 
events indicate a Divine Leadership which it is our wisdom to observe 
and obey? Results have already been reached, under Pentecostal effusions 
of the Spirit from on high, surpassing the most sanguine expectations, re- 
buking unbelief, dissolving prejudice, and betokening greater things to 
come. Some things must be referred to the past. If we face the sun, our 
shadows are behind us. "Let the dead bury their dead." It is our Lord 
himself who teaches us, that all which is personal and private should be 
held subordinate to the claims and affinities of his kingdom. What was 
tolerated once may not be justified now. The future cheers and animates 
us with brightest prospects. The voice of the Son of God rebukes the 
weakness and wickedness of schism, and enjoins the unity of faith and 
love. Hope anticipates the time when, every dissension healed and for- 
gotten by Christian charity, all branches of the Presbyterian Church, in 
all sections of our common country, holding the same Standards, shall be 
drawn together by patriotic and evangelical sympathies in cordial and 
indissoluble union. Glorious things are promised to the Church, "in the 
day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the 
stroke of their wound." 

Surely it will be for good and not evil, for joy and not sorrow, for 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 77 

strength and not weakness, if henceforth our rule shall be "One body and 
one spirit, even as 'we' are called in one hope of 'our' calling. One Lord, 
one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and 
through all and in 'us' all." 

" Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that 
we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be 
glory in the Church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without 
end, Amen !" Signed by order of the Committee, 

Charles C. Beatty, Chairman. — 1868, pp. 669-677, O. S. 
William Adams, Chairman. — 1868, pp. 26-38, N. S. 

a. The terms of Reunion, thus proposed by the Joint Committee, were 
" approved" by the O. S. Assembly and sent down to the Presbyteries for 
their action by a vote of Aves 188, Nays 70. Excused 1. — 1868, p. 
628, O. S. 

It was also, on motion of Judge Leavitt, 

Resolved, 1. That the report of the Joint Committee on the basis of the 
union of the two branches of the Church now made, be, and the same is 
hereby, accepted, and the terms of Reunion are hereby approved by this 
Assembly ; and it is ordered that the whole be sent down to the Presby- 
teries for their final action upon said terms of Reunion. 

Resolved, 2. That the Presbyteries be requested to report to the Stated 
Clerk their action approving or disapproving the proposed basis of union, 
before the meeting of the Assembly in 1869. 

Resolved, 3. That the Stated Clerk be directed to cause to be printed, 
at an early day, five thousand copies of the entire report of the Joint Com- 
mittee, at the expense of the Board of Publication, for distribution to the 
ministers and sessions of the churches. — 1868, p. 631, O. S. 

b. In the N. S. Assembly on the consideration of the report of a special 
Committee, recommending the approval of terms of Reunion as above : It 
was — 

Resolved, That, before proceeding to take the vote upon the report of 
the Special Committee of Reunion, the roll be called, that any member 
may express his dissent from any article of the proposed terms of Reunion, 
and that such dissent be entered on the record. 

In accordance with this action, the roll was called, and the following 
members expressed their dissent from the 2d and 10th articles of the Basis 
proposed by the Joint Committee on Reunion, namely : the Rev. Henry A. 
Nelson, D. D., Rev. Timothy Hill, and Elder Jason Yurann ; Elder Eli R. 
Miller expressed his dissent from the 2d article ; and the following mem- 
bers expressed their dissent from the 10th article, namely : Ministers, Wil- 
liam Waith, T. Ralston Smith, D. D., William T. Eva, Joseph Vance, 
Frederick A. Noble, William A. McCorkle, Ira M. Weed, Charles S. 
Adams, C. Solon Armstrong, Henry B. Eldred, Warren Taylor, David E. 
Beach, Edward D. Morris, D. D., A. Alexander Jimeson, Evan L. Davies, 
Charles H. Marshall, Henry S. Little, John B. Fowler, George Duffield, 
Jr., George M. Jenks, Robert W. Patterson, D. D., Arthur Swazey, John 
H. Walker, George D. Young, John M. Brown, and Thomas Brown ; and 
the Elders, Hon. Frederick H. Hastings, Merrill N. Hutchinson, Samuel 
T. Bodine, Daniel B. Greene, Matthew Newkirk, Daniel S. Beaver, and 
John de Clue. 

The report of the Special Committee was then taken up, amended, and 
unanimously adopted. The Rev. Robert W. Patterson, D. D., the Rev. Ar- 
thur Swazey, the Rev. J. Ambrose Wight, and Elder Richard Edwards 
were excused from voting. — 1868, pp. 25, 26, N. S. 



78 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

[The above vote approved of the "proposed terms of Reunion between 
the two branches of the Presbyterian Church, in the United States of 
America," as also of the report of the Special Committee, viz. :] 

Resolved, That this Committee recommend to the General Assembly 
the approval of the proposed terms of Reunion as given on pages 8, 9, 
and 10 of the report, and also the article on page 14, with the accom- 
panying interpretations and explanations of the Joint Committee, and that 
the same be sent down as an overture to our Presbyteries. 

24. Report of the Special Committee (N. S.) on the foregoing Report. 

The Committee to whom was referred the Report of the General Com- 
mittee on Reunion, respectfully make their report : — 

This Report of the General Committee of this Assembly contains the 
" Terms and Recommendations " for Reunion, as the Report of the Joint 
Committee of both Assemblies, and which " Terms and Recommenda- 
tions " have manifestly been most carefully prepared, are clear in state- 
ment, comprehensive of the whole subject of Reunion, and present a plain 
and intelligible basis on which the divided portions of the Presbyterian 
Church in the United States may again stand together. Summarily, the 
basis is as follows : The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments ; the 
Confession of Faith as a System of Doctrine, and this to be received in 
the Reformed or Calvinistic sense ; and the allowance of philosophical 
views and explanatory statements in the united Church which do not im- 
pair the integrity of the Calvinistic system. To these particulars, as the 
substance of the basis, other "Terms and Recommendations " are given, 
which may be considered as complementary to the former ; and on this 
ground it is proposed that the two bodies again become permanently one. 

To these " Terms and Recommendations," the Report of the General 
Committee of this Assembly appends, as prefatory, such historic and ex- 
planatory statements " as may serve to convey to others the facts and 
motives which proved of such weight to themselves ;" and also, as supple- 
mentary, a very clear and full comment on the body of the " Terms and 
Recommendations" contained in the Joint Committee's Report. The 
General Committee of the other Assembly append also, in their report to 
that body, the same comments and statements to these same joint " Terms 
and Recommendations." These appended statements and comments, it is 
understood, have been personally signed or expressly assented to by nearly 
all the members of the Joint Committee. This is deemed to be a very 
valuable and important part of the Report which has been put into our 
hands, constituting an official and authoritative exposition of the meaning 
of the " Terms and Recommendations," and which exposition is given as 
clearly and conclusively as language can be used to explain language. It 
must preclude the practicability of any judicial application of the "Terms 
and Recommendations" beyond the meaning here affixed to them by the 
authors themselves. Though not the covenant itself of Reunion, it is a 
direct official interpretation of it, and such that any attempt to override 
it would be repelled by all the force of virtuous Christian indignation 
throughout the religious world. 

While the basis of Reunion, given in these " Terms and Recommenda- 
tions," may hopefully be expected to be found acceptable and even satis- 
factory to most of the members of both Branches of the Church, it has 
already become manifest that it is not acceptable to all. Difficulties and 
objections, of probably opposite bearings, will be found in the different 
divisions of the Church ; but it is of importance here to us, that we re- 
cognize only such as it may be apprehended will be felt and urged in our 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 79 

own body. Among the most prominent will be, doubtless, found a meas- 
ure of hesitation and difficulty from objections somewhat in the following 
form : 

" Various methods of viewing, stating, explaining, and illustrating the 
doctrines of the ' Confession of Faith ' are to be freely allowed in the 
united Church, as they have hitherto been allowed in the separate 
churches," only they must "not impair the integrity of the Calvinistic 
system." And now, w 7 ho shall decide whether the views do impair the 
integrity of the system ? if there be a strenuous and rigid umpire, such 
will doubtless be found intolerant of opinions and interpretations contrary 
to its own. A mind cautious and jealous of all encroachment on religious 
liberty will doubt, and in proportion to his fears, he will hesitate or object. 

But is the danger here really formidable? Admit the majority of the 
ecclesiastical body must decide ; but, in the way the members of our Pres- 
byteries now will have their standing in the united Church then, will they 
be unsafe and exposed to oppression ? Aside from the manifest liberality, 
and confidence, and love, which there must be in the members of the op- 
posite branch before three quarters of its Presbyteries shall vote us to- 
gether, there are these quite impregnable safeguards. The man whose 
sentiments do not violate the Calvinistic system cannot be hurt. And if 
the fear still is that, in the opinion of the judicatory, the sentiment may 
be in violation of the integrity of the Calvinistic system, and that this 
opinion of the judicatory must rule, the answer at once is, not the judi- 
catory on its own opinion, but the judicatory as convinced that the oppo- 
site Branch of the Church has allowed or not allowed the sentiment to be 
in consonance with the Calvinistic system. If the man is not out of the 
pale of his former church's orthodoxy, he cannot be in danger from any 
ecclesiastical court's rigidity or bigotry. 

Danger from this cannot be further pressed without directly questioning 
the candor and honesty of the judicatory, and then we are at once beyond 
all Christian redress or regulation. 

Another difficulty is with the churches that have their standing on the 
Plan of Union. They are to stand in the United Body as they now stand 
in the New T School Body. They are, however, to be counseled, and ex- 
pected to become thoroughly Presbyterian. So far there is no appre- 
hension of complaint. But they are to be counseled and expected to do 
this " as early, within the period of five years, as is permitted by the high- 
est interests to be consulted ;" and in this there is fear of injury. Why 
specify five years? The inference prompted by the fear is, that such 
churches, remaining after the five years' counseling, are to be excluded. 
But such inference is wholly gratuitous. The five years is put to give 
earnestness to the counsel and definiteness to the expectation. Counsel to 
become thoroughly Presbyterian, and expectation that it will so be at a 
period running beyond five years, would be weakness. If this cannot be 
gained within that time, both counsel and expectation may there cease. 
This is as long as self-respect in the counselor will allow oi' his working 
and waiting. 

But what if all this fails, and some of these churches stand still on the 
old Plan of Union? The answer is, that though the inviolable agreement 
still allows them the same standing in the United Body, yet that no more 
such churches are to be organized, and these few will not greatly trouble 
us, nor will they probably long desire to maintain their partial connection 
with the Presbyterian Church. 

One other source of apprehended difficulty only need now be men- 
tioned. It is in the expressed agreement " that the Presbyteries possess 



80 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

the right to examine Ministers applying for admission from " another 
Presbytery. The position from which the objection comes is that the 
Presbyterian Church is a confederate body, and the confederacy is a unit, 
and membership in one place, with fair paper of transfer, confers the right 
of membership in all places in the confederacy. This is doubtless safe 
practice and principle in all ordinary cases. But extremities become often 
necessities. 

And now, suppose we take this doctrine of previous examination in 
cases of last extremities, or even suppose it to be held as very commonly 
allowable, what danger of oppression is there? Let the examination be 
as common or as rigid as it may, the judicatory can do nothing against 
the man who is still within the pale of orthodoxy, according to the allow- 
ance of the old body with which he is in sympathy. The united Church 
is to fellowship the orthodoxy of both the present Churches. 

Considerations like these induce your Committee to the conviction that, 
if the " Terms and Recommendations" are not all that one would wish, 
and even in some things are what one would wish they were not, .yet, at 
the worst, they are not open to an oppressive or a dangerous use. There 
is a defence erected over which nothing but dishonesty can come to work 
us harm. The blessing of union, so accomplished, need not be feared as 
if about to be counterbalanced by coming injuries. 

But on the other hand, your Committee are convinced that there is not 
only danger of losing the possibility of Reunion, but of incurring very 
hazardous and perhaps ruinous results if the action be longer delayed. 
Should modifications be proposed, or conditions and new explanations be 
voted by ourselves, besides the certain distrust and jealousy promoted, 
there will inevitably be the meeting of this by counter-modifications, con- 
ditions, and explanations, and we shall run at once into the temper and 
spirit of theological controversy. The heart of brotherly unity will be 
wounded, alienated, and abandoned by both sides. 

Should we determine to postpone action till another year, many of the 
churches will not delay. They will come together desultorily and more 
or less disorderly. Others will seek other connections, and confusion and 
disintegration will in wide regions ensue. The conviction of the import- 
ance of Reunion and the hope of its possession have been stricken too deeply 
into the heart of the churches to be now checked in safety. Even with 
much doubt of the wisdom of some of the " Terms and Recommenda- 
tions," your Committee deem it best that the matter go down to the Pres- 
byteries for their decision. Divisions and alienations among ourselves 
will be best precluded by letting the grand issue be at once decided. — 1868, 
pp. 38-41, N. S. 

25. Subsequently to the action of the O. S. Assembly approving of 
the proposed plan — 

a. Dr. Monfort moved the following as an addition to the action of the 
Assembly on this subject, and it was adopted. 

Resolved, 4. While the Assembly has approved of the report of the 
Joint Committee on Reunion, it expresses its preference for a change in 
the first item in the basis, leaving out the following words, viz., " It being 
understood that the Confession is received in its historical — that is, the 
Calvinistic or Reformed sense. It is also understood that various methods 
of viewing, stating, explaining and illustrating the doctrines of the Con- 
fession, which do not impair the integrity of the Reformed or Calvinistic 
system, are to be freely allowed in the united Church, as they have hith- 
erto been in the separate churches." The Assembly believes that, by 






PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 81 

omitting these clauses, the basis will be more simple and more expressive 
of mutual confidence, and the Permanent Clerk is directed to telegraph 
this proposed amendment to the Assembly at Harrisburg, and if that 
Assembly shall concur in the amendment, it shall become of effect as the 
action of this Assembly also. 

The Assembly also appoints the Rev. C. C. Beatty, D. D., Rev. V. D. 
Reed, D. D., and ruling elders Robert Carter and Henry Day, a Commit- 
tee to proceed at once to Harrisburg and personally to lay this action 
before the other Assembly.— 1868, p. 631, O. S. 

This Committee proceeded to Harrisburg, and after conference the 
following paper was adopted by the N. S. Assembly, viz. : 

b. The Assembly has heard with profound satisfaction, and reciprocates 
with cordial fellowship, the statement of the Delegation from the General 
Assembly at Albany about the plan of Reunion. 

In respect, however, to the proposition for a change in Article 1st, as 
our Assembly is on the eve of an adjournment and greatly reduced in 
numbers — 

Resolved, That we regret that no action can now be had upon this sub- 
ject, as it cannot, according to our rules, be reconsidered and amended at 
the present sessions of the assembly ; nor can the proposed amendment be 
now sent down to our Presbyteries in such a form as that its adoption 
would be of any legal effect. 

Resolved, That the Committee of Fifteen on Reunion be continued, and 
that the other Assembly be requested to appoint a similar Committee, to 
co-operate with this, in furnishing such information as they may deem 
best to the churches, in order to secure intelligent action on the subject 
of Reunion.— 1868, p. 59, N. S. 

26. [In the Assembly, O. S.] 
" The Committee to prepare an answer to the protest of Dr. E. P. Hum- 
phrey and others, reported an answer, which was read and adopted, and 
ordered to be entered on the Minutes. The Protest and Answer are as 
follows . 

a. PROTEST. 

The undersigned respectfully request that the following protest be entered upon 
the Minutes of the Assembly. 

We do not now protest against the reunion of the two branches of our Church ; 
nor against the measures inaugurated for the accomplishment of that object, but sim- 
ply against the Terms of Union approved by the Assembly, and its action in relation 
to them. 

The first article of the plan proposes that " the Reunion shall be effected on the 
doctrinal and ecclesiastical basis of our common standards," . . . "it being under- 
stood that various methods of viewing, stating, explaining, and illustrating the doc- 
trines of the Confession, which do not impair the integrity of the Reformed or Cal- 
vinistic system, are to be freely allowed in the united Church as they have been hith- 
erto allowed in the separate churches." 

Under this term of the compact, we shall be bound to allow all those forms of doc- 
trine which the New School Church has hitherto allowed. 

This interpretation, the article in question will, in our judgment, fairly admit, it 
is so interpreted by the other party to the contract ; and it is so understood by the 
public. 

We protest against its adoption, first, because it utterly unsettles our standard of 
doctrine. That standard ceases to be the system of doctrine contained in our Con- 
fession, but that system as interpreted by the New School Church in their past his- 
tory. Secondly, because that article binds us to approve of doctrines which our Gen- 
eral Assembly has formally condemned. 

We distinctly disavow any intention of imputing error in doctrine to the masH o( 
our New School brethren. With equal distinctness and earnestness we disavow any 
impeachment of their sincerity or integrity. We only say that they regard as con- 
11 



82 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

sistent with our standards, forms of doctrine which our branch of the Church has 
officially, earnestly, and constantly condemned. What those are, may be learned by 
a reference to the Minutes of the Assembly of 1837, by which they were condemned. 
Some of the more important of the errors there specified or implied are: 

1. The denial of original righteousness. It is assumed that moral character pre- 
supposes moral conduct, and therefore, that there can be no moral character prior to 
moral action ; consequently it cannot be true that man was created after the image of 
God, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. 

2. As it regards our relation to our first parents, it is denied that there was any 
covenant made with Adam ; that all mankind descending from him by ordinary gen- 
eration, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. On the contrary, 
it is maintained that every man stands or falls for himself. 

3. As to original sin, while it may be admitted that men are depraved by nature, 
and come into the world with a bias to sin, it is denied that there is anything of the 
nature of sin, or any desert of condemnation, until there is the personal and volun- 
tary violation of known law. On this subject our standards teach, in accordance with 
the Scriptures, and with the faith of every historical church in Christendom, that the 
inherent, hereditary corruption of nature derived from Adam is truly and properly 
sin. This great doctrine is the foundation of the whole plan of redemption, and is 
professed and symbolized in every act of infant baptism. 

4. In reference to the inability of sinners, it is taught that the distinction between 
moral, natural, and gracious ability is worthless. Inability of any kind is inconsist- 
ent with moral obligation. 

5. It is taught that regeneration is the sinner's own act. It consists either in the 
change of his governing purpose, or in the choice of God, instead of the world, as 
the source of happiness. It is not the act of God, because God cannot effectually 
control the acts of free agents. He cannot prevent sin, or the present amount of sin, 
.in a moral system. He can enlighten, persuade, and remonstrate ; he can use all the 
•means of moral suasion ; but he cannot efficaciously or certainly determine the will. 
He, in fact, does all he can do (consistently with their liberty) to convert all who 
.hear the gospel. This is in direct contradiction to the Scriptures and to our stand- 
ards, which teach that regeneration is effected by the mighty power of God, analogous 
to the power which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and 
therefore, that the action of the Spirit in regeneration is sovereign, certainly effica- 
cious, and irresistible. 

6. Election to life is not founded on the mere good pleasure of God. He elects 
those whom he foresees he can persuade to repent and believe. 

7. While it is admitted that the work of Christ may be called a- satisfaction to the 
law and justice of God, if by justice we understand a benevolent regard to the intents 
■of his moral government, it is denied that it was a satisfaction to distributive or vin- 
dicatory justice. It is denied that his sufferings were penal, or vicarious in the estab- 
lished sense of that word, securing the salvation of none, but simply rendering the 
salvation of some possible. They were not judicially inflicted, so that those to whom 
the merit of his obedience and death is imputed, are free from the demands of justice 
and become righteous in the sight of the law. 

8. Justification, according to our standards, is an act of God's free grace, wherein 
he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the right- 
eousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone. This is denied. In 
what is called justification, nothing more occurs than when the executive pardons a 
criminal, and that criminal is restored to his civil rights. He is not declared just. 
There is no imputation to him of righteousness. There is no pretence that he has 
satisfied the demands of the law. This error, therefore, involves the denial of the 
essential idea of justification as presented in our standards. 

We are far from believing or insinuating that these doctrines are generally ap- 
proved by the New School Church. We have no doubt they are repudiated by many 
in that Church, as sincerely as they are by us. But they are allowed by them, as 
consistent with the system of doctrine contained in our Confession. This fact is no- 
torious. It is confessed and avowed. These doctrines have been for years, matters 
of public discussion. They have been taught in some of the Theological Seminaries 
of our land. Students from those Seminaries, professing these errors, are freely ad- 
mitted into the New. School Presbyteries. Men of the highest eminence in the other 
branch of the Church, teach them publicly from the pulpit and the press. They are 
contained, more or less of them, and some of the most serious, in books and tracts 
issvued by the Publication Committee of the New School body. They are openly 
avowed in some of the periodicals sustained by the ministers of that Church, and 
apologized for by others. These are not matters of speculation belonging to the 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 83 

School?, but concern doctrine 5 ? taught in the catechism, and presumed to be known 
even by the children of the Church. 

There are other points in the proposed terms of union, to which we have strong 
objection, which, out of regard to the pressure on the time of the Assembly, we ab- 
stain from mentioning. There are two provisions of the plan, however, which we 
cannot overlook. In the eighth article it is provided, that publications of the New 
School Committee of Publication " shall continue to be issued as at present," until 
otherwise ordered. 

Although the whole Church cannot be justly held responsible for all the works 
issued by its Board, it becomes thus responsible when it deliberately sanctions their 
publication. Believing, as we do, that there are books published by the New School 
Committee, containing doctrines inconsistent with our Confession, we are constrained 
to protest against the sanction given to their publication. 

Again, in article fourth, it is provided that, " no rule or precedent, which does not 
stand approved by both bodies, shall be considered of any authority, until re-estab- 
lished in the united body, except in so far as such rule or precedent may affect the 
rights of property founded thereon." This unsettles to an indefinite degree our past 
acts and deliverances. It is well .known as one of the characteristic differences be- 
tween the two bodies, that the one holds a much higher doctrine as to the preroga- 
tives of church judicatories, than the other. The Congregational element, which, 
from the beginning, has so largely pervaded the New School branch, has naturally 
led our brethren in that branch to resist, in many cases, the exercise of powers which 
Old School men believe to belong, by Divine right, to the courts of the Church, and 
especially to the General Assembly. This being the case, Ave know not to what ex- 
tent we are renouncing our Presbyterian principles in the adoption of that article. 

We respectfully protest not only against the terms of union as they have been 
adopted by this house, but also against the action of the Assembly in regard to them. 

In our view the parties to this negotiation for Reunion are the two General Assem- 
blies. They were to endeavor to agree on the terms of union, and when agreed, to 
send them down to their respective Presbyteries. It cannot be supposed that our 
General Assembly intended so to tie its own hands, or so to strip itself of its most im- 
portant prerogatives, as to commit to any ten or fifteen men the work of deciding on 
what terms a union, confessedly so momentous in its consequences, should be con- 
summated ; reserving to the Assembly the poor prerogative of adopting those terms 
as a whole, or of rejecting them as a whole. The duty of the Joint Committee, in 
our judgment, was simply to confer among themselves as to the terms of union, and 
when agreed, to refer them to the two Assemblies for those bodies to consider, to mod- 
ify, to adopt some and not others, or to approve or reject the whole. In this way a 
basis mutually acceptable might have been intelligently adopted. Now we are in the 
dark. These terms admit of a two-fold construction. This Assembly may, and 
probably does, put one interpretation upon them ; and the New School Assembly an 
opposite one. Thus, if this plan be carried through, we shall be hurried into a union 
with cross purposes, which must inevitably result in the renewal of our former 
troubles. 

Instead of the Assembly taking this view of the case, no modification of the pro- 
posed terms was allowed. Amendment after amendment, to the number of six or 
eight, was summarily laid on the table without debate. These amendments were not 
offered in a factious spirit, or with the design of preventing Reunion, but with the 
honest purpose of putting the terms into a form in which, with a good conscience, 
they could be adopted by the Presbyteries which we represent. 

We regard this as a wrong done to the ministry, and a much more serious wrong to 
the churches. 

Under this head we specially protest against the laying the first amendment offered 
by the Rev. Dr. Humphrey upon the table without consideration. That amendment 
simply provided for fidelity to our former testimony against false doctrines. The 
action of the Assembly, however intended, we regard as a virtual renunciation of our 
former status, and as committing the Church, contrary to the Constitution which is 
and must continue to be binding on our conscience, to recognize as orthodox the 
errors which it has hitherto condemned. 

Grateful to God for the Christian spirit which, notwithstanding our conscientious 
differences, has characterized oar deliberations, we submit with all deference this our 
protest to the judgment of the Assembly and of the churches. 

J. I. Landes, H. S. Morrison, T. S." C. Smith, Moses Hvde, Daniel C. Wisner, 
Joseph Peirce, William T. Carr, A. A. Hodge, Owen RiedV, D. \\\ Woods, S. T. 
Thompson, J. S. Clayton, William T. Hendren, Henry Fulton, Charles E. Vail, 
James V. A. Shields, "George Junkin, Jr., John Chester,". E. L. Belden, 11. N. Brins- 



84 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

made, Edward P. Humphrey, Charles Hodge, R. J. Breckinridge, John C. Backus, 
H. L. Doolittle, George Hill, Robert Carothers, R. M. Wallace, James F. Kennedy, 
Asahel Munsen, George J. Reed, Alexander Rankin, Benjamin F. Avery, Samuel 
Wherritt, Charles Crosby, Samuel Fisher, S. J. Milliken, James M. Shields, J. C. 
Barr, J. A. Neil, J. M. Reid, John C. Rhea, Watson Russell, John K. Find lay, L. P. 
Stone, William Rankin, Jr., A. Van der Lippe, J. R. Findley, Charles G. Milnor, L. 
J. Halsey, Eliphalet Wood, E. B. Miller, Adam Craig, J. A. Cornelison, William B. 
Canfield, Robert Scott, F. B. Hodge, James Smith. 

b. ANSWER TO THE PROTEST. 
In reply to the Protest against its action on the Terms of Union, the 
Assembly observes : 

The authors of the Protest first speak of a series of doctrinal errors and heresies, 
which may be concisely stated as follows : (1.) There is no moral character in man 
prior to moral action, and therefore man was not created holy. (2.) There was no 
covenant made with Adam, his posterity did not fall with him, and every man stands 
or falls for himself. (3.) Original sin is not truly and properly sin bringing condem- 
nation, but only an innocent tendency leading to actual transgression. (4.) Inability 
of any and every kind is inconsistent with moral obligation. (5.) Regeneration is 
the sinner's own act, and consists in the change of his governing purpose. (6.) God 
cannot control the acts of free agents, and therefore cannot prevent sin in a moral 
system. (7.) Election is founded upon God's foreknowledge that the sinner will 
repent and believe. (8.) The sufferings of Christ are not penal, and do not satisfy 
retributive justice. (9.) Justification is pardon merely, and does not include resto- 
ration to favor and acceptance as righteous. 

These doctrinal errors the authors of the Protest are careful to say are repudiated 
by the great mass of the New School Church. They say that " they are far from be- 
lieving or insinuating that these doctrines are generally approved by the New School 
Church" — that "they do not impute these errors to a majority, or to any definite 
proportion of our New School brethren." 

The charge that is made in this Protest, and the only charge made in this refer- 
ence, is, that while the other branch of the Presbyterian Church repudiate these 
doctrines for themselves, they at the same time hold that they are consistent with the 
Calvinism of the Confession of Faith. The authors of the Protest allege that it is the 
judgment of the New School body that a person can logically and consistently accept 
the Westminster symbol and these nine or ten Pelagian and Arminian tenets at one 
and the same time. This is the substance of their charge. 

The Assembly pronounces this allegation to be without foundation, because: 

1. Such a position, if taken by the New School Church, or by any church whatso- 
ever, would simply be self-stultifying and absurd. That a great religious denomina- 
tion, which from the beginning of its organization in 1837, down to the present time, 
has held up the Westminster Confession as its symbol, has compelled every one of 
its ministers and elders to subscribe to that symbol, and has received its membership 
into church communion upon professing faith in the doctrines of that symbol; that 
an ecclesiastical body which has thus stood before the other churches of this and 
other lands as a Calvinistic body, and has been reckoned and recognized as such, 
should at the same time be jealous in behalf of the distinguishing doctrines of Pela- 
gianism and Arminianism, and insist that these latter are consistent with the former, 
and are to be tolerated in a Calvinistic body, is too much for human belief. The 
entire history of the Church does not present such a phenomenon as that of a denom- 
ination adopting before the world a definite type of doctrine, and at the same time 
claiming that exactly the contrary type of doctrine is compatible with it, and must 
be tolerated within its communion. If the New School Church are really doing what 
the signers of this Protest allege they are, then their position before the churches 
and the world would be as absurd as would have been the position of the Nicene 
Church if, at the very time that it adopted and defended the Trinitarianism of Atha- 
nasius, it had insisted that the tenets of Arius or those of the Humanitarians were 
consistent with those of the great father of orthodoxy, and must be allowed in the 
catholic Church. The human mind, even in its natural condition, never did work in 
this manner, and never will ; and still less will the human mind, when renewed and 
sanctified by divine grace, be guilty of such a palpable inconsistency. 

2. These very errors, charged by the signers of the Protest as allowed by the New 
School Presbyterians, have already been distinctly repudiated by them. The Auburn 
Convention, held in 1837 under the influence and doctrinal guidance of that excellent 
and sound divine, the late Dr. Richards, specified sixteen doctrinal errors, which 






PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 85 

contain the very same latitudinarian and heretical tenets mentioned in the Protest, 
rejected them in toto and set over against them sixteen " true doctrines," which em- 
brace all the fundamentals of the Calvinistic creed. This Assembly regards the 
"Auburn Declaration" as an authoritative statement of the New School type of Cal- 
vinism, and as indicating how far they desire to go, and how much liberty they wish 
in regard to what the Terms of Union call "the various modes of explaining, illus- 
trating, and stating" the Calvinistic faith. We believe that a large number of our 
New School brethren would prefer the modes of "explaining and illustrating" the 
tenets of Calvinism which are employed by the authors of this Protest themselves, 
and the other portions of the body claim only that degree of variation from these 
modes which would be represented by the theology of Eichards and the Auburn 
Declaration. 

The Assembly is fully satisfied that any instances of laxity of doctrine among the 
New School which have been exhibited, are exceptional cases, and that the great body 
of the other Church sincerely and firmly stand upon the basis of our common stand- 
ards. The many disclaimers of the unsound views charged, and declarations that 
the standards are received as by us, which have been made by distinguished and rep- 
resentative men, and in the periodicals of the New School Church, leave no room to 
doubt that the interests of sound doctrine will be safe in the united Church. 

4. That the allegation of this Protest is unfounded is proven by the fact that the 
New School Church have adopted, by a unanimous vote, the Basis of Doctrine pre- 
sented by the Joint Committee. Whatever may be the preferences and opinions of 
individuals respecting particular clauses in the first article in this basis, this General 
Assembly holds and affirms that it not only commits, but binds any ecclesiastical body 
that should receive it to pure and genuine Calvinism. It will be so understood by 
all the world. For it expressly lays down the Westminster symbol as the doctrinal 
platform, and expressly requires that no doctrine shall be taught that is not Calvin- 
istic in the old, ancestral, "historical" meaning of this term, or that "impairs the 
integrity" of the Calvinistic system. We affirm that there is not a man upon the 
globe, possessed of a sane mind, and acquainted with the subject of doctrine, who 
would assert that the list of errors and heresies mentioned by the signers of this Pro- 
test is "Calvinistic" in the accepted and historical signification of the term, or that 
their reception would not impair the integrity of the Calvinistic system. 

And it must be distinctly observed that if any doctrines had been hitherto allowed 
by the New School body which "impair the integrity of the Calvinistic system," they 
are not to be allowed in the united Church under the terms of union. Such doctrines 
are condemned, and any one who may teach them will be subject to discipline. It 
is the testimony of some of the protesters themselves that the great body of the New 
School are sound in doctrine ; our own body being the large majority in the union, 
when fortified by the accession of the great body of sound men in the other, will 
establish and confirm the testimony of the Church to the truth ; will preserve it, by 
God's help, from error, and maintain intact, while it extends, the purifying and 
saving power of our venerated Confession. 

5. The errors and heresies alleged in the Protest are combated and refuted in the 
Theological Seminaries of the New School. 

Such Seminaries, in any denomination, are important exponents of its doctrinal 
position and character. The Assembly knows that in the three Seminaries of our 
New School brethren, Westminster Calvinism is fully and firmly taught. The Pro- 
fessors in these are obliged to subscribe the Westminster Confession, and heretical 
teaching throws the Professor out of his chair by the very constitution of these Sem- 
inaries. The Assembly notices this point particularly, because the authors of the 
Protest assert that the doctrinal errors specified by them " have been taught in some 
of the Theological Seminaries of our land." This is not the proper manner in which 
to affix so grave and damaging a stigma upon our New School Presbyterian brethren. 
The authors of this Protest ought to have made this allegation, not in the way of in- 
sinuation, but by distinct assertion 'and proof. Many things are "taught in the The- 
ological Seminaries of our land" which are not taught in the Presbyterian Seminaries 
of the land, either New School or Old. 

_ 6. The Protest alleges it to be a "notorious fact" that the New School Church in- 
sists that the heresies mentioned are compatible with Calvinism. If the alleged fact 
had been so "notorious," as the Protest affirms, it would certainly have been known 
to this Assembly, and would have made it simply impossible to have secured for the 
Basis of the Joint Committee, or for any other conceivable basis, any favorable con- 
sideration. The idea of reunion would not have been entertained for a moment. 

Furthermore, this Assembly emphatically holds up to the Church and to the world, 
that it receives into its ministry and membership those who adopt " the system of 



86 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

doctrine taught in our Confession," and that it never has held, and does not now hold, 
that its ministers or members shall " view, state, or explain" that system in any other 
than the words of the Holy Scriptures and our standards ; and to show that this is 
the sentiment not only of the Assembly, but of the protesters themselves also, the 
Assembly here cites the testimony of one of the signers of the Protest, whose words 
have been referred to in the discussions just closed. Says Dr. Hodge : 

" If a man comes to us, and says he adopts ' the system of doctrine ' taught in our Con- 
fession, we have a right to ask him, 'Do you believe there are three persons in the 
Godhead — the Father, the Son, and the floly Ghost — and that these three are one 
God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory V If he says, Yes, we are sat- 
isfied. We do not call upon him to explain how three persons are one God, or to 
determine what relations in the awful mysteries of the Godhead are indicated by the 
terms Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. If we ask, Do you believe that ' God created 
man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness and holiness, 
with dominion over the creatures?' and he answers, Yes, we are satisfied. If he says 
he believes that 'the covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for 
his posterity, all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in 
him, and fell with him, in his first transgression/ we are satisfied. If he says that 
he believes that 'the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell consists in the guilt 
of Adam's first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his 
whole nature, which is commonly called original sin, together with all actual trans- 
gressions which proceed from it/ we are satisfied. If he says, ' Christ executes the 
office of a priest in his once offering himself a sacrifice to satisfy Divine justice, and 
reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us;' we are satisfied. 
If he says he believes justification to be ' an act of God's free grace, wherein he 
pardonetli all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the right- 
eousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone/ we are satisfied. Is not 
this what is meant when a man says he adopts our ' system of doctrine'? Is not this 
— nothing more and nothing less — that which we are authorized and bound to re- 
quire? God grant that we may unite on terms so simple, so reasonable, and, I must 
hope, so satisfactory to every sincere, humble, Christian brother." — [Remarks of the 
Rev. Charles Hodge, D. D., in the Philadelphia Convention.) 

The Assembly cannot enlarge the basis beyond the platform of God's truth as 
stated in our standards, and it would not narrow the basis by taking one tittle from 
the form of sound words therein contained. We declare our willingness to unite 
with all those who profess their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and their adoption of 
"the Confession of Faith and Form of Government" of our beloved Church. 

The protesters object to the eighth item of the Basis, because it makes the united 
Church responsible for the publications of the New School Committee. This is a 
misapprehension. The publications of the New School Committee and our Board 
are to be issued as now, with the imprint of each, until the new Board shall prepare 
a new catalogue, for which alone the united Church will be responsible. 

Again, the protesters object to the fourth article as unsettling past acts of our 
Church. This is a matter of necessity where the action of the two bodies differs. It 
is believed, however, that except in the case of the imperative clause of the examina- 
tion ride of 1837, no important difference can be found. If it is otherwise, the 
united Church is the proper body to establish its own usages. We do not believe 
that our brethren of the New School Church have now any sympathy with Congrega- 
tional views of government, or any objection to usages that are strictly Presbyterian. 

The various amendments proposed by the protesters were laid on the table, not be- 
cause they were contrary to the sentiment of the Assembly, but because, under the 
circumstances, it was not possible to engraft them upon the terms of the union, and, 
in the judgment of the Assembly, they were not essential to the integrity of the Cal- 
vinistic basis on which the union is to be effected. 

Win. G. T. Shedd, J. G. Monfort, S. Irenaeus Prime, H. H. Leavitt, Robert Mc- 
Knight, Committee.— 1869, pp. 658-665, O. S. 

27- Answer of the Presbyteries to overtures on Reunion. 

To the overtures on Reunion, the following answers were received, as 
reported by the Stated Clerks of the two Assemblies, respectively, viz. : 

a. Of the Old School. 

One hundred and forty-three Presbyteries have been entitled to vote 
on the overtures sent down by the last General Assembly. Three fourths 



PEELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 87 

of these, required in the terms of the Basis for Reunion, must be one hun- 
dred and eight. The whole number of answers received, according to 
the constitutional mode of sending them up, is one hundred and ten. 
These are almost as much diversified in form as in number ; and in many 
instances, the same Presbytery has sent two or three answers, unlike each 
other, if not irreconcilable, indicating an unsettled and fluctuating judg- 
ment, which is, probably, without a parallel in the history of our Church. 
Often, also, the particular vote is reported revealing a "large minority ; in 
some instances almost equal to the majority itself. 

Although the mass of the returns would seem to defy analysis, the fol- 
lowing attempt to classify them is respectfully submitted, as near enough, 
perhaps, to satisfy the purpose of the Assembly : 

Thirty-eight Presbyteries have approved of the Basis ; but all of them, 
with only one exception — Susquehanna — express, also, either willingness or 
preference for union on the Standards alone. They are Albany, Allegheny, 
Allegheny City, Buffalo City, Chicago, Chillicothe, Cincinnati, Columbus, 
Connecticut, Crawfordsville, Des Moines, Erie, Findlay, Holston, Kaskas- 
kia, Londonderry, Luzerne, Madison, Marion, Miami, Michigan, Missouri 
River, Muhlenberg, Muncie, Nashville, Neosho, New Albany, Raritan, 
Sidney, Southwest Missouri, Steubenville, Stockton, Susquehanna, Topeka, 
Troy, Vinton, White Water, and Wooster. 

Against the Basis are, first, those that make exception to it while other- 
wise approving ; the exception being generally to the qualifying clauses in 
the first article. These are, Carlisle, Corisco, Elizabethtown, Fairfield, 
Logansport, New Orleans, New York Second, Oxford, Peoria, Richland, 
Saltsburg, Schuyler, Western Reserve, and West Virginia ; fourteen in 
number. 

The next class are those Presbyteries which reject the Basis with formal 
expression, as a whole ; and indicate, in some one of many different ways, 
a willingness or desire to unite on the basis of the Standards alone, in 
doctrine, polity, and worship, without qualification. They are, Benicia, 
Blairsville, Bloomington, Bureau, Burlington, Chippewa, Clarion, Donegal, 
Dubuque, Ebenezer, Frankville, Fort Wayne, Highland, Huntingdon, 
Lafayette, Leavenworth, Maumee, Monmouth, Nassau, New Brunswick, 
New Castle, New Lisbon, Newton, New York, North River, Northumber- 
land, Ohio, Oregon,. Passaic, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Central, Philadel- 
phia Second, Potosi, Rochester City, Santa Fe, St. Clairsville, St. Louis, 
Siam, Vincennes, Warren, Washington, West Jersey, and Winnebago ; 
forty-three in number. 

The third classification against the Basis consists of Presbyteries that 
express no wish for Union, at present, on any specified Basis ; but with 
much variety, also, in the greater or less unwillingness indicated. These 
are, Concord, Dane, Genesee River, Hudson, Iowa, Lewes, Lodiana, Long- 
Island, Louisville, Paducah, Potomac, Transylvania, Upper Missouri, 
West Lexington, and Zaneville ', fifteen in number. 

If we count against it, also, the thirty-three Presbyteries which have 
not answered regularly at all, there is an aggregate of one hundred and 
five in rejecting the Basis ; the great majority of these, however, indicating 
plainly a desire for Reunion, on terms that will not override the Confession 
of Faith with any special stipulations. 

Another peculiarity in most of these answers is, deliverance on a ques- 
tion which was not sent down to the Presbyteries at all, by the General 
Assembly, viz., Whether the General Assembly should be authorized to 
consummate Reunion with the other Branch on a different basis from that 
which was overtured, without sending this also down to the Presbyteries? 



88 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

This different basis, though mentioned with great variety of formula, is 
the Standards of the Presbyterian Church, without qualification. The 
Presbyteries favoring immediate consummation by the General Assem- 
bly are not agreed among themselves that the Assembly really has this 
power, and many of them submit the question doubtfully and conditionally. 
They are the following, viz., Albany, Buffalo City, Chicago, Chillicothe, 
Cincinnati, Connecticut, Des Moines, Dubuque, Erie, Highland, Lafayette, 
Leavenworth, Luzerne., Madison, Marion, Maumee, Miami, Missouri River, 
Monmouth, Muhlenberg, Nassau, Neosho, New Lisbon, New Orleans, New 
York, New York Second, Ohio, Peoria, Philadelphia Central, Raritan, 
Richland, Schuyler, Sidney, Southwest Missouri, Steubenville, Topeka, 
Vinton, Warren, Washington, West Jersey, and Wooster ; forty-one in 
number. 

But against such consummation the following Presbyteries have declared 
themselves ; some of them, because it is inexpedient, and others, with 
solemn protest, because it is unconstitutional. They are, Blairsville, 
Bloomington, Bureau, Burlington, Concord, Dane, Donegal, Ebenezer, 
Genesee River, Hudson, Huntingdon, Iowa, Lewes, Louisville, Michigan, 
New Brunswick, New Castle, Newton, North River, Northumberland, 
Paducah, Philadelphia, Potomac, Potosi, St. Clairsville, Transylvauia, 
Western Reserve, West Lexington, Winnebago, and Zanesville ; thirty in 
number. 

Adding to these the Presbyteries which are silent on the subject, 
whether answering or not the overture sent down, we have an aggregate 
against consummation by the General Assembly itself of one hundred and 
three. 

Another deliverance, on a question not overtured by the Assembly, is 
made by seven Presbyteries, to the effect that they are willing to dispense 
with the tenth article of the Basis, respecting the right of examination, 
for the sake of consummating the Reunion. These are, Allegheny City, 
Cincinnati, Kaskaskia, Miami, Nashville, Washington, and Wooster. — 
1869, pp. 947, 948, O. S. 

b. Of the New School. 

The Special Committee appointed to collate the answers of the Presby- 
teries to the Overture on the subject of Reunion sent down to them by 
order of the last Assembly, respectfully report: That the following 
Presbyteries have expressed their approval, giving their consent to the 
Reunion of the two branches of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States, on the basis proposed by the Joint Committee of thirty, and ap- 
proved by the two Assemblies meeting in May, 1868, respectively, in 
Albany, N. Y., and Harrisburg, Pa., viz.: — Champlain, Troy, Albany, 
Columbia, Catskill, St. Lawrence, Watertown, Oswego, Utica, Onondaga, 
Cayuga, Cortland, Tioga, Geneva, Steuben, Chemung, Ithaca, Wellsbor- 
ough, Lyons, Otsego, Chenango, Delaware, Buffalo, Ontario, Rochester, 
Genesee, Niagara, Genesee Valley, Hudson, North River, Long Island, 
New York 3d, New York 4th, Brooklyn, Newark, Rockaway, Montrose, 
Wilmington, Philadelphia 3d, Philadelphia 4th, Harrisburg, Erie, Mead- 
ville, Pittsburg, Monroe, Marshall, Kalamazoo, Coldwater, Lansing, Grand 
River, Huron, Trumbull, Cleveland and Portage, Athens, Pataskala, 
Franklin, Scioto, Cincinnati, Ripley, Dayton, Hamilton, Salem, Madison, 
Indianapolis, Green Castle, Crawfordsville, St. Joseph, Logansport, Fort 
Wayne, Illinois, Schuyler, Wabash, Alton, Ottawa, Knox, Bloomington, 
Milwaukie, Fox River, Columbus, Lake Superior, Des Moines, Keokuk, 






PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 89 

Iowa City, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Omaha, Mankato, Minnesota, Dakota, 
St. Louis, Osage, Lexington, Kansas, Union, Holston, San Francisco, 
Northern Missouri, Nevada, San Jose, and Humboldt. In all 100. 

The following Presbyteries have answered the overture in the negative : 
District of Columbia, Detroit, Washtenaw, Chicago. — 4. 

The Committee also report, for the information of the Assembly, the 
action of its Presbyteries on the general subject of Reunion in the follow- 
ing particulars : First, the Presbyteries assenting to the amending of the 
Basis by the omission, first, of that part of the Basis in the first article 
which begins with the words "it being understood," and ends with the 
words " in the separate churches ;" and, second, of the whole of the tenth 
article; are as follows: Troy, Albany, Columbia, Watertown, Utica, Onon- 
daga, Cayuga, Cortland, Geneva, Chemung, Wellsborough, Tioga, Otsego, 
Ontario, Rochester, Genesee, Genesee Valley, Hudson, North River, Long 
Island, New York 3d, New York 4th, Brooklyn, Newark, Montrose, 
Philadelphia 4th, Harrisburg, District of Columbia, Erie, Detroit, Mon- 
roe, Marshal], Saginaw, Lansing, Grand River, Huron, Trumbull, Cleve- 
land and Portage, Maumee, Athens, Pataskala, Franklin, Scioto, Cincin- 
nati, Ripley, Dayton, Salem, Indianapolis, Green Castle, Crawfordsville, 
St. Joseph, Logansport, Fort Wayne, Illinois, Schuyler, Wabash, Ottawa, 
Knox, Chicago, Bloomington, Fox River, Lake Superior, Des Moines, 
Mankato, Minnesota, Winona, Dakota, St. Louis, Lexington, Chariton, 
Cedar Rapids, Belvidere, San Jose, Humboldt, Holston. — 75. The Pres- 
byteries expressing their dissent to these proposed amendments of the 
Basis are : -Catskill, Pittsburg, Dubuque. — 3. 

The following Presbyteries express rather a preference or a willingness 
to have the Reunion accomplished upon the simple Basis of the standards: 
Genesee Valley, Wilmington, Meadville, Pataskala, Rochester, Niagara, 
Huron, Cincinnati, Dayton, Hamilton, Columbus, Kansas, Chariton, Che- 
nango. — 14. 

The Presbyteries of Scioto, Logansport, Ottawa, Lyons, and Northern 
Missouri add to this expression of their willingness to have the Reunion 
thus accomplished, the condition that three-fourths " of the Presbyteries 
assent." 

The following Presbyteries express a desire that the General Assembly 
should consummate this Reunion without again referring the proposed 
Basis of it to them, and in their own language empower and authorize the 
Assembly so to do: Champlain, Troy, Albany, St. Lawrence, Watertown, 
Oswego, Cayuga, Otsego, Buffalo, North River, Detroit, Grand River Val- 
ley, Athens, Ripley, Madison, Wabash, Keokuk, Mankato, St. Louis, Hum- 
boldt, Winona, Steuben, Knox, Iowa City, Galena, and Belvidere. — 26. 

The Presbyteries of Philadelphia 4th and Pittsburg express their op- 
position to Reunion upon any basis that has not been specially approved 
by a majority of the Presbyteries of each class. 

Several Presbyteries append to their action on this question certain con- 
ditions besides those already mentioned. These are as follows : The Pres- 
bytery of Knox, in assenting to the proposed amendment of the first ar- 
ticle of the basis, add, "Provided all reasonable liberty in interpretation 
be not relinquished." 

The Presbytery of Philadelphia 4th say, " It must, however, be well 
understood that, by agreeing to the omissions in question, the Presbytery 
do not relinquish nor deny the right to all reasonable liberty in the state- 
ment of views and the interpretation of the standards, not impairing the 
integrity of the Calvin istic system." 

The Presbytery of Huron passed the following resolution : 
12 



90 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Resolved, That we say to the General Assembly that in any case we 
shall always claim the right, according to the constitution of the Church 
and the Plan of Union, to deal with the Congregational churches now on 
our roll without interference from the higher judicatories of the Church. 

The Presbytery of Maumee ask for certain specified changes in the 
second article of the basis, and would have it construed as directory and 
advisory, and not as imperative. 

The Presbytery of Washtenaw, in replying negatively to the motion of 
the Assembly, express conviction that the first step in the negotiations for 
Reunion should be the repeal of the exscinding acts and the imperative 
rule in respect to Presbyterial examinations. — 1869, pp. 259-261, N. S. 

28. GENERAL ASSEMBLIES OF 1869, AT NEW YORK. 

A NEW JOINT COMMITTEE APPOINTED. 

a. [On the First day of the session.] 

On motion of Dr. Musgrave, the following was unanimously adopted : 
Resolved, That a Committee of Conference, consisting of five Ministers 
and five Ruling Elders, be appointed to confer with a similar Committee, 
if appointed by the other General Assembly now in session in this city, 
on the subject of the Reunion of the two branches of the Presbyterian 
Church ; to report during the present sessions, and at as early a day as 
practicable, what further action, if any, should be taken on the subject. 

The Moderator appointed as said Committee : Ministers — George W. 
Musgrave," D. D., A. G. Hall, D. D., L. H. Atwater, D. D., Willis Lord, 
D. D., and Henry R. Wilson, D. D. Ruling Elders — Robert Carter, J. 
C. Grier, Charles D. Drake, Henry Day, and William M. Francis. — 1869, 
p. 890, O. S. 

b. Resolved, That a Committee of five ministers and five elders be ap- 
pointed to-morrow morning, by the Moderator, to confer with any like 
Committee of the Assembly of the other Branch, on the subject of Reunion. 

Ministers. — William Adams, P. D., Robert W. Patterson, D. D., Sam- 
uel W. Fisher, D. D., LL. D., Jonathan F. Stearns, D. D., James B. 
Shaw, D. D. Elders — Hon. William Strong, Hon. Daniel Haines, Hon. 
William E. Dodge, Hon. Jacob S. Farrand, Hon. John L. Knight. — 
1869, pp. 252-257, N. S. 

29. The following" Report of the Joint Committee ■was presented 
in both Assemblies. 

The Committee of Conference appointed by the two General Assemblies 
has attended to the duty assigned to it; and after a very free interchange 
of views, with prayer to Almighty God for his guidance, is unanimous in 
recommending to the Assemblies for their consideration, and, if they see 
fit, their adoption, the accompanying three papers, to wit: 

1. Plan of Reunion of the Presbyterian Church in the United States 
of America; 

2. Concurrent Declarations of the General Assemblies of 1869; and 

3. Recommendation of a Day of Prayer. 

I. PLAN OF REUNION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

Believing that the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom would be pro- 
moted by the healing of our divisions, and that the two bodies bearing the 
same name, having the same Constitution, and each recognizing the other 



PKELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 91 

as a sound and orthodox body according to the principles of the Con- 
fession common to both, cannot be justified by any but the most impera- 
tive reasons in maintaining separate and, in some respects, rival organiza- 
tions ; we are now clearly of the opinion that the reunion of those bodies 
ought, as, soon as the necessary steps can be taken, to be accomplished, 
upon the Basis hereinafter set forth : 

1. The Presbyterian Churches in the United States of America, namely, 
that whose General Assembly convened in the Brick Church in the city 
of New York, on the 20th day of May, 1869, and that whose General 
Assembly met in the Church of the Covenant in the said city, on the 
same day, shall be reunited as one Church, under the name and style of 
the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, possessing all 
the legal and corporate rights and powers pertaining to the Church pre- 
vious to the division in 1838, and all the legal and corporate rights and 
powers which the separate Churches now possess. 

2. The reunion shall be effected on the doctrinal and ecclesiastical basis 
of our common Standards ; the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa- 
ments shall be acknowledged to be the inspired word of God, and the only 
infallible rule of faith and practice; the Confession of Faith shall con- 
tinue to be sincerely received and adopted as containing the system of 
doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures ; and the Government and Dis- 
cipline of the Presbyterian Church in the United States shall be approved 
as containing the principles and rules of our polity. 

3. Each of the said Assemblies shall submit the foregoing Basis to its 
Presbyteries, which shall be required to meet on or before the 15th day of 
October, 1869, to express their approval or disapproval of the same, by a 
categorical answer to the following question : 

Do you approve of the reunion of the two bodies now claiming the 
name and rights of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of 
America, on the following basis, namely : " The reunion shall be effected 
on the doctrinal and ecclesiastical basis of our common Standards ; the 
Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments shall be acknowledged to be 
the inspired word of God, and the only infallible rule of faith and prac- 
tice; the Confession of Faith shall continue to be sincerely received and 
adopted as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scrip- 
tures ; and the Government and Discipline of the Presbyterian Church 
in the United States shall be approved as containing the principles and 
rules of our polity?" 

Each Presbytery shall, before the 1st day of November, 1869, forward 
to the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly with which it is connected, 
a statement of its vote on the said Basis of Reunion. 

4. The said General Assemblies now sitting shall, after finishing their 
business, adjourn, to meet in the city of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, on the 
second Wednesday of November, 1869, at eleven o'clock, A. M. 

If the two General Assemblies shall then find and declare that the 
above-named Basis of Reunion has been approved by two-thirds of the 
Presbyteries connected with each branch of the Church, then the same 
shall be of binding force, and the two Assemblies shall take action accord- 
ingly. 

5. The said General Assemblies shall then and there make provision for 
the meeting of the General Assembly of the United Church on the third 
Thursday of May, 1870. The Moderators of the two present Assemblies 
shall jointly preside at the said Assembly of 1870 until another moder- 
ator is chosen. The moderator of the Assembly now sitting at the Brick 
Church aforesaid, shall, it' present, put all votes, and decide questions 



92 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

of order; and the Moderator of the other Assembly shall, if present, 
preach the opening Sermon ; and the Stated Clerks of the present Assem- 
blies shall act as Stated Clerks of the Assembly of the united Church 
until a Stated Clerk or Clerks shall have been chosen thereby ; and no 
Commissioner shall have a right to vote or deliberate in said Assembly 
until his name shall have been enrolled by the said Clerks, and his com- 
mission examined and filed among the papers of the Assembly. 

6. Each Presbytery of the separate Churches shall be entitled to the 
same representation in the Assembly of the united Church in 1870 as it is 
entitled to in the Assembly with which it is now connected. 

II. CONCURRENT DECLARATIONS OF THE GENERAL ASSEM- " 

BLIES OF 1869. 

As there are matters pertaining to the interests of the Church when it 
shall have become reunited, which will manifestly require adjustment on 
the coming together of two bodies which have so long acted separately, 
and concerning some of which matters it is highly desirable that there 
should be a previous good understanding, the two Assemblies agree to 
adopt the following declarations, not as articles of compact or covenant, 
but as in their judgment proper and equitable arrangements, to wit: 

1. All the ministers and churches embraced in the two bodies should 
be admitted to the same standing in the united body, which they may 
have held in their respective connections, up to the consummation of the 
union. 

2. Imperfectly organized churches are counseled and expected to be- 
come thoroughly Presbyterian, as early within the period of five years as 
may be permitted by the highest interests to be consulted ; and no other 
such churches shall be hereafter received. 

3. The boundaries of the several Presbyteries and Synods should be 
adjusted by the General Assembly of the united Church. 

4. The official records of the two Branches of the Church, for the 
period of separation, should be preserved and held as making up the one 
history of the Church ; and no rule or precedent, which does not stand 
approved by both the bodies, should be of any authority, until re-estab- 
lished in the united body, except in so far as such rule or precedent may 
affect the rights of property founded thereon. 

5. The corporate rights, now held by the two General Assemblies, and 
by their Boards and Committees, should, as far as practicable, be con- 
solidated, and applied for their several objects, as defined by law. 

6. There should be one set of Committees or Boards for Home and 
Foreign Missions, and the other religious enterprises of the Church ; which 
the churches should be encouraged to sustain, though free to cast their 
contributions into other channels, if they desire to do so. 

7. As soon as practicable after the union shall have been effected, the 
General Assembly should reconstruct and consolidate the several Per- 
manent Committees and Boards, which now belong to the two Assemblies, 
so as to represent, as far as possible, with impartiality, the views and 
wishes of the two bodies constituting the united Church. 

8. The publications of the Board of Publication and of the Publication 
Committee should continue to be issued as at present, leaving it to the 
Board of Publication of the united Church to revise these issues, and per- 
fect a catalogue for the united Church so as to exclude invidious refer- 
ences to past controversies. 

9. In order to a uniform system of ecclesiastical supervision, those 






PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 93 

Theological Seminaries that are now under Assembly control may, if 
their Boards of Direction so elect, be transferred to the watch and care 
of one or more of the adjacent Synods ; and the other Seminaries are ad- 
vised to introduce, as far as may be, into their Constitutions, the principle 
of Synodical or Assembly supervision ; in which case, they shall be entitled 
to an official recognition and approbation on the part of the General 
Assembly. 

10. It should be regarded as the duty of all our judicatories, ministers, 
and people of the united Church, to study the things which make for 
peace, and to guard against all needless and offensive references to the 
causes that have divided us ; and, in order to avoid the revival of past 
issues, by the continuance of any usage in either branch of the Church 
that has grown out of former conflicts, it is earnestly recommended to the 
lower judicatories of the Church that they conform their practice in re- 
lation to all such usages, as far as is consistent with their convictions of 
duty, to the general custom of the Church prior to the controversies that 
resulted in the separation. 

III. RECOMMENDATION OF A DAY OF PRAYER. 

That the counsels of infinite Wisdom may guide our decisions, and the 
blessings of the great Head of the Church rest upon the result of our 
efforts for Reunion, it is earnestly recommended to the churches throughout 
both branches of the Presbyterian Church, that they observe the second 
Sabbath in September, 1869, as a day of fervent and united prayer to Al- 
mighty God, that he would grant unto us all " the spirit of counsel and 
might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord," and, in the 
new relations now contemplated, enable us to " keep the unity of the 
Spirit in the bonds of peace." 

30. [The foregoing report was adopted by the Old School Assembly, by 
a vote of yeas 285, nays 9 (p. 914) ; by the New School Assembly unani- 
mously (p. 275), when — ] 

a. On motion of Ruling Elder Henry Day, it was 

Resolved, That in pursuance of the foregoing action of this General 
Assembly, the Basis of Reunion now adopted be sent down to the Presby- 
teries for their approval or disapproval, and each Presbytery is hereby 
required to meet on or before the 15th day of October, 1869, to express its 
approval or disapproval of the same by a categorical answer to the follow- 
ing question : 

Do you approve of the Reunion of the two bodies now claiming the name 
and rights of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, 
on the following Basis, viz. : " The Reunion shall be effected on the doc- 
trinal and ecclesiastical Basis of our common standards ; the Scriptures of 
the Old and New Testaments shall be acknowledged to be the inspired 
word of God, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice ; the Con- 
fession of Faith shall continue to be sincerely received and adopted as con- 
taining the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures ; and the 
Government and Discipline of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States shall be approved as containing the principles and rules of our polity'" ? 

Each Presbytery is also hereby required, before the first day of Novem- 
ber, 1869, to forward to the Stated Clerk of this General Assembly a 
statement of its vote on the said Basis of Reunion. — 1869, pp. 916, 917, 
O. S. 

b. Resolved, That this Assembly does hereby submit to the Presbyteries 
in connection with it the Basis of Reunion adopted May 27, 186 l J; 



94 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 

and that the Presbyteries be required to meet on or before October 15th, 
1869, to express their approval or disapproval of the same by a categori- 
cal answer to the following question : 

Do you approve of the Reunion of the two bodies now claiming the 
name and rights of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of 
America, on the following Basis, namely : " The Reunion shall be effected 
on the doctrinal and ecclesiastical Basis of our common standards ; the 
Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments shall be acknowledged to be 
the inspired word of God, and the only infallible rule of faith and prac- 
tice ; the Confession of Faith shall continue to be sincerely received and 
adopted as containing the system of doctrines taught in the Holy Scrip- 
tures ; and the Government and Discipline of the Presbyterian Church in 
the United States shall be approved as containing the principles and rules 
of our polity" ? 

Resolved, That each Presbytery shall, before the first day of November, 
1869, forward to the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly a statement 
of its vote on the said Basis of Reunion. — 1869, p. 283, N. S. 

[In accordance with the plan adopted above, the two Assemblies ad- 
journed to meet in Pittsburg, Pa., Nov. 10, A. D. 1869, at 11 o'clock A. m., 
The one in the First Church, the other in the Third Church.] 

31. Assemblies at Pittsburg*, 1869. 

a. The report of the Stated Clerk, Rev. A. T. McGill, D. D., on the vote 
of the Presbyteries, was read and amended, so as simply to give the result 
of the vote, after which it was adopted, and is as follows : 

The Presbyteries in connection with this General Assembly have all 
reported, in writing, on the overture of Reunion, as ordered in the Brick 
Church, at New York, except the following eleven, viz., Austin, Corisco, 
Knox, Knoxville, Maury, Milwaukee, Ogdensburg, Shantung, Siam, 
Stockton, and Western Africa. The Stated Clerk of the Santa Fe Presby- 
tery has reported by letter that it is impossible for this Presbytery to have 
a meeting, in present circumstances. The Presbyteries of Allahabad and 
Canton, being unable to meet within the time specified, have sent circulars, 
signed by a majority of each, to indicate the will of the Presbytery, in 
favor of Reunion, as now proposed ; but these are not counted in de- 
claring the result. Another Presbytery, Lahore, formed by the Synod of 
Northern India, in December last, but not regularly reported as yet by any 
officer of that Synod, has sent its answer to this Overture, in written form, 
and this has been counted, on the presumption that the Assembly will 
recognize, at this meeting, the existence of that Presbytery on the roll. 

We have thus one hundred and forty-four Presbyteries. One hundred 
and twenty-six of these have answered the Overture sent down affirma- 
tively, in writing. Three, viz., Hudson, Rio de Janeiro, and West Lex- 
ington, have answered in the negative. 

On motion, it was ordered that the Stated Clerk admit to record the 
answer of the Presbytery of Lahore to the Overture on Reunion. 

The Assembly was, on motion, led in prayer by Rev. John Hall, D. D., 
in gratitude for the result of the negotiations on Reunion, and the doxol- 
ogy was sung. — 1869, p. 1158, O. S. 

b. The Stated Clerk presented the Report of the Presbyteries on the 
Overture for Reunion, as follows : 

Report of the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presby- 
terian Church in the United States of America, on the answers of the 
Presbyteries to the overtures on the Reunion of the two Branches of the 
Church : 



PRELIMINAKY PRINCIPLES. 95 

The number of Presbyteries connected with this General Assembly is 
one hundred and thirteen. Official responses have been received from 
every one of them. They have all answered the overture in the affirmative. 
In each of the Presbyteries of Albany, Wellsboro', and the District, of Co- 
lumbia a single negative vote was cast. In each of the remaining one 
hundred and ten Presbyteries the vote was unanimous. 

Respectfully submitted. Edw t in F. Hatfield, Stated Clerk 

Pittsburg, Pa., Nov. 10th, 1869. 

The Assembly united in prayer and thanksgiving to God for this au- 
spicious result,— 1869, p. 485, N. S. 

32. Report of Joint Committee of Conference. 

"The Joint Committee of Conference on Reunion" presented its Re- 
port, which was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

1. That each Assembly should declare the vote of the Presbyteries in 
the following language : 

" This Assembly having received and examined the statements of the 
votes of the several Presbyteries, on the Basis of Reunion of the two bod- 
ies, now claiming the name and rights of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America, which basis is in the words following, viz., 'The 
Reunion shall be effected on the doctrinal and ecclesiastical Basis of our 
common standards ; the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament shall 
be acknowledged to be the inspired word of God, and the only infallible 
rule of faith and practice ; the Confession of Faith shall continue to be 
sincerely received and adopted, as containing the system of doctrine 
taught in the Holy Scriptures, and the government and discipline of the 
Presbyterian Church in the United States shall be approved, as contain- 
ing the principles and rules of our polity:' Does hereby find and declare 
that the said Basis of Reunion has been approved by more than two- 
thirds of the Presbyteries connected with this branch of the Church: 
and whereas the other branch of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States of America, now sitting in the Third [or, the Firsf] Presbyterian 
Church in the City of Pittsburg, has reported to this Assembly that said 
Basis has been approved by more than two-thirds of the Presbyteries con- 
nected with that branch of the Church, now, therefore, we do solemnly 
declare that said Basis of Reunion is of binding force." 

2. This Committee recommends that a Special Committee of five from 
each branch of the Church, shall be appointed to take into consideration 
the affairs of each of the Boards and Committees of both branches of the 
Church, and to recommend to the Assembly of the united Church, next 
to be held, what changes are required in said Boards and Committees. 

3. That each Assembly shall also pass the following: Whereas, it is 
apparent, from the size of the two Assemblies, that some changes must be 
made in the present method of representation : therefore, Resolved, That 
each of the Assemblies of 18G9 shall appoint a Committee of five, to con- 
stitute a joint committee of ten, whose duty it shall be to prepare and 
propose to the General Assembly of the united Church a proper adjust- 
ment of the boundaries of the Presbyteries and Synods, and the ratio of 
representation, and any amendments of the Constitution which they may 
think necessary to secure efficiency and harmony in the administration of 
the Church, so greatly enlarged, and so rapidly extending. 

4. That the Assemblies shall meet at 9 o'clock on Friday morning next, 
and that the vote of the Presbyteries be declared in each Assembly at 10 
o'clock, and that each Assembly be then dissolved in the usual manner 



96 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

prescribed by the Form of Government. That each Assembly shall im- 
mediately repair to the Third Presbyterian Church, in this city, there to 
hold a joint meeting for prayer and praise ; and that a joint communion 
service be held on the same day, at three o'clock in the afternoon. 

That all business before each Assembly shall be concluded this (Thurs- 
day) evening, and no new business taken up thereafter. 

5. That a Committee of Arrangements, consisting of two from each 
Church, be appointed to decide upon the form, manner, and place of our 
public meeting, and to prepare a statement upon the subject of raising 
funds for the use of the Church, which shall be read to said meeting. It is 
proposed that the Kev. A. G. Hall, D.D., Robert Carter, Esq., Rev. S. W. 
Fisher, D. D., and William E. Dodge, Esq., be appointed said committee. 

6. That the first meeting of the General Assembly of the united Church 
be held in the First Presbyterian Church in the City of Philadelphia, on 
the third Thursday of May, A. D. 1870, at 11 o'clock, A. M. 

—1869, pp. 1159,1160,0. S. 
—1869, pp. 495, 496, N. S. 

33. Consummation of the Reunion Declared. 

The Declaration was adopted unanimously in both Assemblies, by a 
rising vote, as follows, viz. : 

This Assembly having received and examined the statement of the 
votes of the several Presbyteries on the Basis of the Reunion of the two 
bodies now claiming the name and the right of the Presbyterian Church 
in the United States of America, which basis is in the words following, 
namely : " The Union shall be effected on the doctrinal and ecclesiastical 
Basis of our common standards; the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa- 
ment shall be acknowledged to be the inspired word of God and the only 
infallible rule of faith and practice ; the Confession of Faith shall con- 
tinue to be sincerely received and adopted as containing the system of 
doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures ; and the government and dis- 
cipline of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, shall be ap- 
proved as containing the principles and rules of our polity:" Does hereby 
find and declare that said Basis of Union has been approved by more 
than two-thirds of the Presbyteries connected with this branch of the 
Church — and whereas the other branch of the Presbyterian Church in 
the United States, now sitting in the Third [or, the First] Presbyterian 
Church in the City of Pittsburg, has reported to this Assembly that said 
basis has been approved by more than two-thirds of the Presbyteries con- 
nected with that branch of the Church : 

now therefore we do solemnly declare that said basis of 
Reunion is of binding force. 

—1869, p. 1163, O. S. 
—1869, p. 500, N. S. 

34. The Reunion Convention. 

Pittsburg, Pa., Friday, November 12, 1869. 

The two General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church, meeting re- 
spectively in the First and Third Churches of Pittsburg, Pa., having both 
been in due form dissolved on Friday, November 12, 1869, at 10 o'clock 
a.m., a Joint Convention, in accordance with previous mutual agree- 
ment, was held immediately after in the Third Church. 

The members of the late N. S. Assembly, preceded by their Moderator, 
Clerks, and Reunion Committee, formed in order, two by two, and pro- 
ceeded from the Third Church down Sixth Avenue to Wood street, and 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 97 

took position on the west side of the street, opposite the First Church. 
At the same time, the members of the late O. S. Assembly, preceded in like 
manner by their Moderator, Clerks, and Reunion Committee, came forth 
from the First Church and took position on the east side of the street, 
directly opposite the other column, the head of each line looking south 
toward Fifth Avenue. 

The following gentlemen had been appointed, and consented to serve as 
marshals of the day : Gen. J. K. Morehead and Messrs. John D. McCord, 
William Rea, and George H. Stuart. 

The signal for the march having been given, the two Moderators met in 
the middle of the street, shook hands, and joined arms ; as was done also 
by the Stated Clerks, the Permanent and Temporary Clerks, the two Re- 
union Committees, and the remainder of the two columns — the joint pro- 
cession meanwhile marching forward, two by two, Old and New School 
interlocked along the whole line, down Wood street and up Fifth Avenue, 
Smithfield street and Sixth Avenue (the whole distance attended by a re- 
joicing crowd of people), to the Third Church. 

As the procession entered by the right middle aisle, Wesley's noble 
hymn, 

"Blow ye the trumpet, blow," etc., 

was sung by the choir and the ladies, who had been previously admitted to 
seats assigned them. The greater part of the procession found seats on 
.the immense platform occupying the southern end of the great Church, the 
remainder occupying the pews in front of the platform ; after which the 
doors were opened, and the house was immediately thronged to its utmost 
capacity. 

The services commenced at 11 o'clock A. m., and were continued with 
unwearied interest for more than three hours. Addresses were made by 
the Moderators and others, both ministers and elders, previously designated, 
intermingled with prayer and songs of devout praise and thanksgiving. 

The following preamble and resolutions, reported in behalf of the Com- 
mittee of Arrangements, by the Rev. S. W. Fisher, D. D., LL. D., were 
passed unanimously : 

PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED IN JOINT CONVENTION 
BY THE MEMBERS OF THE TWO ASSEMBLIES— NOV. 12, 1S69. 

In the Providence of God, the two Branches of the Presbyterian 
Church in the United States of America, after a separation of more than 
thirty years, are again united. This event, in its magnitude, is unparal- 
leled in the ecclesiastical history of this country and almost of the world. 
It evidences to all men the presence and unifying power of the Divine 
Spirit. A fact so remarkable and significant attracts interest and creates 
expectation among even worldly minds. It awakens the sympathies and 
the hopes of all who truly love Christ among other denominations. It 
awakens hope, since it illustrates the evident purpose of God to bring all 
his followers into closer union in spirit, combine them in action for the 
overthrow of error and the diffusion of his truth; it awakens expectation, 
since they justly anticipate, on our part, from this union of resources, 
spirit, and action, a far more vigorous assault upon the forces of darkness 
and more decided efforts to spread the Gospel among all classes in our 
own and other lands. 

To us, as a Church, it is an era in our history most memorable and 
hopeful; memorable, as it signalizes the triumph of faith and love over 
13 



98 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

the strifes and jealousies of more than a quarter of a century; hopeful, 
since it is not the result of decadence and torpor, but of progress and 
augmented strength. It buries the suspicions and the rivalries of the 
past, with the sad necessity of magnifying our differences in order to jus- 
tify our separation. It banishes the spirit of division, the natural foe of 
true progress. In this union are seen the outflashing of a divine purpose 
to lead us on to greater self-sacrifice, and a more entire consecration to 
the evangelization of the world. God has elevated us to this command- 
ing position, that we may see his glory, and in the strengthened faith it 
inspires devote our united resources more directly and efficiently to the 
salvation of men. New and grander responsibilities rest upon us. Jesus 
summons us to a holier faith and more perfect consecration. He sum- 
mons this Church to answer his loving-kindness by deeds commensurate 
with our renewed resources. The times are auspicious; everywhere peace 
reigns ; the gates are open, and the millions of our own and other lands 
wait for the Gospel. Our position is commanding ; our resources great ; 
our methods of action well settled, simple, and efficient. The Spirit of 
God that has united us will inspire, direct, and bless our efforts. While 
we maintain the faith which Paul so fully unfolded, and our Church, in 
the centuries past, has, through manifold persecution and martyrdom, so 
gloriously upheld, we are summoned, as by the will of God, to arise and 
build, to form new, broader, and bolder plans for the extension of Christ's 
kingdom, and to enter upon and execute them with apostolic enthusiasm. 

Let us then, the ministers, elders, and members of this Church here 
assembled, as, in spirit, standing in the presence of and representing the 
entire body of believers in our connection, and the beloved missionaries in 
foreign lands who now await, with tender and prayerful interest, this con- 
summation of our union, — let us, in humble dependence upon our dear 
Kedeemer, with deep humility in view of our past inefficiency and present 
unworthiness, and as an expression of our devout gratitude to Him who 
has brought this once dissevered, now united Church up to this Mount of 
Transfiguration, signalize this most blessed and joyous union with an offer- 
ing in some good degree commensurate with the abundant pecuniary gifts 
that he has bestowed on us. And, to this end, be it 

Resolved, That it is incumbent on the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America, one in organization, one in faith, and one in 
effort, to make a special offering, to the treasury of the Lord, of FIVE 
MILLIONS OF DOLLAPvS : and we pledge ourselves, first of all, to 
seek in our daily petitions the blessing of God to make this resolution 
effectual ; and second, that we will, with untiring perseverance and per- 
sonal effort, endeavor to animate the whole Church with the purpose to 
secure the accomplishment of this great work before the third Thursday 
of May, 1871. 

34. Resohed, further, That the Stated Clerks of the Assemblies of 1869 
be requested to publish this paper, with the names of the Moderators, 
Clerks, and Joint Committee on Reunion, and the Commissioners now in 
attendance, appended thereto. 

At 02 o'clock P. M., the Convention united in the celebration of the 
Lord's Supper at the First Presbyterian Church, which also was thronged 
in every part. 

1869, pp. 502-504, N. S. 
1869, pp. 1165-1167, O. S. 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 99 

35. The Memorial Contribution. 

On the subject of the Five Million Memorial Fund, the Joint Com- 
mittee (all the members being present but two, who were hindered by un- 
avoidable engagements), after most careful and anxious deliberation, 
agreed unanimously upon the following resolutions: 

1. That notwithstanding we find, on examination, that the terms of the 
resolution adopted on the subject by the General Assemblies recently met 
at Pittsburg, Pa., do not distinctly enjoin the duty of raising the pro- 
posed " Memorial Fund" upon this joint Committee ; yet, being fully per- 
suaded that the general voice and expectation of the Church have deter- 
mined, that this service fairly belongs to the Committee ; and, further, 
inasmuch as funds for this object have already been tendered to us, we as- 
sume this to be a duty embraced within the intention of the Assemblies in 
our appointment ; and therefore we conclude to initiate this work at once, 
and to conduct it until the meeting of the General Assembly. 

2. That, in the judgment of this Joint Committee, it is not within the 
intention of the Church, to include in this fund the ordinary contributions 
to the Church's stated work (which in our new position should be greatly 
advanced), but to create and strengthen permanent institutions at home 
and abroad, to meet such extraordinary claims as arise out of our new 
position, and to effect such objects as properly commemorate our Union. 
By these we mean : 

I. Theological Seminaries, Colleges, and Seminaries for the education 
of our daughters, including buildings and endowments of the same ; it 
being understood that such Institutions shall be chartered, and shall be in 
connection with the Presbyterian Church. 

II. Literary Institutions for the raising of a native Gospel ministry in 
heathen lands. 

III. Church buildings and Manses originating subsequently to the 
Union, and otherwise entitled to public aid ; Hospitals and Orphan Asy- 
lums in connection with the Church. 

IV. Institutions for the education and evangelization of the Freedmen. 

V. Special contributions for the establishment of a permanent Susten- 
tation Fund, which shall include funds to be appropriated for the support 
of Disabled Ministers and their Families. 

At the same time the Committee announced, that the Hon. William E. 
Dodge, as Treasurer, in accordance with the recommendation of the Con- 
vention, would receive donations for these objects, said donations to be ap- 
plied hereafter, at the discretion of the General Assembly. 

These resolutions were extensively published, and, while much diversity 
of view appears to prevail regarding details, their leading principle ap- 
pears to have secured general acceptance, and in various quarters efforts 
have been inaugurated in accordance with it. 

The Committee having considered what practical measures should be 
suggested to the General Assembly, with a view to realizing the Five 
Million Memorial Fund before the third Thursday in May, 1871, accord- 
ing to a resolution of the Pittsburg Convention, 

It was unanimously agreed to recommend — 

1st. The appointment of a Committee for the raising and disposition of 
this fund, subject to the principles now agreed upon. 

2d. That this Committee shall examine the claims of particular insti- 
tutions seeking to enjoy the benefit of the fund, either by direct appropri- 
ation, or their own efforts, the results of which are reckoned as part of 
the fund. 



100 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

3d. That, in addition to other efforts, a collection be made in all our 
congregations, as nearly simultaneously as practicable, during the month 
of January, 1871, when the ministers, having prepared the way, by keep- 
ing the subject constantly before the people in the interval, shall more 
specially urge the contribution upon them. 

4th. That the Committee constituted by the first resolution, be in- 
structed to prepare and forward to each congregation through the pastor, 
stated supply, or session, to be laid before each member of the congrega- 
tion, a clear, distinct and minute plan for subscribing, reporting, collecting 
anA forwarding the amounts contributed to this fund, and also to prepare 
and send suitable blanks for these purposes. 

5th. That our Presbyteries and Synods be instructed, at their fall meet- 
ings, to make careful inquiry of each pastor and elder, and know if these 
subscriptions have been presented to the individuals of all our congrega- 
tion ; and in cases of failure to take such measures as may best secure this 
result.— 1870, pp. 74, 75. 

The Committee on the Memorial Fund : 

Messrs. Winthrop S. Gilman, J. Crosby Brown, John E. Parsons, Alex- 
ander Whilldin, Benjamin F. Butler, Isaac Scarritt, William T. Booth, 
Archibald McClure, Jr., and George Junkin. — 1870, p. 123. 

36. Report of the Committee on the Memorial Fund. 

The unfinished business of the morning session was resumed, and, after 
further discussion, suspended, to take up the second order of the day, viz.: 
the Keport of the Committee on the Five Million Memorial Fund. Mr. 
Winthrop S. Gilman, Chairman of the Committee, made a brief state- 
ment, after which the Report of the Committee was presented by the Rev. 
Frank F. Ellinwood, D. D., the Secretary of the Committee, as follows : — 

The Committee appointed to raise and disburse the Five Million Memo- 
rial Fund was organized at 47 Exchange Place, New York, June 17th, 
1870, the Chairman, Winthrop S. Gilman, presiding. It was resolved, 
that Hon. William E. Dodge be requested to continue in office as Treas- 
urer, and Rev. F. F. Ellinwood was appointed Corresponding Secretary 
for one year, for the general supervision of the work. Steps were imme- 
diately taken to lay before the churches a distinct plan for subscribing, 
collecting, reporting, and remitting their offerings according to the direc- 
tion of the Assembly. 

The Committee learned that, during the interval between the passage 
of the organized resolution at Pittsburg and the final ratification at Phil- 
adelphia, only about $1900 had been contributed to the Central Treasury, 
though beginnings had been made in various forms of home work among 
the churches. 

The greater part of the $5,000,000 was yet to be raised, and eleven 
months remained for the work. 

The small amount which had thus far been contributed, the wide differ- 
ences of opinion in the Church as to the uses which should be made of 
the fund, and the general demand that the people should be allowed to 
judge of the wisdom and necessity of their own disbursements, rendered 
it plain that success could be attained only by adopting a policy, as liberal 
as the instructions of the Assembly would permit. 

The great object in view, as the Committee conceived it, was to render 
memorable the Presbyterian Reunion by an enlargement and strengthen- 
ing of all the structural interests of the Church as a permanent token of 
gratitude to God. 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 101 

The motive of highest utility must be coupled with that of commemo- 
ration. 

Even aside from the question of what was feasible and what was not, 
of what might succeed and what would inevitably fail, it seemed more 
important to secure the greatest possible advancement of the kingdom of 
Christ, than to present imposing results before men. Evidently no Com- 
mittee could realize so large an amount as five millions of dollars, without 
seeking the co-operation and subsidizing the manifold interests of the 
whole Church. Each Synod and each Presbytery must take up its own 
work ; every institution of learning must stimulate the exertions of its 
Alumni and its local friends ; and every feeble congregation must seize 
the opportunity, both of quickening its own efforts, and of gaining help 
from others. The Committee have, therefore, from the first, endeavored 
to provoke the diligence of the churches in those forms of work, w r ithin 
the prescribed classes, which in their judgment should present the strong- 
est claim to their liberality. They have, however, urged particularly the 
general objects named by the Assembly, and have invariably presented 
the highest and most spiritual motives. As far as possible, the Committee 
have been personally represented in the various Synods, and in union 
meetings of the churches in the larger towns. In order to secure the 
more thorough co-operation of the West and North-west, Rev. A. G. Ru- 
liffson was, on the 1st of August, appointed Western Secretary for the re- 
mainder of the fiscal year; and the Committee have had abundant reason 
to rejoice in the results of that appointment. 

In regard to the range of objects contemplated in this work, the brief 
outline recommended by the former Committee of Ten, and adopted by the 
last Assembly, has proved to be eminently wise, both in its comprehensive- 
ness and in its limitations. It confined the effort to the main departments 
of structural and permanent interests, and yet forbore to enter into details 
which could not have been judiciously imposed beforehand, and which 
could only have exerted a discouraging and repressive influence. The 
structural objects which were indicated by the Assembly were of five 
classes, viz. : Churches, Manses, Literary and Theological Institutions at 
Home and Abroad, Hospitals connected with the Church, and Houses for 
the use of the Boards. 

What proportion of the aggregate fund should be allotted to each of 
these classes the Assembly did not state ; nor has the Committee felt au- 
thorized to decide. If one class has been found to absorb too much, and 
another has received too little, it is but an inevitable result of that discre- 
tionary freedom which the plan necessarily involved. To these permanent 
objects, as distinguished from all current work, the Committee have en- 
deavored to confine the effort, allowing only such expansions as were con- 
ceived to exist in the spirit of this movement as first proposed. If, in the 
practical exigencies of so many churches, seeming changes have appeared 
in the plan, they have been only those of natural and necessary develop- 
ment, as the bulb is transformed to a rooted plant. 

Thus the principle, which admits a complete Institution, must be so 
ramified as to cover all its parts. If the friends of a particular college, 
variously offer endowments, new building, scholarships, libraries, repairs, 
canceled mortgages, and grants of land, they must, of logical necessity, 
be included, though in the outset no such variety had occurred to any 
mind. So of churches ; if one congregation find acceptance for a new 
sanctuary complete in all its parts and appurtenances, no principle of jus- 
tice can exclude the poorer flock who can only offer a part of a church, as 



102 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

an enlargement, or a new roof, or an organ, or a bell, or even a horse- 
shed, or a fence. 

It is true, that by such a rule some humble objects are included; but 
He who, in the construction of his ancient sanctuary, invited even such 
offerings as a ram's skin or a little goat's hair, does not despise a humble 
gift. It is a beautiful feature of our common memorial, that it has har- 
moniously combined the efforts of the wealthy and the poor. The affluent 
have given their tens of thousands, and with equal acceptance the toiling 
needle-woman has offered joyfully her mite; the merchant prince has 
drawn his check, and the converted Indian on the frontier has given his 
honest score of days' work upon the walls of God's house. It is inevitable, 
that the general principles governing so great an undertaking should 
sometimes be abused. How could it be otherwise, when so much of 
worldly motive mingles with all the benevolences and all the services of 
the Church ? The memorial work has doubtless been marred by as many 
exhibitions of a selfish spirit as appear in other things ; but the degree of 
selfishness has not always been measured by mere locality, nor the kind 
of memorial object chosen. Hundreds of the noblest instances of self- 
sacrifice have been shown in humble congregations which were struggling 
to secure a sanctuary for themselves and their neighbors about them. A 
voluminous record might be given of incidents and illustrations of the 
most touching character, and affording ample proof that many have found 
the Memorial work a precious means of grace. 

While pursuing a liberal policy in admitting the gifts of the churches, 
the Committee have confined their own direct disbursements to objects of 
a general character and those of the most pressing need. They have had 
no desire to secure any large proportion of the fund to the general Treas- 
ury, except as enabling them to meet this class of wants. They would 
gladly have accomplished more in this respect than they have. 

At a time when very general apprehension existed lest the Memorial 
should seriously embarrass the Church Boards, many persons in various 
parts of the Church expressed a desire to devote their Memorial offerings 
as special donations for the relief of the Boards. As such gifts found no 
sanction in either the letter or the spirit of the Assembly's instructions, 
the Committee felt that they had no authority in the premises ; but they 
finally resolved to admit these special offerings in a separate class, subject 
to the action of this Assembly. 

In the midst of the apprehensions just referred to the Committee have 
maintained a hopeful spirit. They have so constantly received assurances 
that the churches which were doing most for the Memorial were even 
increasing their gifts to the Boards, that they have felt confident that the 
end of the year would show very slight deficits in our regular benevo- 
lences, if any at all. And it is with rare satisfaction and gratitude that 
they now find that confidence fully justified. 

Comparing the Reports of the Boards just rendered to this Assembly 
with those presented a year ago, and confining the estimate to the actual 
gifts of churches and individuals, as distinguished from legacies and other- 
casual resources, they find the receipts of the united Boards, compared 
with the aggregates of the separate Boards of the two branches last year, 
to present the following gains as compared with last year: 

Home Missions; gain over last year, $16,297.25: Church Erection; 
gain, about $20,000: Education; deficit, $964: Publication; deficit, $9888: 
Freedmen; gain, about $500 : Ministerial Relief; gain, $13,687.27 : For- 
eign Missions; gain, $37,296.89. Aggregate of gains of the Boards, 
$87,466.89 ; net gain, $76,502.89. 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 103 

It should be stated that the gains in the Foreign Board are mainly due 
to the accession of churches formerly contributing to the American Board 
of Foreign Missions ; but it should also be said, that there are still consid- 
erable amounts in the Memorial Treasury for the Presbyterian Board not 
included in their Report. 

There are furthermore some differences in the time of closing the fiscal 
year of the Boards as compared with the previous year ; but these differ- 
ences, together with the fact that the Memorial Report closes latest of all, 
will, on the whole, rather strengthen the exhibit which is heie made, and 
will fully establish the important fact that during the Memorial year 
churches and individuals have given a larger aggregate to the Boards than 
in any previous year of our ivhole history. 

It may be proper, also, to dwell for a moment on the direct benefits 
w r hich the Memorial has conferred upon the various Causes which the 
Boards represent. 

On the Foreign Mission field permanent institutions have been provided 
for to the amount of nearly 8100,000. 

In Church Erection on the Home field, a careful estimate shows that 
about six hundred churches and chapels have been reared during the 
year and a half, of which only twenty-one have reported a cost of over 
$25,000. About three hundred of these, including mission chapels, have 
directly or indirectly received aid from the Memorial Fund. The amount 
which has actually been received into the Treasury for this purpose is 
896.282.93. 

The Cause of Publication has only been benefitted in the enlargement 
of the Publishing House to the extent of about 815,300. 

For the Freedmen's Cause less has been done than was desirable, only 
about 810,000 having been reported for schools and churches devoted to 
their interests. 

The Cause of Ministerial Relief, aside from special gifts already esti- 
mated in its own Reports, has received some small amounts for a perma- 
nent fund. 

How far the Cause of Education has been advanced may be judged by 
the fact that the Church has added nearly a million and a half of dollars 
to her educational apparatus in various permanent forms. 

The relation of the Memorial effort to Home Missions is less direct, but 
none the less important. The recent Report of the Home Mission Board 
shows that the churches under their care have raised 8228,627 for the 
payment of church debts. This amount, at the safe rate of 8 per cent. 
interest, shows a saving to the mission churches, and virtually to the Mis- 
sion Board, of 818,130 per annum. But the whole amount of Memorial 
contributions reported from Home Mission churches is $339,410, and 
when Ave add the large sums given them by others for churches, manses, 
and repairs, we shall have an aggregate increase of not less than half a 
million of church property in the Home Mission field, the effect of which 
will raise many churches at once, or very soon, to a position of efficiency 
and self-support. And, finally, the Memorial effort in all our churches, 
rich and poor, by removing obstacles, and enlarging foundations, and 
quickening exertion, has prepared the way for the future work of the 
various Boards beyond anything in the history of the past. 

The Committee are led to believe that not the least of the good results 
of this effort has been its rallying and uniting influence upon the denomi- 
nation. It seems providential that the reunion should have been followed 
by a common and enthusiastic movement, overpowering and obliterating 
all the old lines of separation. 



104 FOEM OF GOVERNMENT. 

It has, moreover, strengthened our courage by the development of im- 
portant principles. It has shown that there is a responsive loyalty among 
us to the projects and behests of the Assembly; it has demonstrated the 
important fact that we are a thoroughly organized body, and that by our 
Presbyterian polity even so great a mass may be marshaled and wielded 
in the great work of Christian conquest. Nor can it be doubted that the 
experiment of this Memorial has permanently enlarged the scale of benev- 
olence among us. Whatever may be said of the use which the churches 
have made of their gifts, the great and notable fact is that such vast 
amounts of money have been given at all for religious purposes, and given 
mainly with a sincere desire to accomplish the highest good. It is not a 
light thing that in this worldly age, and amid the business discourage- 
ments which have marked the year, and with the current expenditures 
of all the churches still continued, and with seven regular Boards to be 
maintained in full operation, so many extra millions of dollars should 
have been contributed for the permanent interests of Christ's kingdom. 
The fact itself is the best possible monument of reunion. The spectacle 
of such a movement is full of encouragement and hope. 

And lest it should be said by any that these are not extra amounts, but 
that we have only recorded the average structural work of average years, 
the Committee have been at some pains to learn what has been done outside 
of the Memorial reckoning; and they find that by the common impulse, 
which even under protest could not wholly be resisted, more than two 
millions of dollars, not included in this report, have been raised during 
the Memorial Period for the same kinds of work. This is abundant 
proof that the five millions which it was resolved to raise may be set down 
as a clear gain, above all previous years of our history as a Church. The 
Committee are free to confess, that even their highest hopes have been 
more than realized in this respect. And when they contrast the discour- 
agements that hung over their early efforts with the general response that 
has at length been given, they are impressed with the fact that the result 
is not due to skillful management, nor to faithful labors, nor to any 
human influence, but to the special power of the Spirit of God moving so 
many hearts in all parts of the land to a common effort. 

It is due to some of the best men in the Church, who from the first have 
doubted the policy of such a movement, to say that they have, neverthe- 
less, in other ways helped forward the cause of Christ in proportionate 
degrees. It is partly due to the special efforts of such that the Boards 
have been so well sustained. The Committee rejoice in their efforts, also, 
nay, and will rejoice, since every way God is glorified. 

In viewing the labors of the year, tho Committee take great pleasure in 
acknowledging the great assistance afforded them by the weekly religious 
press of the denomination. Perhaps never before has the power of the 
religious press in promoting great Church enterprises been so fully illus- 
trated. To human view it is difficult to see how, without this valuable 
agency, the work of the Committee could have been accomplished. To 
the Evangelist, the Presbyterian, the Interior, the Observer, the Herald and 
Presbyter, the Banner, and the Occident, the thanks not only of the Com- 
mittee, but of the whole Church, are due for their efficient aid. The Com- 
mittee would also make grateful mention of the fact that furnished offices 
have been placed at their disposal during the year by Phelps, Dodge & Co., 
and that similar courtesies were tendered them by Brown Brothers & Co. 
and others in New York. 

In presenting the actual statistics of the work, it should be premised 
that, owing to the tardiness of the returns from many churches, our Be- 



PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES. 105. 

port is necessarily incomplete. Much work known to have been accom- 
plished is too late for this presentation. Some of the returns also have 
been so indistinct that a satisfactory comparison of college reports with 
those of churches, with a view to avoiding repetition, has been wellnigh 
impossible. And, as the Committee have preferred to err on the safe side, 
they have in. all cases of uncertainty ruled out college reports, though fully 
persuaded that by these means $200,000 are excluded from their footings. 
Owing to the same difficulty, no account has been made of the reports of 
special Memorial gifts returned by the Boards and by the Women's Soci- 
eties. Large sums, also, gathered from individuals for churches in the 
West, have been excluded on account of uncertainty, though it is believed 
that many of them have not been reported by donors. It was the first 
intention of the Committee to report individual donors in some cases by 
name ; but the difficulty of a proper discrimination has been found to be 
so great, that such names are simply entered on the Memorial Eecords, 
while to the public they are reported in the aggregate under a general 
miscellaneous head. 

The classification of money received and reported thus far is as follows: 
For new Church Buildings, $3,236,475.61; Manses, $683,884.05; Repairs 
and Enlargement, $733,707.60; Payment of Debts, $1,083,478.72; Insti- 
tutions of Learning, $1,405,548.66; Permanent Institutions in Foreign 
Lands, $93,509.96 ; Special Gifts to the Boards, $60,340.40 ; Hospitals, 
$48,665.35; Relief Fund and Sustentation, $41,150.46; Presbyterian 
Houses, $46,882.37 ; amounts not specified by the churches reporting 
them, $162,681.10; expenses of the Committee, $11,175.63. It is with 
profound gratitude to God that the Committee announce as the total 
amount reported up to 12 o'clock to-day, seven million, six hundred 

AND SEVEN THOUSAND, FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE DOLLARS AND 
NINETY-ONE CENTS ($7,607,499.91). 

At the close of the reading of the Report, the whole Assembly arose 
spontaneously and sang the Doxology, 

" Praise God, from whom all blessings flow," 

after which, by invitation of the Moderator, the Rev. John Hall, D. D., 
gave thanks to God for his great goodness. 

The Report was then accepted, and referred to a special committee of 
fifteen to suggest suitable action thereon. — 1871, pp. 513-519. 

[For the Report of the above Committee see Minutes 1871, pp. 552-555.] 

Final Report of the Memorial Fund Committee. 

The order of the day, viz., the Report of the Committee on the Me- 
morial Fund, was presented and approved, as follows: 

The Memorial Fund Committee, having, by order of the last General 
Assembly, been continued for another year, beg leave to report, that they 
continued to admit contributions, as directed, till August 1, 1871, after 
which preparations were made for the publication of a report of all con- 
tributions from all churches, arranged by Presbyteries and Synods. That 
report was published early in October last, and a copy was sent to each 
church contributing to the fund. The contributions were given in two 
classes only, and the gift of individuals, not embraced in church contribu- 
tions, were presented in the aggregate. With this tabular report, a brief 
documentary history of the inception, prosecution, and completion of the 
work was given, and the whole was published in neat form, by De Witt C. 
Lent & Co., 451 Broome street, New York, from whom extra copies may 

14 



106 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

still be obtained, at 75 cents and $1 per copy, according to the style of 
binding. 

The Committee has not dared to expect that no errors would be found 
in a work which embraces nearly $8,000,000, reported hurriedly, and in 
many cases very imperfectly, and the greater part within a few weeks. 
But it has been agreeably surprised that so few errors have been pointed 
out, and those, for the most part, such as rose from defective reporting. In 
order to secure greater accuracy, the manuscripts were offered for public 
inspection at the last Assembly, and Commissioners from the various Pres- 
byteries were invited to aid the Committee in making corrections. 

The entire amount reported as subscribed, up to August 1, 1871, was 
$7,833,983.85. As there has always been some difference of sentiment, in 
regard to the range of objects which should have been regarded as prop- 
erly Memorial objects, it may be well to observe, that the aggregate was 
sufficiently large to admit of many restrictions, and yet leave at least the 
$5,000,000, which the Church set out to raise. Deducting all special 
gifts to the Boards, and all that was expended in the payment of church 
debts, there will remain $6,662,269.54. Striking out $500,000, as prob- 
ably spent in repairs, we still have $6,162,269.54. 

With even the strictest construction, therefore, more than the amount 
originally intended has been fairly raised. 

The number of certificates issued has been 36,000. They have been 
made out for those only for whom they have been requested, and all names 
of those receiving them, so far as given to the Committee, have been 
recorded in the books of registry of certificates, constituting three volumes. 
There has in many cases been considerable delay, partly due to the late- 
ness of the applications for certificates, and partly to the fact that the en- 
graved copies could not be supplied with sufficient rapidity to meet the 
demand. The labor of filling out so large a number of certificates, and 
sending them to their proper destination, has been so great, that for some 
months several persons were employed, wholly or in part, in the work. 
One clerk was retained for this purpose until January 1st of the present 
year. The disbursements, which have been made of money actually 
received into the treasury in New York, are given in a tabular statement. 
Many of these were directed to specified objects by the donors ; in other 
cases, the Committee have been compelled to select, from a large number of 
applicants, those which seemed to them to have the highest claim. 

The Treasurer's account, which is also appended, has been audited up 
to date, and the small balance of $485.87 remaining in the treasury, after 
defraying all expenses, has, by a vote of the Committee, been passed over 
to the Treasurer of the Board of Foreign Missions, for permanent 
structures on a foreign field. 

It is recommended that the records of the Committee, including regis- 
ters of names, letter-books, etc., together with copies of the published 
report, be made over to the Presbyterian Historical Society, in Philadel- 
phia. 

Copies of the report have been sent to the libraries of the various Col- 
leges and Theological Seminaries connected with the Church. 

Having thus completed the work assigned to it by the General Assem- 
bly, the Committee would respectfully ask to be discharged. The mem- 
orial effort now belongs to the past, while other and greater interests chal- 
lenge the attention of our beloved Church. 

The Committee on the Memorial Fund were, at their own request, dis- 
charged.— 1872, p. 16. 



OF THE CHURCH. 107 



CHAPTER II. 

OF THE CHURCH. 

I. Jesus Christ, who is now exalted far above all principality and 
power, hath erected in this world, a kingdom, which is his church. 

II. The universal church consists of all those persons, in every 
nation, together with their children, who make profession of the holy 
religion of Christ, and of submission to his laws. 

III. As this immense multitude cannot meet together, in one 
place, to hold communion, or to worship God, it is reasonable, and 
warranted by Scripture example, that they should be divided into 
many particular churches. 

IV. A particular church consists of a number of professing Chris- 
tians, with their offspring, voluntarily associated together, for divine 
worship, and godly living, agreeably to the Holy Scriptures; and 
submitting to a certain form of government.* 

1. Mode of Organization of New Churches. 

The Committee to whom was recommitted the report of the last Assem- 
bly, on the organization of new churches, reported again, and their report 
was read and adopted, and is as follows, viz.: 

That a particular Presbyterian church, so far as adults are concerned, is 
constituted and organized as such, by a number of individuals, professing 
to walk together as the disciples of Jesus Christ, on the principles of the 
Confession of Faith and Form of Government of the Presbyterian Church, 
and the election and ordination of one or more ruling elders, who, by the 
ordination service become the spiritual rulers of the persons voluntarily 
submitting themselves to their authority in the Lord. 

a. This organization ought always to be made by application to the Pres- 
bytery, within the bounds of which the church to be organized is found, 
unless this be exceedingly inconvenient, in which case it may be done by 
a duly authorized missionary, or a neighboring minister of the gospel. 

b. At the time appointed for the purpose, after prayer for divine direc- 
tion and blessing, the presiding minister, or committee appointed by the 
Presbytery should first receive from those persons to be organized into the 
new church, if they have been communicants in other churches, letters of 
dismission and recommendation; and in the next place, examine and ad- 
mit to a profession of faith, such persons as may offer themselves, and 
may be judged suitable to be received on examination. If any of these 
persons admitted to a profession on examination, have not been baptized, 
they should in this stage of the business be made the subjects of Christian 
baptism. 

c. The individuals ascertained in the foregoing manner to be desirous 
and prepared to associate as a church of Christ, should now, by some pub- 
lie formal act, such as rising, joining hands, or subscribing a written state- 

* A larger type is used to indicate to the reader that the parts thus printed are 
from the Form of Government, Book of Discipline, or Directory for Wor- 
ship. 



108 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

ment, agree and covenant to walk together in a church relation, accord- 
ing to the acknowledged doctrines and order of the Presbyterian Church. 

d. The next step is to proceed to the election and ordination of ruling 
elders, in conformity with the directions given on this subject in the Form 
of Government of the Presbyterian Church. 

Deacons are to be elected and ordained in like manner as in the case of 
ruling elders. 

e. When a church has been organized in the manner already described, 
report of the same should be made, as soon as practicable, to the Presby- 
tery within whose bounds it is located. And when a missionary, or other 
minister of the gospel, not especially appointed to the work by a Presby- 
tery, has, in the manner above specified, organized a church, not within 
the known bounds of any Presbytery, the church thus organized should 
as soon as practicable make known to some Presbytery, with which it may 
be most naturally and conveniently connected, the time and manner of its 
organization, and desire to be received under the care of said Presbytery. 

In cases in which churches are to be formed within the known bound- 
aries of any Presbytery, it is most desirable that persons wishing to be 
organized as a Presbyterian Church, should petition that Presbytery to 
receive them under its care for the purpose of organizing them in due form. 

/. There may be people in destitute portions of our land, who may be 
disposed to associate for the purpose of forming a Presbyterian congrega- 
tion, when no minister of the gospel can be obtained to aid them. The 
forming of associations for such a purpose, in the circumstances contem- 
plated, should be considered not only as lawful, but highly commendable. 
And such associations, when formed, should, as speedily as possible, take 
measures for obtaining the preaching of the gospel, and for becoming or- 
ganized as regular churches. 

g. Cases may also occur, in various places, in which a collection or 
association of people may desire the preaching of the gospel, and be will- 
ing, in whole or in part, to support it, and yet may not have suitable men 
among them to sustain the office of ruling elders. 

Such people may and ought to obtain a preacher of the gospel to labor 
among them, and occasionally to administer ordinances, under the direc- 
tion of some Presbytery, till they shall find themselves in circumstances 
to make a proper choice of ruling elders, and to have them regularly set 
apart to their office.— 1831, pp. 326, 327. 

2. "Who are the Constituent Members of a Church ? 

a. "A particular church consists of a number of professing Christians, 
with their offspring, voluntarily associated together for divine worship, 
and godly living, agreeably to the Holy Scriptures ; and submitting to a 
certain form of government." — Form of Government, Ch. ii., Sec. iv. 

b. " Children, born within the pale of the visible church, and dedi- 
cated to God in baptism, are under the inspection and government of the 
church." — Directory, Ch. ix., Sec. i. 

c. " Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus 
Christ, . . . for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible 
church. . . ." — Confession, Ch. xxviii., Sec. i. 

d. "Not only those that do actually profess faith in, and obedience unto 
Christ, but also the infants of one or both believing parents are to be bap- 
tized." — lb., Ch. xxviii., Sec. iv. 

3. Of Trustees and Charters. 
a. It is not inconsistent with the Presbyterian plan of government, nor 
the institution of our Lord Jesus Christ, that Trustees, or a committee 



OF THE CHUKCH. 109 

chosen by the congregation, should have the disposal and application of 
the public money raised by said congregation, to the uses for which it 
was designed ; provided that they leave in the hands and to the man- 
agement of the deacons, what is collected for the Lord's table, and the 
poor. And that ministers of the Gospel, by virtue of their office, have 
no right to sit with or preside over such trustees or committees. — 1752, 
p. 249. 

b. Considering that it is necessary to the due and orderly maintenance 
of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in its various provisions, 
that care be taken, in obtaining legal enactments of a secular kind, that 
they be so formed as not to come in conflict with any such provisions — and 
whereas, it is known, that instances have existed, and probably do still 
exist, in which the charters of churches, and perhaps other legal instru- 
ments, are so framed that the laws of the Church and the laws of the 
land are not reconcilable with each other : Therefore, 

Resolved, That the General Assembly earnestly recommend it to all the 
congregations under their supervision, that in resorting to the legislatures 
or tribunals of our country, they use the utmost care to ask nothing 
which, if granted, will in any respect contravene the principles or order 
of our Church ; and in any cases in which civil enactments, heretofore 
obtained, do militate with any of the principles or order of our Church, 
they endeavor, as soon as possible, to obtain the repeal or modification 
of such enactments, so as to make them consistent with the ecclesiastical 
order and principles of the Presbyterian Church. — 1838, p. 26, O. S. 

4. Control of Trustees over a House of "Worship. 

Supposing that a musical convention desire the use of the Church for 
its sessions and exhibition; can the Board of Trustees give the use of the 
house of worship for that purpose without the consent of the session ? 

Resolved, That the trustees of a church hold the property for religious 
purposes ; and their legal rights' are only to be determined by the State 
laws and charters under which they act as custodians of the church. 
Still, they have no moral right to convert the house of God into a place 
of business or amusement. — 1860, p. 53, 54, O. S. 

5. Respective Rights of Trustees and Session in Controlling the 

House. 

a. Overture No. 14, being a request from the Presbytery of Cincinnati, 
that the Assembly define the respective rights of the trustees and session 
in the control of the edifice used for public worship, and direct what steps 
be taken in case of disagreement or collision between them, Avith a report 
thereon as follows : 

Where a church edifice is held by trustees, the legal title is vested in 
them ; and having the title, the custody and care of the property pertains 
to them, for the uses and purposes for which they hold the trust. These 
uses and purposes are the worship -of God, and the employment of such 
other means of spiritual improvement as maybe consistent with the Scrip- 
tures, and according to the order of the church : to which may be added, 
congregational meetings for business relating to the church or corporation. 
By the constitution of the Church, the session is charged with the super- 
vision of the spiritual interests of the congregation ; and this includes the 
right to direct and control the use of the building for the purposes of wor- 
ship, as required or established by the special usage of the particular 
church, or the Directory for Worship. This being the principal purpose 



110 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

of the trust, the trustees are bound to respect the wishes and action of 
the session as to the use and occupation of the house of worship. The 
session is the organ or agent through whom the trustees are informed how 
and when the church building is to be occupied ; and the trustees have no 
right to refuse compliance with the action of the session in this regard. 
These are general principles applicable to all cases, except, perhaps, in 
some localities where special statutory enactments by competent authority 
may confer other rights, or prescribe other duties. 

But there are other purposes for which the use of the church edifice is 
sometimes desired, which, though they partake of a religious or intellectual 
character, do not fall within the class of objects which are properly 
described as belonging to the worship of that congregation. The house 
may not be used for such purposes without the consent of the trustees ; 
and this consent they may properly, in their discretion, refuse. As the 
function to determine what is a proper use of the house is vested in the 
session, the trustees have no legal right to grant the use of it for purposes 
which the session disapprove. And as the strict rights of those who are 
represented by the session to the use of the house, are limited to the wor- 
ship of that congregation, the trustees are under no obligation to grant it 
for any other purpose. 

When the trustees grant the use of the house to others, contrary to the 
expressed wishes of the session, and, as they suppose, to the prejudice of the 
cause of religion and of that church, the proper appeal is, first, to the 
persons composing the congregation to whom the trustees are respons- 
ible ; secondly, to the Presbytery, for their advice ; and finally, if neces- 
sary, to the legal tribunals. 

The report was accepted and adopted. — 1863, pp. 43, 44, O. S. 

b. The Commissioners from the Presbytery of Wilmington have been 
instructed to ask information of the Assembly on the following points: 

1. Who are voters in an election for trustees of a church? 

2. Who have power to call a meeting" for the election of trustees of a 
church? 

3. Who have power to close and hold possession of a church — the trus- 
tees or the session ? 

The Committee reported : 

1. That the questions asked are wholly legal questions, to be determined 
by the local laws, relating to church property, in the State where the 
church lies. 

2. That, in the absence of any statutory law relating to the mode in 
which trustees shall proceed, the by-laws of the corporation shall govern 
the mode of proceeding. 

3. That in the absence of any specific rules of proceedings, the gen- 
eral principle of law, that the trust shall be executed for the sole use of 
those for whom it is held, shall govern the case. 

The report was adopted. — 1864, p. 478, N. S. 

6. Congregations acting through Trustees not Responsible as 
such to the Presbytery. 

The Judicial Committee report a paper from T. C. Connelly, of Wash- 
ington, D. C, calling attention to an alleged case of injustice on the part 
of a congregation, in that city, toward one of its members. 

No specific action of the Assembly is asked for. Nor does it appear that 
the case is under the control of any ecclesiastical court. Congregations, 
acting through a Board of Trustees, are not, as such, responsible to the 
Presbyteries. 



OF THE CHURCH. Ill 

On recommendation of the Committee, the whole matter was dismissed. 
—1869, p. 270, N. S. 

7. Relative Rights of Session and Trustees over Houses of "Wor- 
ship. — In the use of the Property for all Religious Services or 
Ecclesiastical purposes, the Trustees are under the Control of 
the Session. 

[The following extract from the decision of the Supreme Court of the 
United States, in the Louisville Walnut Street Church case, is inserted by 
order of the General Assembly, and answers clearly and authoritatively 
most of the questions asked above. See the whole decision under Form 
of Government, Chap, xii., Sec. v.] 

" One or two propositions, which seem to admit of no controversy, are 
proper to be noticed in this connection. 1. Both by the act of the Ken- 
tucky Legislature, creating the trustees of the church a body corporate, 
and by the acknowledged rules of the Presbyterian Church, the trustees 
were the mere nominal title-holders and custodians of the church prop- 
erty ; and other trustees were, or could be elected by the congregation, to 
supply their places, once in every two years. 2. That in the use of the 
property for all religious services or ecclesiastical purposes, the trustees 
were under the control of the church session. 3. That by the constitution 
of all Presbyterian churches, the session, which is the governing body in 
each, is composed of the ruling elders and pastor ; and in all business of 
the session a majority of its members govern, the number of elders for 
each congregation being variable. 

The trustees obviously hold possession for the use of the persons who, 
by the constitution, usages, and laws of the Presbyterian body, are en- 
titled to that use. They are liable to removal by the congregation for 
whom they hold this trust; and others may be substituted in their places. 
They have no personal ownership or right beyond this, and are subject, in 
their official relations to the property, to the control of the session of the 
church. 

The possession of the elders, though accompanied with larger and more 
efficient powers of control, is still a fiduciary possession. It is as a session 
of the church alone that they could exercise power. Except by an order 
of the session in regular meeting, they have no right to make any order 
concerning the use of the building; and any action of the session is neces- 
sarily in the character of representatives of the church body by whose 
members it was elected. 

If, then, this true body of the church — the members of that congrega- 
tion — having rights of user in the building, have in a mode which is 
authorized by the canons of the general Church in this country elected 
and installed other elders, it does not seem to us inconsistent or at vari- 
ance with the nature of the possession which we have described, and which 
the Chancery Court orders to be restored to the defendants, that they 
should be compelled to recognize these rights, and permit those who are 
the real beneficiaries of the trust held by them to enjoy the uses to pro- 
tect which that trust was created, — 1872, p. 181, Appendix. 



112 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

CHAPTER III. 
OF THE OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH 

I. Our blessed Lord at first collected his Church out of different na- 
tions, and formed it into one body by the mission of men endued 
with miraculous gifts, which have long since ceased. 

II. The ordinary and perpetual officers in the Church are Bishops 
or Pastors ; the representatives of the people, usually styled Ruling 
Elders and Deacons. 

[See under Chapters iv., v., vi.] 



CHAPTER IV. 

OF BISHOPS OR PASTORS. 



The pastoral office is the first in the Church, both for dignity and 
usefulness. The person who fills this office hath in the Scripture ob- 
tained different names expressive of his various duties. As he has 
the oversight of the flock of Christ, he is termed bishop.* As he 
feeds them with spiritual food, he is termed pastor. As he serves 
Christ in his Church, he is termed minister. As it is his duty to be 
grave and prudent and an example of the flock, and to govern well 
in the house and kingdom of Christ, he is termed presbyter or elder. 
As he is the messenger of God, he is termed the angel of the Church. 
As he is sent to declare the will of God to sinners and to beseech 
them to be reconciled to God through Christ, he is termed ambassa- 
dor. And as he dispenses the manifold grace of God and the ordi- 
nances instituted by Christ, he is termed steward of the mysteries of 
God. 

1. Stated Supplies have not a Pastoral Relation. 

a. "Resolved, That as Mr. Clapp was merely a stated supply of the 
church in New Orleans, the Presbytery of Mississippi had a right, and it 
was their duty, under existing circumstances, to adopt measures to detach 
him from said congregation."— 1831, p. 340. 

b. The committee on Overture No. 9, viz., a memorial from East 
Hanover Presbytery on inefficiency in the ministry, made the following 
report, which was adopted, viz.: ... 3. That it be enjoined on all the 
Presbyteries to take such measures as they may deem expedient for form- 
ing the pastoral relation in a regular manner in all cases where churches 

*As the office and character of the gospel minister is particularly and fully de- 
scribed in the Holy Scriptures under the title of "bishop," and as this term is pecu- 
liarly expressive of his duty as an overseer of the flock, it ought not to be rejected. 



OF BISHOPS OK PASTORS. 113 

are now served by stated supplies, unless there be special reasons to the 
contrary, of which reasons the Presbytery is required to judge, and to 
make their judgment matter of record on their minutes. — 1834, p. 450. 

e. "Resolved, That it be enjoined on all the Presbyteries to take early 
and efficient measures for terminating, as far as possible, the growing evil 
of the system of stated supplies, and for leading all our churches to seek 
the regular installation of their stated Teachers as Pastors in the full 
sense of the term, as used in our Form of Government." — 1839, p. 177, 
O. S. 

d. " The Pastoral office should be more and more highly appreciated, 
practically honored and mainly promoted in all our judicatories and 
churches as the ordinary, the permanent, and the incomparable way of 
the Lord in promoting his own cause and in educating his people for 
heaven."— 1840, p. 17, N. S. 

e. " That the relation of stated supply which has grown up between many 
of our churches and ministers is unknown in our system, and tends to dis- 
order and injury in many ways. The Presbyteries are therefore directed 
to supplant it, as far as possible, in all cases by the regular pastoral relation ; 
and to discountenance it as a permanent relation." — 1842, p. 28, O. S. 

f. " Churches having stated supplies only are not such churches as are 
contemplated in Form of Government, chap, x., sec. iv., and have a right 
of representation according to the principles of the Form of Government, 
chap, x., sec. v." — 1851, p. 15, N. S. 

g. " That while the instability of the pastoral relation arises out of the 
uneasiness incident to growing and changing communities, and so cannot 
be removed by legislation, still the Presbyteries themselves can do much 
to abate it by honoring the pastoral relation, and declining, except in 
extraordinary cases, to ordain young men as evangelists to serve as stated 
supplies."— 1869, p. 262, N. S. 

2. Fidelity in Pastoral Duties enjoined. 

a. Upon an overture to the Synod, in pursuance of an order of the com- 
mittee to that purpose, viz., to use some proper means to revive the de- 
clining power of godliness, the Synod do earnestly recommend it to all 
our ministers and members to take particular care about ministerial visit- 
ing of families, and press family and secret worship, according to the 
Westminster Directory, and that they also recommend it to every Presby- 
tery at proper seasons to inquire concerning the diligence of each of their 
members in such particulars. 

This overture was approved nemine contradicente. — 1733, p. 105. 

b. And the Synod does further recommend unanimously to all our Pres- 
byteries to take effectual care that each of their ministers are faithful in 
the discharge of their awful trust. And in particular, that they fre- 
quently examine, with respect to each of their members, into their life 
and conversation, their diligence in their work, and their methods of dis- 
charging their ministerial calling. Particularly that each Presbytery do, 
at least once a year, examine into the manner of each minister's preach- 
ing, whether he insist in his ministry upon the great articles of Christian- 
ity, and in the course of his preaching recommend a crucified Saviour to 
his hearers as the only foundation of hope, and the absolute necessity of 
the omnipotent influences of the divine grace to enable them to accept 
of this Saviour; whether he do, in the most solemn and affecting manner 
he can, endeavor to convince his hearers of their lost and miserable state 
whilst unconverted, and put them upon the diligent use of those means 
necessary in order to obtaining the sanctifying influences of the Spirit of 

15 



114 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

God ; whether he do, and how he doth, discharge his duty toward the 
young people and children of his congregation in a way of catechising 
and familiar instruction ; whether he do, and in what manner he doth, 
visit his flock and instruct them from house to house. 

And the Synod hereby orders that a copy of this minute be inserted 
into the books of each of our Presbyteries, and be read at every of their 
Presbyterial meetings, and a record of its being read minuted in said 
books at the beginning of every session, and that there be also an annual 
record in each Presbytery book of a. correspondence with this minute. 

And in case any minister within our bounds shall be found defective in 
any of the above-mentioned cases, he shall be subject to the censure of 
the Presbytery, and if he refuse subjection to such censure, the Presbytery 
are hereby directed to represent his case to the next synod. And the 
Synod recommends to each of the ministers within our bounds to be as 
much in catechetical doctrines as they in prudence may think proper. — 
1734, p. 111. 

c. That in the discharge of pastoral duties, they take the utmost care 
that the word of God be known and understood by the people, and that 
for this purpose, in their public instructions the practice of lecturing on 
certain portions of holy Scripture be not laid aside, but rather revived and 
increased ; that they endeavor, where it is prudent and practicable, to in- 
stitute private societies for reading, prayer, and pious conversation ; above 
all, that they be faithful in the duties of family visitation and the cate- 
chetical instruction of children and youth. And that in order to aid 
these views, they endeavor to engage the sessions of the respective congre- 
gations, or other men most distinguished for intelligence and piety in 
them, to assume as trustees the superintendence and inspection of the 
schools established for the initiation and improvement of children in the 
elements of knowledge ; to see that they be provided with teachers of 
grave and respectable characters ; and that these teachers, among other 
objects of their duty, instruct their pupils in the principles of religion, 
which should be done as often as possible in the presence of one or more 
of the aforesaid trustees, under the deep conviction that the care and edu- 
cation of children, the example set before them, and the first impressions 
made on their minds are of the utmost importance to civil society as well 
as to the church.— 1799, p. 182. 

[See also under Directory for Worship, Chap, i., Chap, vi., and Minutes 
passim, for duties, etc., of a pastor, and under Form of Government, 
Chaps, xv., xvi., and xvii., for questions relating to the pastoral office. 
Also Chap. x.,.sec. viii.] 



CHAPTER V. 
OF RULING ELDERS. 



Hulino Elders are properly the representatives of the people, 
chosen by them for the purpose of exercising government and disci- 
pline, in conjunction with pastors or ministers. This office has been 
understood, by a great part of the Protestant Reformed Churches, to 
be designated in the holy Scriptures, by the title of governments ; 
and of those who rule well, but do not labor in the w r ord and doc- 
trine. 






OF RULING ELDERS. 115 

For the better establishing and settling congregations, it is ordered 
and appointed that in every congregation there be a sufficient number of 
assistants chosen to aid the minister in the management of congregational 
affaire.— 1714, p. 37. 

1. The Eldership essential to the Existence of a Presbyterian 

Church. 

The report of the committee to examine the records of the Synod of the 
Western Reserve was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : That the records be 
approved, with the exception of the sentiment on page 154, viz., that the 
eldership is not essential to the existence of the Presbyterian Church. In 
the opinion of the committee the Synod advance a sentiment that contra- 
venes the principles recognized in our Form of Government, chap, ii., sec. 
4 ; chap, iii., sec. 2 ; chap. v. ; chap, ix., sec. 1, 2. — 1833, p. 404. 

[This does not forbid the forming of congregations for religious wor- 
ship, where they may not have suitable persons among them to sustain 
the office of ruling elder. See chap, ii., sec. 4.] 

2. Elders must be duly Elected and set Apart, 

The following inquiry was referred to the decision of the Assembly by 
the Synod of the Carolinas, viz. : 

In what point of light are the elders nominated and ordained by Mr. 
Balch to be viewed hereafter in Mt. Bethel congregation ? 

It was determined by the Assembly that the "elders" mentioned in the 
inquiry are to be henceforth viewed as private church members only, un- 
less they be duly elected and set apart as church officers hereafter. — 1798, 
p. 158. 

3. A Ruling Elder without Charge has no Seat in a Church Court. 

Resolved, That no ruling elder, who has retired from the active exer- 
cise of his office in the church to which he belongs, can be admitted as a 
member of a Presbytery, Synod, or General Assembly.— 1835, p. 489. 

4. An Elder cannot hold Office in two Churches at the same time. 

The Judical Committee reported that, by permission of the Assembly, 
a complaint was presented to them by the Rev. Dr. Ashbel Green, in be- 
half of a minority, against a decision of the Synod of Philadelphia,* 
recorded on the Synod book, page 168, by which complaint the following 
question is presented for the decision of the Assembly, viz.: 

Is it consistent with the Constitution of this Church for the same indi- 
vidual to hold the office of ruling elder in two different churches at the 
same time? 

When it was resolved by the Assembly that the decision of the Synod 
be affirmed, and the complaint dismissed. — 1827, p. 204. 

5. Nor Adjudicate in a Church of which he is not an Elder. 

Overture No. 14, viz., the following question from the Presbytery of 
Salem: "Has a ruling elder in any case a legal right to adjudicate in 
another church than that of which he is an elder?" was taken up and de- 
cided in the negative. — 1831, p. 324. 

^ * The Synod having rejected a resolution declaring it lawful for an elder to exer- 
cise the office in two different congregations at the same time. 



116 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

6. An Elder has the same right to sit in Synod, as in Presbytery. 

Has an elder, whom the discipline of our Church authorizes to sit as 
a member in Presbytery, from a vacant congregation or united congrega- 
tions, a right by that discipline to sit in Synod, as a representative of 
such congregation or congregations ? 

The question was determined in the affirmative. — 1808, p. 403. 

7. When an Elder has been Suspended from Church Privileges, 

and is Restored, he is not thereby Restored to Office. 

When an elder has been suspended from church privileges, for an 
offence, and again restored to the privileges of the church, is he also 
restored to his office as a ruling elder?" should be answered in the nega- 
tive. The two things are distinct ; and since an elder, as well as a min- 
ister, may be suspended from his office, and not from the communion of 
the church, so there may be reasons for continuing his suspension from his 
office after he is restored to the privileges of the church. He cannot be 
restored to the functions of his office without a special and express act of 
the Session for that purpose, with the acquiescence of the church. — 1836, 
p. 263. 

8. Elders are not to Participate in the Ordination of Ministers by 

the Laying on of Hands. 

a. In answer to a communication from the Presbytery of the Western 
District on the subject of allowing ruling elders to unite in the impo- 
sition of hands in the ordination of bishops : The Committee unani- 
mously recommend an adherence to the order, and, until recently, the 
uniform practice of our Church on this subject, viz. : to allow preaching 
elders or bishops only to engage in that service, 

Which was adopted.— 1842, p. 16, O. S. 

b. Resolved, That it is the judgment of this General Assembly that 
neither the Constitution nor the practice of our Church authorizes ruling 
elders to impose hands in the ordination of ministers." [Yeas 138, nays 
7, non liquet 1, excused 2.]— 1843, p. 183, O. S. 

c. In answer to a request to reverse the above decision, the Assembly — 
1. Resolved, That in the opinion of this Assembly, the last Assembly, 

in determining that ruling elders are not authorized by the Form of 
Government to impose hands in the ordination of ministers, did not 
depreciate the office of ruling elder, nor did they in any respect contra- 
vene the letter or the spirit of the Constitution, or the principles and 
practice of Presbyterian Churches in Europe or America since the 
Reformation ; but in conformity with both the principles and practice of 
our own and other Presbyterian Churches, they did decide that as the 
rite of ordination is simply a declaratory ministerial act, the laying on 
of hands as a part thereof belongs properly to ordained ministers, while 
to ruling elders is left unimpaired and unquestioned the full and right- 
ful power of ordering the work of ordination, and of judging in the dis- 
cipline of ministers in common Avith those Presbyters who labor in word 
and doctrine, as in all other cases." [Yeas 154, nays 25.] — 1844, p. 370, 
O. S. 

[Against the above action a Protest, signed by twenty-two members of 
the Assembly, was entered and received. The Protest and the answer 
of the Assembly may be found in Baird's Collection, revised edition, pp. 
75-80.] 

d. The Committee on the Polity of the Church reported an answer to 



OF RULING ELDERS. 117 

the inquiry, "Ought the eldership to participate in the ordination of min- 
isters by laying on of hands ?" as follows : 

It is a recognized principle of our Church polity, in accordance, as we 
believe, with apostolic teaching, that bishops, ministers and elders con- 
stitute but one grade or rank of officers in the Christian Church, and 
hence that in all our Church judicatories they have equal rights and pow- 
ers. In all the judicial business of the Church all are Presbyters alike. 
(See Form of Gov., chap, ix., sees. 1, 2, 4 ; chap, x., sees. 2 to 7 ; chap, xi., 
sees. 1, 2 ; and chap, xii., sec. 2.) Still it cannot be denied that in the 
Bible a distinction is recognized between those Presbyters who rule only 
and those who both rule and preach. In the practice of the Presbyterian 
Church in all its branches this distinction has become very marked. 
Some are set apart expressly to preach the Gospel and to administer the 
ordinances of God's house. They are Presbyters in common with others ; 
but as ministers of Christ, they have functions and rights peculiar to 
themselves, and are required to possess proper qualifications. In the or- 
dination of ministers your committee believe there are two distinct things 
to be done : 1st. The examination and approval of the candidate. In 
this all the members of the Presbytery participate alike ; and, 2d. The 
formal act of induction into office, in which, by almost universal consent, 
as we suppose, only ministers officiate. It is true our Form of Govern- 
ment, chap, xv., sec. 14, speaks of the whole Presbytery as laying on hands 
and giving the right hand of fellowship. But every statute should be 
construed consistently w T ith itself and with general usage under the statute. 
Your committee would suggest that the act of induction is ministerial, not 
judicial. And as in respect to baptism, the elders, jointly with the pas- 
tor, determine who shall be admitted to this ordinance ; yet the pastor 
only administers it; so in ordination — the whole Presbytery determine 
the fitness of the candidate, but only the ministers present induct into 
office. This, we believe, has been the universal practice under this rule ; 
and that this usage was intended by the framers of the book seems prob- 
able from the fact that in the form of induction those aiding in the service 
are directed to extend to the new minister their right hands, saying, " We 
give you the right hand of felloivship to take part of this ministry with us" 
This language manifestly implies that those welcoming him do themselves 
occupy places in that ministry to which they welcome him. The commit- 
tee therefore recommend that the question be answered in the negative. 
The report was adopted. — 1860, p. 242, N. S. 

9. Ruling Elders may not Administer Sealing Ordinances. 

The Committee on Bills and Overtures reported as follows : 
An Overture from the Presbytery of Peoria, on the authority of ruling 
elders to administer sealing ordinances: The committee recommend 
that they be referred to the Standards, Directory for Worship, chap, vii., 
sec. 1, and chap. viii. throughout. 

The report was adopted. — 1870, p. 22. 

10. Ruling Elders may Explain the Scriptures and exhort in the 

Absence of the Pastor. 

On page 10, Vol. IV., of these Minutes, Mississippi Synod takes excep- 
tions to the minute of Louisiana Presbytery ; because this Presbytery con- 
siders it not inconsistent with the principles of our Church for ruling 
elders, in the absence of the pastor, to read the Scriptures and explain 
them, and to endeavor to enforce the truth upon the conscience by suit- 



118 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

able exhortations. The Assembly believe the Presbytery of Louisiana 
were right, according to chap, xxi., Form of Government. — 1856, p. 538, 
O. S. 

11. The proper Court to try Ruling Elders in a given Case. 

The following question from the Presbytery of Genesee was presented 
by the Committee of Overtures, viz. : 

Common fame accuses two ruling elders of a church (they being the 
only acting elders) of unchristian conduct, which took place several years 
ago, but which has lately been made known to the Presbytery with which 
said church is connected. What is the duty of the Presbytery in the 
case? 

Resolved, That the Presbytery is the competent court to try these two 
elders, and that it is their duty to cite the offending persons before them, 
and proceed to issue the case. — 1825, pp. 142, 144. [See below under 
Chaps, ix. and xiii.] 



CHAPTER VI. 
OF DEACONS. 



The Scriptures clearly point out Deacons as distinct officers in the 
Church, whose business it is to take care of the poor, and to dis- 
tribute among them the collections which may be raised for their use. 
To them also may be properly committed the management of the tem- 
poral affairs of the Church. 

1. Their Functions. — They have no Judicial Power. 

a. We need only represent unto you the ends and institution of Scrip- 
ture deacons, and that there is no juridical power allowed them in the 
Scriptures. — 1715, p. 42. 

b. The Temporalities of the Church may be committed to them. 

In answer to the inquiry, "What are the nature and duties of the office 
of Deacon?" we reply: The answer we conceive to be explicitly given in 
our Form of Government, chapter vi. Their duties there are plainly 
made to consist in distributing the charities of the church to which they 
belong to the poor of that church. Over charities collected for any other 
purpose than those specified, their office gives them no control. In ad- 
dition to this, the temporalities of the church generally may be committed 
to their care.— 1833, p. 405. 

c. The Appointment of Deacons urged. 

Overture No. 8, from the Presbytery of Pittsburg, on the subject of 
Deacons. The committee recommend — in response to the memorial re- 
garding the functions of deacons, and requesting that, in respect to the 
care of the poor, their business be so defined as not to exclude the poor 
and the sick outside the Church — the adoption of the following resolutions: 

Resolved, 1. That the Assembly regards the office of deacon as pro- 
viding proper scriptural and feasible means for such exercise of charity, 
as will aid in extending the influence of the Church among the poor, and 
opening the way for more direct spiritual ministrations. 



OF DEACONS. 119 

Resolved, 2. That the Assembly, rejoicing in all that is accomplished by 
others, express their most decided approval of all institutions for the care 
of the poor and sick, conducted by Presbyterians, and regarding with 
pleasure their increasing number, earnestly advises their multiplication. 

Resolved, 3. That the Presbyterian Church has always recognized the 
office of Deacon ; and the Assembly renewedly call the attention of the 
churches to the provisions of the Form of Government in the case. [See 
chap, xiii., sec. 2d.]— 1871, p. 588-89. 

2. May a person at once be Deacon and Elder? 

Resolved, That while it is important and desirable that the several 
offices in the Christian Church should be kept distinct, and be sustained 
by different individuals wherever a sufficient number of competent men 
can be found, yet in the opinion of this Assembly it is not inconsistent 
with the constitution of the Presbyterian Church, nor with the precedent 
furnished in filling the office of Deacon at its first institution, that where 
a necessity exists, the same individual should sustain both offices. — 1840, 
p. 306, O. S. 

3. The Appointment of Deacons Enjoined. 

Resolved, That it be enjoined upon all the Presbyteries under the care 
of the General Assembly to take such order on this subject as shall secure 
the appointment of Deacons in all the churches, with the exception of 
those in which it may be impracticable from paucity of male members. — 
1840, p. 286, O. S. 

[The same injunction was renewed 1841, p. 418. and 1856, p. 535.] 

4. To the Deacons belongs exclusively the control of Funds for the 

Poor. 

1. Has a Church session any original or direct control over the man- 
agement and distribution of the fund collected and in the hands of the 
Deacons for the benefit of the poor of the Church ? 

2. Or does the management of this fund belong exclusively to the 
Deacons ? 

3. If the session has any control over this fund, what is the nature and 
extent of that control ? 

The committee recommend that the first inquiry be answered in the 
negative, the second in the affirmative, and that the third be answered, 
" They may advise respecting the use of funds." Adopted. — 1857, p. 24, 
O. S. 

5. "Is it proper for the Deacons of our Churches to officiate on Sac- 

ramental occasions when the Elders are present?" 

The Assembly answer, " That inasmuch as we have no rule in relation 
to the subject, the matter is referred to the discretion of the sessions of 
the churches."— 1867, p. 497, N. S. 

6. Deacons may not represent the Church in Church Courts. 

The record [Synod of Buffalo], p. 156, would lead to the belief that a 
Deacon of the Church was admitted to a seat in Synod, which, if so, is in 
violation of the principles of our Church government, — 1860, p. 34, O. S. 



120 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

CHAPTER VII. 

OF ORDINANCES IN A PARTICULAR CHURCH. 

The ordinances established by Christ, the head, in a particular 
church, which is regularly constituted with its proper officers, are 
prayer, singing praises, reading, expounding and preaching the word 
of God; administering baptism and the Lord's supper; public sol- 
emn fasting and thanksgiving, catechising, making collections for the 
poor and other pious purposes; exercising discipline, and blessing the 
people. 

[See under Directory for Worship, Chapters Hi., i\\, v., vi., vii., viii., 
xiv., and xv. The subject of collections for pious uses has occupied 
much of the attention of the Assemblies for many years. In 1854 the 
Assembly, O. S., issued an address at once comprehensive and exhaustive. 
See Baird, pp. 174-180. See also under Chapter xviii., sec. ix., on Benevo- 
lence and Finance.] 



CHAPTER VIII. 



OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT, AND THE SEVERAL KINDS OF JU- 
DICATORIES. 

I. It is absolutely necessary that the government of the church be 
exercised under some certain and definite form. And we hold it to 
be expedient, and agreeable to Scripture and the practice of the prim- 
itive Christians, that the church be governed by Congregational, 
Presbyterial, and Synodical Assemblies. In full consistency with 
this belief, we embrace, in the spirit of charity, those Christians who 
differ from us, in opinion and practice, on these subjects. 

II. These assemblies ought not to possess any civil jurisdiction, 
nor to inflict any civil penalties. Their power is wholly moral or 
spiritual, and that only ministerial and declarative. They possess 
the right of requiring obedience to the laws of Christ ; and of ex- 
cluding the disobedient and disorderly from the privileges of the 
church. To give efficiency, however, to this necessary and scriptural 
authority, they possess the powers requisite for obtaining evidence 
and inflicting censure. They can call before them any offender 
against the order and government of the church ; they can require 
members of their own society to appear and give testimony in the 
cause ; but the highest punishment to which their authority extends, 
is to exclude the contumacious and impenitent from the congregation 
of believers. 



OF CHURCH-GOVEENMENT AND JUDICATORIES. 121 



1. Union of Church and State Disavowed. Relation to the State. 

The Committee to whom was recommitted the report on the reference 
from the Presbyteries of Madison and Lancaster, reported, and their re- 
port was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

That said Presbyteries invite the attention of the General Assembly to 
certain slanderous reports extensively circulated against the Presbyterian 
and other denominations, involving the charge of an attempt on the part 
of these denominations to unite Church and State, and thus subvert the 
civil institutions of our country, and intimate their desire that this Assem- 
bly would take order on the subject, and by some public act disabuse 
themselves and their constituents of such unfounded and injurious imputa- 
tions. 

In the opinion of your committee no public act is necessary on the part 
of this Assembly to refute a charge wholly unsupported by testimony and 
facts ; nor any exposition of their principles in relation to civil magis- 
tracy and the claims of the church demanded, other than that contained 
in our acknowledged ecclesiastical standards, and published to the world. 
For the better information, however, of any who may be in danger of im- 
position from unfounded statements, the Assembly would refer to the fol- 
lowing exhibition of their principles as contained in the accredited consti- 
tution of the church. 

"God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil 
magistrates to be under him over the people, for his own glory and the 
public good, and to this end hath armed them with the power of the 
sword, for the defence and encouragement of them that are good, and for 
the punishment of evil-doers. 

"It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of magis- 
trate, when called thereunto ; in the managing whereof, as they ought 
especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the whole- 
some laws of each commonwealth, so, for that end, they may lawfully, now 
under the New Testament, w T age war upon just and necessary occasions. 

"Civil magistrates may not assume to themselves the administration of 
the word and sacraments ; or the pow 7 er of the keys of the kingdom of 
heaven ; or, in the least, interfere in matters of faith. Yet, as nursing 
fathers, it is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the Church of our 
common Lord, without giving the preference to any denomination of 
Christians above the rest, in such a manner, that all ecclesiastical persons 
whatever shall enjoy the full, free, and unquestioned liberty of discharging 
every part of their sacred functions, without violence or danger. And, as 
Jesus Christ hath appointed a regular government and discipline in his 
church, no law of any commonwealth should interfere with, let, or hinder, 
the due exercise thereof, among the voluntary members of any denomina- 
tion of Christians, according to their own profession and belief. It is the 
duty of civil magistrates to protect the person and good name of all their 
people, in such an effectual manner as that no person be suffered, either 
upon pretence of religion or infidelity, to offer any indignity, violence, 
abuse, or injury, to any other person whatsoever; and to take order, that 
all religious and ecclesiastical assemblies be held without molestation or 
disturbance. 

"It is the duty of the people to pray for magistrates, to honor their per- 
sons, to pay them tribute and other dues, to obey their lawful commands, 
and to be subject to their authority, for conscience' sake. Infidelity or dif- 
ference in religion doth not make void the magistrate's just and legal au- 
thority, nor free the people from their due obedience to him ; from which 
16 



122 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 

ecclesiastical persons are not exempted ; much less hath the pope any 
power or jurisdiction over them in their dominions, or over any of their 
people ; and least of all, to deprive them of their dominions or lives, if he 
shall judge them to be heretics, or upon any other pretence whatsoever.* " 

"Synods and councils are to handle or conclude nothing, but that which 
is ecclesiastical ; and are not to intermeddle with civil affairs which con- 
cern the commonwealth, unless by way of humble petition, in cases extra- 
ordinary; or by way of advice for satisfaction of conscience, if they be 
thereunto required by the civil magistrate.")"" 

"That God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the 
doctrine and commandments of men, which are in anything contrary to 
his word, or beside it, in matters of faith or worship. Therefore they 
consider the rights of private judgment in all matters that respect re- 
ligion, as universal and unalienable. They do not even wish to see any 
religious constitution aided by the civil power, further than may be neces- 
sary for protection and security, and at the same time, be equal and com- 
mon to all others.J " 

Such are the constitutional principles of the Presbyterian Church in 
these United States. They were our fathers' principles before and during 
the revolution, which issued in the consummation of our liberty and inde- 
pendence, and under the influence of which they prayed, and fought, and 
bled, by the side of the father of our country. They have been the prin- 
ciples of their descendants ever since. They are our principles still, 
adopted from conviction, to whose support we have pledged ourselves 
under the most solemn sanctions, and by the preservation of which we 
believe that the common interests of evangelical religion and civil liberty 
will be most effectually sustained. 

In closing this statement the Assembly would affectionately and earn- 
estly exhort the members of their communion that in the fulfillment of 
their civil and religious duties they watch against all unhallowed feelings, 
and that they suffer reproach meekly, not rendering railing for railing, 
nor evil for evil, but by patient continuance in well-doing, they commend 
themselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. — 1830, pp. 299, 
300. [See also under chap, xii., sec. v., 1873, p. 501.] 

2. Right of any Judicatory to bear Testimony against Erroneous 
and Injurious Publications. 

Resolved, That in the judgment of this General Assembly it is the right, 
and may be the duty, of any judicatory of our church to take up, and if 
it see cause, to bear testimony against any printed publication which may 
be circulating within its bounds, and which, in the judgment of that judi- 
catory, may be adapted to inculcate injurious opinions; and this whether 
the author be living or dead, whether he be in the communion of our 
church or not, whether he be a member of the judicatory expressing the 
opinion or of some other. A judicatory may be solemnly called upon to 
warn the churches under its care, and especially the rising generation, 
against an erroneous book while the author may not be within their 
bounds, or immediately responsible at their bar, and while, even if he were 
thus responsible and within their reach, they might not think it necessary 
to arraign him as a heretic. To deny our judicatories, as guardians of the 
churches, this right would be to deny them one of the most precious and 
powerful means of bearing testimony against dangerous sentiments, and 
guarding the children of the Church against "that instruction which 
causeth to err." The writer of such a book may reside at a distance 

* Conf. of Faith, Chap, xxiii. f Ibid., Chap, xxxi., Sec. 4. 

% Form of Government, Chap, i., Sec. 1. 



OF THE CHURCH SESSION. 123 

from the neighborhood in which his work is circulating and supposed to be 
doing mischief, or he may be so situated that, even if it be proper to com- 
mence process against him, it may not be possible to commence, or at any 
rate, to issue that process within a number of months. In the mean while, 
if the right in question be denied, this book may be scattering poison 
without the possibility of sending forth an effectual antidote. Indeed, it 
may be indispensably necessary in cases which may easily be imagined, to 
send out such a warning, even though the author of the book were fully 
acquitted from the charge of heresy. — 1835, p. 485. 



CHAPTER IX. 
OF THE CHUBCH SESSION. 



I. The church session consists of the pastor or pastors, and ruling 
elders, of a particular congregation. 

1. A Special Session Unconstitutional. 

a. The Presbytery of Miami did appoint a special session composed of 
elders belonging to different congregations, for the purpose of trying Mr. 
Lowrey, and the decision of such a special session was affirmed by the 
Synod of Ohio ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the* appeal of Mr. Lowrey be sustained, and it hereby is 
sustained ; and that all the proceedings in the case be, and they hereby 
are reversed, on the ground that the appointment of such a special session 
is entirely unconstitutional ; and if Mr. Lowrey has done anything offen- 
sive, he ought to be tried by the courts that have been instituted by the 
Constitution of our Church. — 1823, p. 92. 

b. This Assembly concur in opinion with the last General Assembly, 
that the special session appointed by the Presbytery of Miami for the trial 
of S. Lowrey, was an unconstitutional court, and that all the proceedings 
of that body in this case, and of the Presbytery of Miami and of the Synod 
of Ohio, sanctioning the acts of that body, are irregular. And the allega- 
tion of the Synod in their memorial that this body, though called a ses- 
sion, was, in reality, no more than a committee of Presbytery, is incorrect, 
for they are not only denominated a session, but they performed the acts 
which belong peculiarly to a church session : they sat in judgment upon a 
member of the church and an elder, and condemned and suspended him ; 
but no Presbytery has authority, according to the Constitution of our 
Church, to delegate to a committee a power to perform such acts as those. 
—1824, p. 115. 

c. The committee appointed to examine the records of the Synod of 
Ohio reported. The report was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

That the minutes be approved to page 191, with the exception of the min- 
utes on page 169, where a select session was appointed by the Presbytery of 
Miami, which in the judgment of the Assembly was unconstitutional, and 
of which the Synod has taken no notice. — 1824, p. 117. 

[For a special case where a session could not act because of the rela- 
tions of the only elder to the accused, see above, Chap, v., 11.] 



124 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

d. The Assembly refuses to Legalize a Special Session. 

Overture from the Presbytery of Kaskaskia, asking the General Assem- 
bly to make provision for the calling of special sessions of ruling elders 
from neighboring churches to obviate delays in cases of discipline for 
want of quorums of church sessions. 

The Assembly can afford no relief of the nature proposed to the diffi- 
culties contemplated. — 1860, p. 28, O. S. 

2. An Elder may not Adjudicate in any Church in which he is not 

an Elder. 

Overture No. 14, viz., the following question from the Presbytery of 
Salem, " Has a ruling elder in any case a legal right to adjudicate in an- 
other church than that of which he is an elder ?" was taken up and de- 
cided in the negative. — 1831, p. 324. 

3. A Minister may not sit as a Corresponding' Member of Session 

nor be assigned as Counsel for the Accused. 

May a session of a church invite a minister of the gospel belonging to 
the same Presbytery or Synod to which the church belongs to sit as a cor- 
responding member of said session ? and when so invited, may such min- 
ister, at the request of an accused brother, be assigned as counsel for the 
accused ? 

The committee recommended that both questions be answered in the 
negative, and the report was adopted. — 1851, p. 20, N. S. 

4. Elders must be ordained.— Neglect of Ordination invalidates a 

Decision. 

The Committee on Church Polity reported two questions with the re- 
commendation that they be answered in the negative : — 

a. 1st. Is an Elder elect a member of the session, and competent to 
sit in a judicial case before he has been ordained according to the Form 
of Government? 

b. 2d. Would a decision in a case of discipline, made by a session 
whose members have never been ordained according to the Form of 
Government, Chap, xiii., be a valid and lawful decision, and binding 
upon the accused? 

The report was adopted. — 1868, p. 58, N. S. 

5. Receiving an Elder on a Certificate not used restores him to 

office. 

The same Committee reported the following case and question : 

Mr. C, an acting elder of the church of C, having taken a certificate 
of dismission, and having retained it about three years, returned it to the 
session of the church of C, giving satisfactory reasons for not using it, 
and was restored to the membership of the church. Does the receiving 
again by the session reinstate Mr. C. as an acting elder of the church 
of C. ? 

The Committee recommended that the answer be in the affirmative. 

The report was adopted.— 1868, p. 58, N. S. 

[See also Form of Government, Chap, xiii.] 

II. Of this judicatory, two elders, if there be as many in the con- 
gregation, with the pastor, shall be necessary to constitute a quorum. 



OF THE CHURCH SESSION. 125 

1. A Minister with one Elder, if there be but one, may constitute 

a Quorum. 

a. The inquiry, which is in these words, "Can a minister with one 
elder form a session capable of transacting judicial business ?" is sufficient- 
ly answered in the Constitution, Form of Government, chap, ix., sec. 2, 
where it seems to be implied that cases may occur with infant or feeble 
churches, in which it would be impracticable for a time to have more than 
one elder, and yet be necessary to perform acts of a judicial character. 

For such the Constitution provides ; but if there be more than one 
elder, then two at least, with a minister, are necessarv to form a Session. 
—1836, p. 263. 

b. A request from the Presbytery of Muncie, that the Assembly take 
the necessary steps for procuring such an alteration in the Form of Gov- 
ernment, as will enable a minister and one elder to perform sessional 
acts, when the other elder shall, in the judgment of the Presbytery, be 
from any cause incompetent to act in the case. 

The Committee recommended to the Assembly to adopt the following 
minute : Resolved, that no alteration of our constitutional rules is needful 
to secure the ends of discipline, in the premises. The report was adopted. 
—1852, p. 210, O. S. 

c. Where an Elder refuses to Act, and has left the Church. 

To advise that, if Mr. Armstrong, as alleged, refuses to act as a ruling 
elder, and has left the church, Mr. Chandler constitutes the session of 
the First Church of Wilmington, and is entitled to act as such. — 1869, p, 
911, O. S. 

2. Less than a Quorum incapable of any Organic Act. 

The law of a quorum is not a mere rule of procedure, a provision of 
order, but a matter respecting the very being of the judicatory. Any num- 
ber of members less than a constitutional quorum do not make a judi- 
catory, and are not competent to anv organic act. — 1861, p. 456, N. S. 

[See below, chap, x : vii. 3, 1861, p. 455, K S.] 

III. The pastor of the congregation shall always be the moderator 
of the session ; except when, for prudential reasons, it may appear ad- 
visable that some other minister should be invited to preside; in 
which case, the pastor may, with the concurrence of the session, invite 
such other minister as they may see meet, belonging to the same 
Presbytery, to preside in that case. The same expedient may be 
adopted in case of the sickness or absence of the pastor. 

TV. It is expedient, at every meeting of the session, more es- 
pecially when constituted for judicial business, that there be a pre- 
siding minister. When, therefore, a church is without a pastor, the 
moderator of the session shall be either the minister appointed for 
that purpose by the Presbytery, or one invited by the session to pre- 
side on a particular occasion. But where it is impracticable, without 
great inconvenience, to procure the attendance of sucli a moderator, 
the session may proceed without it. 



126 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

1. Where a Minister is the Accuser, a Minister should Preside. 

After stating the cause and reading the judgment of the session, and 
the appeal, both parties were fully heard ; and the Synod finding, that as 
the session had not a minister of the Word to preside through the course 
of the trial, and that a minister was the accuser of the appellant, it was 
judged it was at least inexpedient to proceed to trial; and upon the whole 
we think it best, and do remit the matter back to the Presbytery to be 
heard and judged of by them de novo. — 1773, p. 447. 

2. Who may Moderate a Session in the absence of a Pastor. 

a. From the Presbytery of Tombeckbee, the question : Is it orderly that 
a member of one Presbytery moderate a church session of another Pres- 
bytery? — which question the Assembly answered in the affirmative. — 
1843, p. 198, O. S. 

b. 1st. Is it orderly for a session under the care of one Presbytery, to 
request a minister of another Presbytery to moderate them, without first 
obtaining leave from their Presbytery ? 

2d. Is it constitutional for a minister to moderate a session under the 
care of a different Presbytery from his own, without first asking and ob- 
taining leave of the Presbytery having jurisdiction over said session ? 

Resolved, That the last Assembly, in deciding that a session may invite 
a minister who is a member of another Presbytery to sit as their moderator, 
did not include any of those cases in which it is required either in express 
terms, or by plain implication (Form of Gov., chap, ix., sees. 3 and 4), 
that the moderator shall be of the same Presbytery as the congregation ; 
but are of opinion that in cases of a different kind, for which no provision 
is made, a member of another Presbytery may be invited to act as mod- 
erator, if it be found to be expedient. — 1844, p. 359, O. S. 

c. There is no Provision for inviting any Minister not belonging to the 

same Presbytery, much less any Minister of the Word. 

To an overture from the Presbytery of the District of Columbia in 
these words, viz. : 

Isolated as a church may be, cut off* from sister churches, having no 
ordained minister of the same Presbytery residing within forty miles, 
would it be competent for the elders, in the absence of the pastor, owing 
to the great inconvenience of procuring a moderator, to meet and trans- 
act the ordinary business of the session, by organizing, without the pres- 
ence of a minister of the Word, under articles iii. and iv., chap, ix., of 
the Form of Government? 

To this question the Presbytery replied in the negative. 

Subsequently the Synod of Pennsylvania, to which the Presbytery be- 
longs, was overtured for its ruling in the case, and reversed the decision 
of the Presbytery. 

The Presbytery, believing that the ruling of the Synod establishes a 
precedent which may work to the injury of Presbyterian polity, and that 
the ruling of the Synod is contrary to the spirit and language of the ar- 
ticles iii. and iv., chapter ix., and believing that it is seldom impractica- 
ble, especially in our cities, to allow the presence of a minister in a session 
meeting, and believing that elders will not always be able to decide what 
"ordinary business" may be, and believing that ministers could equally 
as well consider it impracticable to convene their elders in sessional meet- 
ing ; therefore, the Presbytery of the District of Columbia would respect- 



OF THE CHUECH SESSION. 127 

fully overture the General Assembly through its commissioner for its 
ruling in the case. 

The Committee recommended the following response, which was adopted : 

The question proposed is limited to specified circumstances — namely, 
"In the absence of the pastor," and "the great inconvenience of pro- 
curing a moderator," " having no ordained minister of the same Presby- 
tery residing within forty miles." 

The Form of Government, chapter ix., section iii., provides that, in 
"case of the sickness or absence of the pastor," another minister "be- 
longing to the same Presbytery" may be invited "to preside." There is 
no provision for inviting any minister not "belonging to the same Presby- 
tery," to preside over a meeting of the session, much less any minister of 
the Word. 

Section iv. declares it to be " expedient at every meeting of the session, 
more especially when constituted for judicial business, that there be a pre- 
siding minister ;" but, after providing for a moderator, " where a church 
is without a pastor," and, of course, in the case stated, section iii., it adds, 
" But where it is impracticable, without great inconvenience, to procure 
the attendance of such a moderator, the session may proceed without it." 

The Committee would, therefore, recommend that the answer to the 
overture be : That, in cases similar to that stated, the session, under its 
responsibility to the Presbytery, is the judge of the impracticability of 
procuring a moderator." — 1869, p. 271, N. S. 

Y. In congregations where there are two or more pastors, they 
shall, when present, alternately preside in the session. 

VI. The church session is charged with maintaining the spiritual 
government of the congregation ; for which purpose they have power 
to inquire into the knowledge and Christian conduct of the members 
of the church, to call before them offenders and witnesses, being mem- 
bers of their own congregation, and to introduce other witnesses where 
it may be necessary to bring the process to issue, and when they can 
be procured to attend; to receive members into the church; to ad- 
monish, to rebuke, to suspend or exclude from the sacraments those 
who are found to deserve censure ; to concert the best measures for 
promoting the spiritual interests of the congregation, and to appoint 
delegates to the higher judicatories of the Church. 

1. The Sossion has Original Jurisdiction over Church Members. 

a. It [the Assembly] has no power to commence a process of discipline 
with an individual offender. That, by a just and wise arrangement, be- 
longs to the session in the case of a layman, to the Presbj'tery in the case 
of a minister.— 1856, p. 200, N. S. 

b. Resolved, That the church of Genoa be referred to the minute of the 
Assembly formed in the case of David Price in the year 1825, from which 
it will appear that in the judgment of the Assembly "an admonition" was 
"deserved" by the said Price in consequence of his unchristian conduct. 
And it is the judgment of this Assembly that the session ought imme- 
diately to have administered such admonition ; that they ought still to 
administer it ; and that if the said Price refuse to submit to such admoni- 
tion, or do not thereupon manifest repentance and Christian temper to the 



128 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

satisfaction of the church, he ought not to be received into the communion 
of that or any other Presbyterian Church. — 1827, p. 203. 

c. The Synod [of Genesee] seems to have forgotten the nature and lim- 
its of its appellate as distinguished from the original jurisdiction in the 
case, in that they censure at their bar the appellant in a way competent 
in any circumstances only to the session of the church to -which the ap- 
pellant was primarily amenable. — 1840, p. 11, N. S. 

d. No vote of the congregation of a Presbyterian church can affect the 
rights of a communing member as such. All such power is vested in the 
session. — 1866, p. 54, O. S. 

2. Jurisdiction over a Suspended Member is in the Church which 

suspended him. 

Overture from certain members of the Presbytery of Madison. 

We desire to make the following statement and inquiries : 

A person is, we will suppose, under suspension in one of our own 
churches. He removes, and unites, on examination, with another of our 
churches, the session of the latter one being wholly ignorant of his former 
membership, and, of course, of his suspension. The facts are, however, 
afterward discovered. 

Would this discovery of itself vitiate his second membership, and leave 
him simply a suspended member of the former church ? 

Would unworthiness for church membership, clearly manifested Avhile 
in the latter church and before said discovery, rightfully add any efficacy 
toward producing this result? 

To the first of the above questions the Committee recommend an an- 
swer in the affirmative ; to the second, if the question mean whether the 
Session of the second church has jurisdiction in the case of unworthinesses 
manifested in the second relation, the Committee recommend an answer 
in the negative; but if the question mean whether the unworthinesses 
manifested in the second relation be proper ground of separate process by 
the session of the first church, the Committee recommend an answer in 
the affirmative. In respect to the whole case the Committee agree in the 
statement following: 

The person, uniting with the second church on examination, unites de- 
ceptively. So soon as the facts in the case are ascertained by the session 
of this second church, the proper order of procedure is for this session, 
after conference with the accused person, to strike his name from their 
roll of church members as not under their jurisdiction, to communicate 
their action to the session suspending him, with the reasons for it, and to 
request the said session to proceed against him on separate process for 
duplicity and disorder. 

The reply of the Committee was adopted. — 1866, p. 269, N. S. 

3. A Church Member may not be Excommunicated on Confession of 
Heresy without Process. — Confession of Judgment may Shorten 
Process. 

A church member comes before the session, makes a voluntary confes- 
sion of heretical sentiments, acknowledges a breach of covenant and waives 
the formality of a trial, in view of and in order to excommunication from 
the church. 

Can such church member be excommunicated on such confession and 
declaration without the actual process prescribed by the book ? 

The Committee find that the question thus raised was answered sub- 



OF THE CHURCH SESSION. 129 

stantially by the last Assembly (see Minutes, page 12);* and whilst they 
recommend that the party asking it be referred to that response, they also 
recommend that the Assembly affirm the impropriety of a church court 
reaching and recording such grave result of discipline as excommunica- 
tion from the church without a strict adherence to those forms of fair, im- 
partial trial by which alone the result may be justified. If an accused 
person confess judgment, the actual process may be shortened, but should 
not be dispensed with. 

The reply of the Committee was adopted. — 1866, p. 268, N. S. 

4. The vote of the Session is the Reception to Membership. — It 
must involve Baptism. — The Use and Authority of Local Confes- 
sions and Covenants. 

The Committee on Bills and Overtures reported on Overture No. 9, 
making inquiry concerning the relation of persons received, by act of 
session, during the interval of such reception and the subsequent sacra- 
mental Sabbath. The report was adopted, and is as follows : 

In answer to the several questions contained in the above overture, the 
Assembly refers to the Form of Government, chapter ix., section 6, in 
which the reception of " members into the church" is expressly specified as 
one of the duties and powers of the church session. For this purpose the 
Session is the church, and its act of admission the act of the church. 
When, therefore, an applicant for admission by letter is received by a vote 
of the session, he is at once a member of the church, entitled to all the 
privileges, and subject to all the responsibilities, of this relation. 

The same rule equally applies to candidates for admission into the 
church on a profession of their faith. The vote of the session is the 
essential and final act by which they are thus received, and needs no sub- 
sequent action of the church to give it reality or validity. The adminis- 
tration of baptism according to the word of God, in the case of unbap- 
tized persons, must, of course, be involved in, and attendant upon, this 
sessional act, either at the time, which would be entirely proper, or at a 
subsequent period appointed for this purpose. The session, if thus choos- 
ing, may prescribe a public profession of faith before the whole church 
as a convenient usage, and for this purpose may employ a church confes- 
sion and covenant. This is the practice with many sessions, and, where 
this practice is adopted, it is proper that the officiating minister or clerk 
of the session should report a statement of the fact in accordance there- 
with, and that the report should be formally entered upon the record of 
the session. 

It is well, however, to remember that the confessions of faith and cove- 
nants in use among local churches, though regarded by many as conve- 
nient and useful, and certainly sanctioned by a very prevalent usage, are 
nevertheless not essential to the organization of a church, or the establish- 
ment of membership therein, since they are not the authoritative standard 
of faith or practice in the Presbyterian Church. Such confessions and 
covenants, with the accompanying form of a public profession, may or 
may not be used, as shall seem most expedient to the session. Whether 
used or not, the vote of the session is, by the constitution of the Presby- 
terian Church, the act on which the membership depends, and, in all 
cases, the records of the session should be made to correspond with this 
fundamental principle of the polity of the Church. 

*The response was, "That the party asking the above question be referred to the 
Book of Discipline, chap, iv., and that such session be urged to follow strictly the 
order laid down therein." — 1865, p. 12, N. S. 

ir 



130 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

These principles cover all the points submitted in the above overture. 
Their application is simple, and hence the Assembly sees no occasion for 
giving a more detailed and specific answer to the several questions pre- 
sented for its consideration. — 1865, pp. 22, 23, 1ST. S. 

5. An Unbaptized Person applying for Admission to the Church 

must be Baptized. 

The Committee on the Polity of the Church reported an overture, 
asking " whether a vote of a session entitles a person to the privileges of 
the church, who is not baptized and has not made a public profession of 
faith." They recommended the following answer : 

The vote of session does not entitle an unbaptized person to the privi- 
leges of the church, for the reason that baptism, as our Confession of 
Faith declares (chap, xxviii., sec. 1), is declared to be a sacrament for the 
solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church. 

The public profession of one's faith may for sufficient reasons, as our 
Directory of Worship allows, be omitted ; but the exceptional case does not 
respect baptism, which precedes the admission of the party to the Lord's 
table. The vote of the session to this effect must be conditioned upon 
the baptism, and can in no case be a substitute for the sacrament itself. 

The report was adopted.— 1867, p. 496, N. S. 

See Directory for Worship, chap, ix., sec. iv. 

6. Members of other Churches should be Received only on Cer- 

tificate. 

Nor can the Assembly forbear to regret that the session of the church 
of Chillicothe had not acted in a more formal manner in receiving Mr. 
McCalla, and had not required a regular certificate of dismission from the 
church to which Mr. McCalla belonged before they received him. — 1821, 
p. 21. [See Form of Government, chap, xi., sec. i.] 

7. Members should be Received to the Church only by a Session 

Regularly Constituted. 

The Committee to whom was referred the subject involved in so much 
of the records of the Synod of Cincinnati as relates to the admission of 
persons to church privileges at the great meetings common in that region, 
made the following report, which was adopted, viz. : 

That they have given this subject a careful consideration, and recom- 
mend the adoption of the following resolutions; viz.: 

a. 1. Resolved, That the order of the churches requires that all persons 
making a public profession of religion, be introduced to the communion 
of the church only by an individual session regularly constituted. 

b. 2. Resolved, That it is the right and duty of sessions to take the ex- 
clusive oversight of their respective congregations, and the practice of one 
session admitting to a Christian profession persons belonging or intending 
to belong to a congregation under the care of another session, is irregu- 
lar.— 1832, p. 373. 

c. The same Committee reported an overture, asking if it be in accord- 
ance with ecclesiastical law and order in the Church, to receive members 
of another church who have not been regularly dismissed, with a view to 
such a change of relation. 

The Committee recommended that, so far as churches in our own con- 
nection are concerned, the question be answered in the negative, and refer 
to the Book of Discipline, chap, xi., sec. 1. 

The report was adopted. — 1868, p. 58, N. S. 



OF THE CHURCH SESSION. 131 

8. Representation in the Superior Courts Required. 

a. Mr. McNish's reasons for not bringing an elder or representative 
with him, were heard and sustained. 

Mr. Henry's representative of the congregation being absent, and his 
reasons for not coming being inquired into, he said the present condition 
of his people made it necessary that there should be a particular collection 
made by the congregation for defraying the charges of the representative 
to the Presbytery, and it was allowed that there should. 

The reasons of Mr. Pumry's elder's absence were inquired into and sus- 
tained.— 1716, p. 43. 

b. The Synod do recommend it to the several Presbyteries belonging to 
their body to call those sessions to account that do not send elders to at- 
tend upon the Synod and Presbyteries, and to enjoin these sessions to call 
those elders to account that do not attend upon judicatories, when sent by 
them.— 1753, p. 256. 

9. Attendance on the Superior Courts Enforced. 

a. Upon c.alling over the roll it being found that many of the elders 
have gone home without leaving any reasons for their so doing, the Synod 
do order that such elders as do withdraw from the Synod without leave, 
shall be left to the censure of their sessions, and report made thereof to 
the next Synod. And the Synod do recommend it to the several congre- 
gations to defray the necessary charges that their elders be at, during 
their attendance upon the Synod. — 1735, p. 117. 

b. The records of the Synod of Pittsburg were approved, with the ex- 
ception, "that ruling elders were not called upon for reasons for absence, 
as in the case of teaching elders. — 1859, p. 531, O. S. 

10. The same Elder must Represent his Church at an Adjourned 

Meeting who Represented it at the Stated Meeting. 

Exception to the records of the Synod of Columbus, "That on p. 73, 
this minute is made : Your Committee would recommend that Overture 
No. 2, ' Can a Session be represented by a different elder at adjourned 
meetings of Presbytery, be answered in the affirmative. Adopted.' This 
action of the Synod is in direct variance with a deliverance of the Assem- 
bly of 1827."— 1872, p. 68. 

The deliverance referred to is as follows, viz. : 

Resolved, That in the judgment of this General Assembly, the con- 
struction of the Constitution, (Form of Government, chap, xxii., sec. 1,) 
which allows commissioners, after holding their seats for a time, to resign 
them to their alternates, or which allows alternates to sit for a while and 
then resign their places to their principals, is erroneous ; that the practice 
growing out of this construction is inexpedient ; and that it ought to be 
discontinued. [Adopted.]— Minutes, 1827, p. 209. 

[See the deliverance in full, Form of Government, chap, xxii., sec. 
ii., on commissioners to the General Assembly. The reasoning adopted 
by the Assembly, however, applies to the case in hand only when a given 
subject is adjourned over, as a trial begun, etc. The Assembly of 1827 
evidently had not adjourned meetings of Presbyteries in mind.] 

11. The Session has no Power to Prohibit Collections Ordered by 

the Assembly. 

a. Ordered, That every minister, according to our former agreement, 
propose the collection for the fund to his congregation, and as it is a syn- 



132 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

odical appointment, it is inconsistent with our Church government to be 
under the check or prohibition of a church session ; they indeed may give 
or withhold their charity, but may not prevent a minister to propose it 
publicly, according to our appointment. Ordered, likewise, That every 
Presbytery take care of the conduct of their members, how they observe 
this agreement previous to their coming to the Synod, and that they gather 
the collection from absent members. — 1755, p. 215. 

b. Whereas, it appears that some of the congregations under the care 
of this Assembly, though duly informed of the injunction made at our 
last sessions respecting the raising of contributions for the support of mis- 
sionaries to the frontiers of the country, have not complied with the same, 
the Assembly, therefore, thought proper to continue the above-mentioned 
order, and do hereby enjoin it on all the Presbyteries to give particular 
attention that every congregation raise the specified contribution, and that 
all the contributions be sent forward as soon as possible to the treasurer 
of the General Assembly. — 1790, p. 24. 

For powers of the session over house of worship, see under chap, ii., 
sec. iv., v., a. b. above. 

For powers of session over church music, see Directory for Worship, 
chap, iv., sec. iv. 

For powers of the session when a congregation is vacant and in settling 
a minister, see Form of Government, chap, xv., sec. i., par. i., ii. and iv. 

VII. The pastor has power to convene the session when he may 
judge it requisite ; and he shall always convene them wdien requested 
to do so by any two of the elders. The session shall also convene 
when directed so to do by the Presbytery. 

VIII. Every session shall keep a fair record of its proceedings, 
which record shall be at least once in every year submitted to the in- 
spection of the Presbytery. 

1. The Records Should be Full. 

It appearing from the official certificates of the stated clerks of all the 
courts below, that important documents in evidence before the session 
which first tried the case of Beck and McMahon were not sent up to the 
Presbytery and Synod, it is therefore ordered that this case be sent back 
to the Presbytery of Charleston for a new trial, and that the session of 
the church of Columbia be directed to correct their record, and to send 
to the Presbytery an authentic copy of all the evidence and all the docu- 
ments before them.— 1843, p. 186, O. S. 

2. Testimony in Judicial Cases must be Engrossed upon the 

Records. 

Also Overture No. 6, from the Presbytery of Catskill, asking whether, 
in cases of judicial process by church sessions, the testimony of witnesses 
should be engrossed on the Book of Permanent Record. The Committee 
recommended that the following answer be given : 

The testimony of witnesses, in all cases of judicial process by church 
sessions, should be engrossed on the Book of Permanent Records. The 
end to be secured by such a record is indicated in our Book of Discipline, 
chap, iv., sec. xxiii., where it is required that everything which had an 
influence on the judgment of the court must be exhibited by the record. 



OF THE CHURCH SESSION. 133 

Files are liable to be separated from the Book of Permanent Eecords, 
and nothing but what is contained in the Record may be taken into con- 
sideration in reviewing the proceedings in a superior court. 
The recommendation was adopted. — 1862, p. 34, N. S. 

3. Records once Approved by a Superior Judicatory may not be 

Altered by the Inferior. 

Also Overture No. 7, from the session of the Church of Wabash, Indi- 
ana, on the following questions : 

1. After the records of a church session have been examined and ap- 
proved by the Presbytery, and those of the Presbytery in like manner 
approved by the Synod, has either the session or the Presbytery a right 
or any authority to change or erase the record ? 

2. If not, has the session any legal right to make a second record de- 
claring the first erroneous and void ? 

The Committee recommended that the following answer be given : 
A record, once approved by a higher court, cannot be altered -or an- 
nulled by a lower one. If there be an error in the record, the remedy is 
to be sought by an application to the highest judicatory that has endorsed 
such mistake. 

The recommendation was adopted. — 1862, p. 34, N. S. 

IX. It is important that every church session keep a fair register of 
marriages ; of baptisms, with the times of the birth of the individuals 
baptized ; of persons admitted to the Lord's table, and of the deaths, 
and other removals of church members. 

4. Statistical Reports should show only the Actual Membership. 

Resolved, That the Presbyteries be instructed to institute inquiries among 
the several churches under their care, as to the number of their commu- 
nicants; so that it maybe ascertained, that the utmost care has been taken 
to clear their church registers of all deceased, dismissed, and lost mem- 
bers ; and that it may thus be known what is the actual membership of each 
of their churches.— 1869, p. 272, K S. 

[See Discipline, chap, x., on Jurisdiction. 

5. Ordained Ministers not to be Enrolled as Members of the 
Church they Serve. 

Whether ordained ministers of the gospel ought not to be considered 
church members, and to have their names enrolled on the sessional 
records of the church, where they are settled as pastors, or stated sup- 
plies, which question the Committee recommended to be answered in the 
negative. Adopted.— 1843, p. 176, O. S. 



134 FOEM OF GOVERNMENT. 

CHAPTER X. 
OF THE PRESBYTERY. 

I. The Church being divided into many separate congregations, 
these need mutual counsel and assistance, in order to preserve sound- 
ness of doctrine, and regularity of discipline, and to enter into com- 
mon measures for promoting knowledge arid religion, and for prevent- 
ing infidelity, error, and immorality. Hence arise the importance 
and usefulness of presbyterial aud synodical assemblies. 

II. A presbytery consists of all the ministers, in number not less 
than five, and one ruling elder from each congregation, within a 
certain district. 

1. The Presbyteries Constituted of Ministers at the First. 

a. It having pleased divine Providence so to increase our number, as 
that, after much deliberation, we judge it may be more serviceable to the 
interest of religion, to divide ourselves into subordinate meetings or Pres- 
byteries, constituting one annually as a Synod, to meet at Philadelphia or 
elsewhere, to consist of all the members of each subordinate Presbytery or 
meeting for this year at least : Therefore it is agreed by the Presbytery, 
after serious deliberation, that the first subordinate meeting or Presbytery, 
to meet at Philadelphia or elsewhere, as they shall see fit, do consist of 
these following members, viz. : Masters Andrews, Jones, Powell, Orr, Brad- 
ners and Morgan. And the second to meet at New Castle or elsewhere, 
as they shall see fit, to consist of these, viz. : Masters Anderson, McGill, 
Gillespie, Wotherspoon, Evans, and Conn. The third to meet at Snow 
Hill or elsewhere, to consist of these, viz. : Masters Davis, Hampton, and 
Henry. And in consideration that only our brethren Mr. McNish and 
Mr. Pumry, are of our number upon Long Island at present, we earn- 
estly recommend it to them to use their best endeavors with the neigh- 
boring brethren that are settled there, which as yet join not with us, to 
join with them in erecting a fourth Presbytery. And as to the time of 
the meeting of the respective Presbyteries, it is ordered that that be left 
to their own discretion. — 1716, p. 45. 

b. Agreed that Messrs Cross, Gilbert Tennant, Francis Alison, Treat, 
Chesnut, Martin, Beatty, Greenman, Hunter, Ramsey, Lawrence, and 
Kinkead, be the Presbytery of Philadelphia. Agreed that Messrs, John 
Miller, Tuttle, Harris, Henry, and Wilson, be a Lewestown Presbytery, 
and have under their care the congregations in Kent on Delaware, Sussex, 
Worcester, Somerset, Dorset, Queen Anne's, and Kent in Maryland. — 
1758, p. 288. 

Agreed, that Messrs. Craighead, Black, Craig, Miller, Davies, Todd, 
Henry, Wright, Brown, and Martin, in Virginia and southward, be the 
Presbytery of Hanover, to meet for the first time at Mr. Wright's congre- 
gation in Cumberland county, on the second Wednesday of July next. — 
1758, p. 289. 

c. An overture was laid before the Assembly, through the Synod of 
Philadelphia, requesting a division of the Presbytery of Carlisle. Where- 
upon, 

Resolved, That the said Presbytery be divided into two Presbyteries, by 






OF THE PRESBYTERY. 135 

a line along the Juniata Kiver from its mouth up to the Tuscarora Moun- 
tain ; thence along the Tuscarora Mountain to the head of Path Valley ; 
thence westwardly to the eastern boundary of the Presbytery of Redstone, 
so as to leave the congregation of Bedford to the south ; that the ministers 
settled south of said line, viz. : Mr. Snodgrass, Mr. Waugh, Mr. Linn, Dr. 
Kesbit, Dr. Davidson, Mr. Wilson, Dr. Cooper, Mr. Craighead, Dr. King, 
Mr. Lang, Mr. McPherrin, Mr. Paxton, Mr. Black, Mr. Henderson, Mr. 
McMurdie, and Mr. Jones, together with all those who have been, or shall 
be, ordained or admitted, within the limits now prescribed for the Presby- 
tery of Carlisle, since the last annual report from that Presbytery till the 
time when the said Presbytery shall be dissolved, shall be known by the 
name of the Presbytery of Carlisle. And also, that the ministers, settled 
north of the aforesaid line, viz. : Mr. Bard, Mr. John Johnston, Mr. Ste- 
phen, Mr. James Johnson, Mr. McGill, Mr. Marten, Mr. Bryson, Mr. Mor- 
rison, and Mr. Hoge, together with all those who have been, or shall be, 
ordained or received, by the Presbytery of Carlisle within the limits pre- 
scribed for the Presbytery till the time when the Presbytery of Carlisle 
shall be dissolved, shall be known by the name of the Presbytery of Hun- 
tingdon.— 1794, p. 89. 

fSee also 1802, p. 251, 252. 1805, p. 324, 325. 1826. p. 176. 1827, 
p. 206. 1832, p. 361. 1848, pp. 20, 21, O. S. Later usage is to specify 
the congregations within the bounds assigned. A Presbytery may, how- 
ever, be formed without any organized churches. See 1848, p. 20, O. S. 
1851, p. 35, O. S. But not without a definite territory. 1834, p. 441. 
Nor within the bounds of another Presbytery. — 1873, pp. 506, 525.] 

d. The Assembly Refuses to erect a Presbytery of less than the Constitutional 

Number. 

Overture No. 20, from eight ministers and ruling elders in the Indian 
Territory, petitioning for a new Presbytery of that name. The Committee 
report that it does not appear that the number of ministers now constitu- 
tionally requisite for the formation of a Presbytery are found among the 
petitioners or in the proposed region. They, therefore, recommend that 
the answer be in the negative. Adopted. — 1871, p. 545. 

2. Presbyteries should be Bounded by Geographical Limits. 

a. Resolved, That, except in very extraordinary cases, this Assembly are 
of the opinion that Presbyteries ought to be formed with geographical 
limits.— 1834, p. 441. 

b. " Elective Affinity" condemned. 

Resolved, That the erection of church courts, and especially of Presby- 
teries and Synods, on the principle of "elective affinity" — that is, judica- 
tories not bounded by geographical limits, but having a chief regard in 
their erection to diversities of doctrinal belief and of ecclesiastical polity — 
is contrary both to the letter and the spirit of our constitution, and opens 
a wide door for mischiefs and abuses of the most serious kind. One such 
Presbytery, if so disposed, might in process of time fill the whole Church 
with unsound and schismatic ministers, especially if the principle were 
adopted that regular testimonials must of course secure the admission of 
those who bore them into any other Presbytery. Such a Presbytery, 
moreover, being without geographical bounds, might enter the limits and 
disturb the repose of any church into which it might think proper to in- 
trude, and thus divide churches, stir up strife, and promote party spirit 



136 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

and schism with all their deplorable consequences. Surely a plan of pro- 
cedure in the Church of God which naturally and almost unavoidably 
tends to produce effects such as these, ought to be frowned upon, and, as 
soon as possible, terminated by the supreme judicatory of the Church. — 
1835, p. 486. 

[Exceptions were made in behalf of the missionaries among the Indians. 
Minutes 1826, p. 181 ; 1828, pp. 246, 247; 1829, p. 259. See New Digest, 
pp. 130, 131.] 

c. Overture No. 2, from the Presbytery of Cincinnati, touching the con- 
dition of certain churches in Kentucky seeking connection with us. The 
Committee recommend that for the present such churches be allowed to 
connect themselves with the Presbyteries contiguous most to their conve- 
nience. 

The report was adopted. — 1859, p. 17, N. S. 

d. No. 3. A memorial from Rev. Benjamin Mills and others, of the 
Synod of Kentucky, with respect to himself and others, formerly members 
of the Synod of Kentucky, expressive of their attachment to us and their 
desire to return to our connection, if, with their views on the subject of 
slavery, the way may be open to receive them. The committee recom- 
mend that these ministers and churches, and others similarly situated, be 
referred to the Presbytery of Cincinnati or any other border Presbytery ; 
and that such Presbyteries be authorized so to extend their jurisdiction as 
to receive any such ministers and churches situated near their borders, 
whose principles and practice are found to harmonize with the position of 
the Church as expressed and published to the world by former Assemblies. 

Adopted.— 1859, p. 18, N. S. 

3. Ministers without Charge are Constituent Members of 
Presbytery. 

Are ministers without charges constituent members of our church judi- 
catures, and have they an equal voice with settled pastors and ruling 
elders of congregations in ecclesiastical governments? 

In the judgment of this Assembly this question is answered affirma- 
tively, Chap, x., sec. ii., of the Form of Government of the Presbyterian 
Church, in these words: "A Presbytery consists of all the ministers and 
one ruling elder from each congregation within a certain district." — 1816, 
p. 615. 

[See 1859, p. 533, O. S., chap, x., 8, below.] 

4. An Elder without Charge cannot be Admitted to a Seat. 
[See above, chap, v., 3.] 

5. Non-Residents to be Transferred to the Presbyteries within the 
Bounds of which they Reside. 

The Committee to whom was referred an overture from the Synod of 
Albany, in regard to non-resident members of Presbyteries, made the fol- 
lowing report, which was adopted, viz. : 

In conformity with the overture from the Synod of Albany, the Com- 
mittee would recommend to the Assembly the adoption of the following 
resolution, viz.: 

Resolved, That it be enjoined on the Presbyteries to inquire carefully in 
regard to any of their members, who may be residing without the bounds 
of their respective Presbyteries, whether there be sufficient cause for such 






OF THE PRESBYTERY. 137 

non- residence ; and if not, that measures be taken to transfer the relation 
of such ministers to the Presbyteries in the bounds of which they reside. 
—1836, p. 272. 

6. Ministers without Charge must Unite with the Presbytery 
within whose Bounds they Reside. 

5. That ministers without charge are required to unite with that Pres- 
bytery, within the geographical limits of which they ordinarily reside, or 
are nearest to, and to which they shall be amenable for the proper dis- 
charge of their ordination engagements. — 1870, p. 88. 

7. The above Rule Defined and Affirmed. 

The Committee on Bills and Overtures reported back Overture No. 32, 
which was adopted as explanatory of principle 5, page 88, of the Minutes 
of the Assembly of 1870, as follows : ' 

The Assembly, in reconstructing the Church, did, by the act of recon- 
struction, design to return to the exact language of the Form of Govern- 
ment, which declares that a " Presbytery consists of all the ministers and 
one ruling elder from each congregation within a certain district. Minis- 
ters residing within the geographical limits of a Presbytery were, ipso 
facto (provided they were in good standing in the Presbytery to which 
they belonged), members of that Presbytery, and should have been so en- 
rolled." 

After the Presbyteries were reconstructed, all ministers uniting with 
them could only be received by regular letters of dismission and recom- 
mendation. 

The Assembly also affirms the duty of ministers to unite with the Pres- 
byteries within whose bounds they reside ; except where their ministerial 
labors are in an adjacent Presbytery. — 1872, p. 94 

[For a case where a minister was not in good standing, see Discipline, 
chap, x., sec. ill., 3, case of Jno. F. Severance.] 

8. Presbyteries to be Defined by Geographical Lines or Lines of 

Travel. 

1. That each several Presbytery, with the ministers and churches within 
its limits, be defined as to boundaries by geographical lines, or with respect 
to the most convenient lines of travel. — 1870, p. 88. 

9. Presbyteries may not be Organized so as to Cover the same 

G-round. 

a. A memorial from David M. Wilson, of the Presbytery of Kingston, 
Synod of Tennessee, praying this General Assembly to give an authorita- 
tive deliverance in reference to the right of a Synod to organize a colored 
Presbytery on territory included in Presbyteries already existing. 

The Committee on Polity recommend that this request be granted, and 
that the authoritative deliverance be made according to the definition of 
a Presbytery, in chap, x., sec. ii., of our Form of Government, viz.: "A 
Presbytery consists of all the ministers, in numbers not less than five, and 
one ruling elder from each congregation within a certain district," The 
General Assembly must forbid the organization of more Presbyteries than 
one upon the same ground, allowing no distinctions of race or color, or 
language to interfere with the unity and simplicity of that oversight which 
the constitution of this Church requires. Adopted. — 1873, p. 525. 

18 



138 FORM OP GOVERNMENT. 

b. The Committee (on Polity) would give the same reply to the applica- 
tion for a German Presbytery that was given to the application for a col- 
ored Presbytery. (See above.) Adopted. — 1873, p. 539. 

c. The Committee on the Records of the Synod of Tennessee recom- 
mended their approval, except that the organization of a Presbytery as 
authorized by the action of Synod, recorded on p. 361 (see a above), 
would be irregular, for the reason that the new Presbytery would cover 
territory already belonging to other Presbyteries, and the same territory 
thus come under the jurisdiction of different Presbyteries. Adopted. — 
1873, p. 506. 

III. Every congregation which has a stated pastor has a right to be 
represented by one elder; and every collegiate church by two or more 
elders, in proportion to the number of its pastors. 

Overture No. 17, from a member of the Synod of Pittsburg, as follows : 

Is a church having two pastors, one aged or infirm, the other associate 
or co-pastor, entitled to two elders in Presbytery and Synod ? Or what is 
the meaning of a " collegiate church," in chap, x., sec iii., of the Form of 
Government? 

The Committee recommended this answer : 

The general principle of our polity is that there shall be in our church 
courts an equal number of ministers and ruling elders. But vacant 
churches are entitled to a representation. The term " collegiate church" 
is used in two senses, first of a church with more than one pastor ; second, 
of two or more churches united under the care of one pastor. 

The report was adopted. — 1868, p. 651, O. S. 

IV. Where two or more congregations are united under one pastor, 
all such congregations shall have but one elder to represent them. 

1. United Congregations Represented by one Elder. 

An overture from the Synod of Mississippi, asking, " When two or more 
congregations have separately called one and the same minister to become 
the pastor of each church, and he accepts these calls, and is installed over 
these congregations as pastor, are these churches entitled to one or more 
elders to represent them in Presbytery?" The Committee recommended the 
following resolution, which was adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, That the question be answered in the negative. — 1847, p. 377, 

[The meaning of the above is that the united congregation are entitled 
to be represented in Presbytery by one elder.] 

2. "Where a Minister is Pastor of one Church, and Stated Sup- 
ply of another, each is entitled to be Represented. 

Where a minister is at the same time pastor of one church, and acts 
as stated supply of another, has each of said. churches a right to be rep- 
resented by its own elder, at the same meeting of the Presbytery or Synod ? 
or does this case come under the rule chap, x., sec. iv., Form of Gov- 
ernment? 

The Assembly answer, That churches having stated supplies only are 
not such churches as are contemplated in the article referred to, and 



OF THE PRESBYTERY. 139 

have a right of representation according to the principles of the Form 
of Government, chap, x., sec. v.— 1851, p. 15, K S. ; also 1847, p. 377, 
O. S. 

3. Churches in different Presbyteries under one Pastor, as permit- 
ted by the Reconstruction Act. 

Overture No. 16, from the Presbytery of Kittanning, asking further 
action from the Assembly in reference to churches in different Presby- 
teries uuited in one pastoral charge. 

The Assembly judge any additional action upou the subject to be un- 
necessary, as the action of the previous Assembly was intended to cover 
all such cases, and is valid, until repealed. — 1872, p. 86. 

The action referred to is as follows, viz. : 

4. That, when two or more congregations, on different sides of a synod- 
ical or presbyterial line, are under one pastoral charge, they shall all, for 
the time, belong to that Presbytery with which the minister is connected, 
but only so long as such pastoral relation continues. — 1870, p. 88. 

V. Every vacant congregation which is regularly organized shall 
be entitled to be represented by a ruling elder in Presbytery. 

1. Every Congregation is Vacant which has not a Pastor duly 

Installed. 

a. Should every congregation be considered as vacant which is not 
united to any minister in the pastoral relation ? and if it should, is not 
every such congregation entitled to be represented by a ruling elder in 
Presbytery ? 

Resolved, That from a comparison of sections iii. and v. of chap, x., 
Form of Government, it is evident that every congregation without a pas- 
tor is to be regarded as a vacant congregation, and consequently, if regu- 
larly organized, is entitled to be represented by a ruling elder in a Pres- 
bytery.— 1843, pp. 190, 196, O. S. 

b. When a domestic missionary has organized in his field of labor 
two or more churches to which he statedly ministers, though not installed 
as pastor over any of them, are these churches to be considered vacant, 
and have they a right each to send an elder to represent them in Presby- 
tery? 

Answer : That in the cases specified the churches are vacant, and en- 
titled to be represented by elders. — 1860, p. 38, O. S. 
[See iv., above.] 

VI. Every elder not known to the Presbytery shall produce a cer- 
tificate of his regular appointment from the church which he repre- 
sents. 

VII. Any three ministers, and as many elders as may be present 
belonging to the Presbytery, being met at the time and place ap- 
pointed, shall be a quorum competent to proceed to business. 

1. A Quorum may be Constituted "wholly of Ministers. 

a. Resolved, That any three ministers of a Presbytery, being regularly 
convened, are a quorum competent to the transaction of all business, agree- 



140 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

ably to the provision contained in the Form of Government, chap, x., sec. 
vii. [Yeas 83, nays 35.]— 1843, p. 196, O. S. 

In answer to memorials on this subject, the Assembly — 

b. Resolved, That the last Assembly, in determining that three minis- 
ters are a quorum of the Presbytery when no ruling elders are present, 
did not detract in any degree from the dignity and importance of this 
office, nor did they question the perfect right or duty of elders to be present 
and take part in all acts of government and discipline, but only declared 
that according to the true intent and meaning of our constitutional rules, 
their absence does not prevent the Presbytery from constituting and trans- 
acting business if three ministers are present ; and this decision is based 
upon the fact that ministers are not only preachers of the gospel and ad- 
ministrators of sealing ordinances, but also ruling elders in the very nature 
of their office. [Yeas 134, nays 45.]— 1844, p. 370, O. S. 

[Against this action of the Assembly a protest was entered by twenty- 
eight members of the Assembly. For protest and answer see Baird's Col- 
lection, revised ed., pp. 71, 75. The Assembly disavows the charges by 
the following :] 

c. Resolved, That this Assembly, in reaffirming those decisions of the 
last Assembly which have been called in question, design to maintain the 
purity, order and peace of the Church, and the continued and faithful 
observance of those principles and regulations which have heretofore been 
found to consist with true Christian liberty and secure the common wel- 
fare of all classes in the Church. Also, they reaffirm and maintain the 
scriptural authority of the office of ruling elder, and the great importance 
and solemn obligation of the attendance of elders on the meetings of the 
judicatories of the Church, and of their equal participation in the exer- 
cise of government and discipline. — 1844, p. 371, O. S. 

2. Less than three Ministers cannot be a Quorum. 

The records of the Synod of Genesee were excepted to because the Synod 
made two clerical members of Presbytery a quorum for business. — 1857, 
p. 387, N. S. 

3. Less than a. Quorum can do no Presbyterial Act other than to 
Adjourn. — They cannot Receive a Member, so as to form a 
Quorum. 

The Committee appointed by the last Assembly with reference to a 
presbyterial quorum presented their report, which was adopted, and is as 
follows : 

The overture is presented in three several branches, and is in the fol- 
lowing words, viz.: 

1st. Has any number of members of a Presbytery less than a quorum 
for the transaction of business, as mentioned in the Form of Government, 
chap, x., sec. vii., authority to transact any business except to adjourn ? 
Have they authority to receive members into the Presbytery, to send del- 
egates to the General Assembly, etc.? 

2d. And where members received into the Presbytery by a number less 
than a quorum take up charges on "common fame" against a minister of 
the gospel belonging to such Presbytery, is a trial founded on charges so 
taken up authorized by our Book of Discipline? 

3d. Is a Presbytery duly organized, when the moderator and temporary 
clerk are ministers, who have not been admitted into the Presbytery by a 
quorum for the transaction of business ? And is any business transacted 



OF THE PRESBYTERY. 141 

by a Presbytery so organized constitutional, especially the trial of a 
minister of the gospel ? 

The Committee are unanimous and unhesitating in the following views, 
presented under the several branches of the overture in their order : 

As to the first branch of the Overture : 

The law of a quorum is not a mere rule of procedure, a provision of 
order, but a matter respecting the very being of the judicatory. Any 
number of members less than the constitutional quorum do not make a 
judicatory, and are not competent to any organic act. JSTor can they, by 
associating others with themselves, under the pretence or form of receiving 
them as members of the judicatory, make a constitutional quorum. Their 
acts are simply null and void. Ex nihilo nihil fit. This statement applies 
to every judicatory in the series from the church session to the General 
Assembly. 

Any number of persons less than " three ministers and as many elders 
as may be present belonging to the Presbytery," do not constitute a Pres- 
bytery, and are not competent to do a presbyterial act. Of course they 
have not "authority to receive members into the Presbytery," nor "to 
send delegates to the General Assembly." Ministers received by them do 
not thereby become members of the Presbytery, and, if they assume to 
act as such, they are simply aliens and intruders. Commissioners sent by 
them to the General Assembly should not be allowed to sit, when the facts 
of their appointment are understood. 

The doings of such a meeting should not have a place on the records. 
But if the stated clerk records them, the Presbytery itself, when constitu- 
tionally organized, should take action to adopt or disaffirm them ; and, in 
failure of this, the Synod, under its power of review and control, should, 
on inspection of the records, notice the unconstitutional proceedings, and 
require the Presbytery to make the necessary correction. 

Were it necessary to confirm these positions, it would be sufficient to 
refer to the decision of the General Assembly (Digest, p. 105) in regard 
to a quorum of sessions, to the effect, that what is " necessary to constitute 
a quorum," is "necessary to form a session ;" and to the deliverance of 
the Assembly of 1860 (see Minutes, pp. 260, 261), on an overture re- 
specting certain disorderly proceedings of a church, in which the princi- 
ple is involved and affirmed, that an "unconstitutional act" is "utterly 
null and void;" and that "being void," it "works no effect." 

As to the second branch of the Overture : 

"Taking up charges' 1 is equivalent to "entering process/' or "com- 
mencing process." (Cf. "Book of Discipline," chap, iii., sec. v., with chap. 
v., sees. ii. and v.) It is the beginning, or first formal step, of a judicial 
proceeding; and is of course the act of the judicatory. Now, all the pro- 
visions of the ''Book of Discipline," in relation to the trial of persons sub- 
ject to the jurisdiction of a judicatory, presuppose and assume, that "the 
charges have been taken up," as well as that every subsequent step of the 
proceedings has been had by the judicatory itself. Hence the "Book of 
Discipline" does not "authorize" the trial of a minister of the gospel by 
his Presbytery, "on charges taken up" by individuals usurping its prerog- 
atives, but only on charges taken up by itself. 

The "Book of Discipline," however, prescribes (chap, vii., sees. i. and 
iv.) that "no judicial decision of a judicatory shall be reversed, unless it 
be regularly brought up by appeal or complaint." 

The trial of a minister, under the circumstances proposed in the over- 



142 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

ture, must be regarded as any other trial, where there has been informality 
or irregularity in the citation, or other preliminary stages of the process. 
The trial, with the judgment based upon it, must be respected, until the 
Synod, as the superior judicatory, shall judge how far the irregularity 
vitiates the proceedings, and defeats the ends of justice, and shall annul 
or confirm the same. 

As to the third branch of the Overture : 

The moderator and clerk are ministerial officers of the judicatory. In 
respect of their office, they are servants merely, and not members of the body. 

Of the clerk, this would seem to be unquestionably true. The consti- 
tution knows nothing of the temporary clerk as distinguished from the, 
stated clerk. As far as any provision of the "Book" is involved, it is 
plain that a judicatory may select any convenient person, though not a 
member, to record its transactions, and discharge all other duties pertain- 
ing to a clerk. For the part of those duties usually devolved upon the 
temporary clerk, we believe, it is no unfrequent thing for a Presbytery to 
employ a licentiate, or other person not a member of the body. 

Nor does the constitution explicitly, at least, require the moderator to 
be chosen from the members of the judicatory. It does indeed prescribe 
(chap, xix., sec. ii.) that, in a certain contingency, "he shall possess the 
casting vote." And as voting is the act of a member, the implication 
seems to offer itself, that the moderator himself must be a member. But 
against this implication some other facts of the constitution may be cited. 
Thus ("Form of Government," chap, ix., sec. iii.), there is the provision 
for inviting, in certain contingencies, a minister to moderate the church 
session, who is not the pastor of the church, and of course not a member 
of the session; while the general law of "Moderators" (chap, xix.) gives 
him the casting vote. Then, again, the "Form of Government" (chap. 
xii., sec. vii.) prescribes, concerning the General Assembly, that "the mod- 
erator of the last Assembly, if present, or, in case of his absence, some other 
minister, shall preside, until a new moderator be chosen." Under this pro- 
vision, it is not necessary that the minister called to preside in the Assem- 
bly, should himself be in commission. (Digest, p. 173.) It may be said, 
that this is merely for organization. True. But the whole principle 
seems to be involved. For the time being, one, not a member of the 
Assembly, is its moderator, and as such has a casting vote on the number- 
less issues that may be raised between the formation of the roll and the 
choice of a new moderator. And in the former case, pertaining to church 
sessions, no such limitation for mere organization exists. Hence these two 
points are clearly recognized: 1st. That it is not essential to the idea of a 
moderator that he be a member ; 2d. That the privilege of a casting vote 
does not necessarily imply membership. 

In the United States Senate we have an instance of the moderator being 
foreign to the body over which he presides. By the constitution of the 
United States, the Senate "shall be composed of two senators from each 
State," etc. The senators make the whole body ; and yet, by the same 
instrument, the "Vice-President of the United States shall be President 
of the Senate," with a casting vote. In the State of New York (as per- 
haps in other States) the Speaker of the Assembly may have two votes, 
one as a member of the body, and the casting vote besides ; a fact which 
rebuts the supposition that the casting vote is an incident of membership. 
All this is urged, without respect to the immemorial usage of our church 
courts, but solely in view of what is essential by the provisions of the 
written constitution and the nature of the subject. 



OF THE PKESBYTERY. 143 

If these suggestions are sound, then a Presbytery in the position pro- 
posed by the Overture is " duly organized," and every business done by it 
is constitutional — quoad hoc. 

2. But, if it be not admitted that the constitution allows a Presbytery 
to choose for its moderator one foreign to its body, it may still be said, the 
selection of officers is a matter relating not to the being of the judicatory 
(like the presence of a quorum), but to its form and order merely. An 
irregularity here does not nullify the body. It is still a judicatory, with 
all the essential elements, and competent for business. Its business may 
be constitutional, though done in an unconstitutional way, and liable to 
correction by a superior judicatory. 

3. Besides, though the persons chosen officers "are ministers who have 
not been admitted into the Presbytery by a quorum," or (which is its 
meaning) have been received by a number less than a quorum, and are not 
thereby constitutionally members, it would still be open to the inference, 
that the Presbytery (with a constitutional quorum), in choosing such per- 
sons to office, thereby virtually affirmed and adopted the previous uncon- 
stitutional act, by which they were received into the body, made it their 
own, and made it good. 

Hence, in every view, the committee are clearly of the opinion that, in 
the case proposed in the third branch of the overture, the answer should 
be, that the Presbytery is " duly (that is, validly) organized," and compe- 
tent to any business, including the trial of a minister of the gospel. 

Still, it is obvious, that the presence in the Presbytery of persons re- 
ceived as members by any number less than a quorum, and in virtue thereof 
claiming to exercise the privilege of members (whether chosen to office 
or not), may work great wrong and vexation, by overruling the voice of 
the majority of the lawful members of the judicatory. And every mem- 
ber has the constitutional right, in some appropriate way, to carry any 
grievance from this source to the notice of the Synod for correction. We 
would, therefore, qualify the above answer to this branch of the overture, 
by adding, that, however the acts of a Presbytery so organized may be 
irregular, they are not necessarily void and null (as where there is the 
want of a quorum), but voidable only in the judgment of the superior 
judicatory, when brought before it in a constitutional way. — 1861, p. 455- 
459, N. S. 

4. Reception of a member by less than a quorum, Sanctioned by 
the Assembly, as an Exceptional Case. 

a. Overture from the Presbytery of Santa Fe on the reception of John 
Annin without a constitutional quorum ; recommending that it be sanc- 
tioned, by reason of the singularity of the case. The recommendation 
was adopted. — 1870, p. 49. 

b. A similar case. — Overture from the Presbytery of East Florida, with 
a statement, that owing to the decease of one of their ministers, and the 
removal of another, they were reduced to a membership of only two min- 
isters; and that by the advice of the stated clerk of the General Assem- 
bly, they had at their recent meeting received a third minister, and hav- 
ing thus obtained a constitutional quorum, had transacted the business of 
their stated meeting. 

They ask the Assembly to legalize this proceeding. The Committee 
recommend that the action of the Presbytery of East Florida, in receiving 
the Rev. Matthew L. P. Hill, under the circumstances stated in the me- 
morial, be and the same is hereby ratified and confirmed. Adopted. — 
1871, p. 538. 



144 FOEM OP GOVERNMENT. 

c. Overture No. 17, from the Presbytery of East Florida, requesting 
that the action of this Presbytery may be legalized, in receiving as mem- 
bers the Rev. Calvin E. Stovve, D. D., and Rev. James K. Warner, a quo- 
rum of members not being present. 

The Committee recommend that the request be granted. Adopted. — 
1872, p. 87. 

POWERS OF THE PRESBYTERY. 

"VIII. The Presbytery has power to receive and issue appeals from 
church sessions, and references brought before them in an orderly 
manner; to examine and license candidates for the holy ministry; 
to ordain, install, remove and judge ministers ; to examine and ap- 
prove or censure the records of church sessions ; to resolve questions 
of doctrine or discipline seriously and reasonably propounded ; to 
condemn erroneous opinions which injure the purity or peace of the 
Church; to visit particular churches for the purpose of inquiring into 
their state, and redressing the evils that may have arisen in them; to 
unite or divide congregations at the request of the people, or to form 
or receive new congregations, and in general to order whatever per- 
tains to the spiritual welfare of the churches under their care. 

I. TO RECEIVE AND ISSUE APPEALS AND REFERENCES. 
[See under Appeals, etc., Book of Discipline, chap, vii., sec. i., iii., ivj 

II. TO EXAMINE AND LICENSE CANDIDATES FOR THE HOLY MINISTRY. 
1. Licentiates should be Regularly Received.— Caution to be Used. 

a. The Presbytery of New Castle expressing some uneasiness at the 
conduct of the second Philadelphia Presbytery for having received and 
licensed a certain Mr. John McClean, who, they apprehend, most properly 
belonged to the Presbytery of New Castle, and had applied to them to be 
licensed ; and while they were taking the proper steps for obtaining more 
full satisfaction concerning his church membership and Christian charac- 
ter, he in the mean time removed from them and applied to the second 
Philadelphia Presbytery, and was licensed by them ; both the Presbyter- 
ies were fully heard in a free conference on this subject and withdrew. 
The Synod, after mature deliberation, order Mr. McClean to be cited be- 
fore the Presbytery of New Castle, with power to them to hear the charges 
against him and issue the affair in a regular manner, and report to the 
next meeting of the Synod. And the Synod do prohibit the second Phil- 
adelphia Presbytery from employing him to preach till the affair shall be 
concluded.— 1772, p. 435. 

b. The consideration of the report of the Committee to Examine the 
Minutes of the Synod of Philadelphia was resumed. The report is as 
follows, viz. : 

Your committee observe in page 24th that although the Synod were in- 
formed by the Presbytery of New Castle that a certain Mr. Hindman had 
put himself under the care of the Presbytery of Donegal for trials, and 
afterward, without certificate or dismission offered himself to and was re- 



OF THE PRESBYTERY. 145 

ceived upon trials by the Presbytery of Lewes ; and though in page 34th 
the Presbytery of New Castle represent that the said gentleman had been 
laid under censure by the Presbytery of Donegal, that they had no au- 
thentic proof that it was taken off, and that this gentleman had obtained 
license in opposition to a rule of the Synod of New York and Philadel- 
phia, in their minutes of 1764, pages 79 and 80, yet the Synod recom- 
mended it to the Presbytery of New Castle to receive and treat this gen- 
tleman as a regular candidate without any decision upon the matters 
referred to them. 

[Whereupon the Assembly] 

Resolved, That the Synod be informed that the Assembly disapprove of 
the proceedings as represented in their records in recommending a candi- 
date to be received as in full standing before they had given a decision 
upon the allegations against him. — 1791, p. 37. 

c. At a meeting of the Presbytery of New Castle in Wilmington upon 
the first Tuesday of January, 1791, and continued by adjournment, the 
Rev. James McCoy, of Morris county Presbytery, with a commissioner 
from Queen Ann's congregation, applied to be received as a member of 
this Presbytery. As Mr. McCoy had been under trials for licensure in the 
Presbytery of New York, and was licensed and ordained by the Presby- 
tery of Morris, this Presbytery agreed not to receive him as a member 
until his case be laid before the General Assembly at their next stated 
meeting. 

The General Assembly, upon considering this case, determined that 
neither the Presbytery of New Castle nor any other Presbytery ought to 
receive Mr. McCoy into their connection until he shall have produced a 
certificate from the Presbytery of New York of his having given them the 
satisfaction which his case requires. — 1791, p. 38. 

[See chap. xiv. of licensing candidates or probationers to preach the 
gospel.] 

III. TO ORDAIN MINISTERS. 
2. Ordination by a Commission of Presbytery. 

a. The Presbytery having seen Mr. George Gillespie's certificates, from 
the Presbytery of Glasgow, concerning his being licensed to preach, and his 
conversation, did approve of them, and in case Providence make way for 
his ordination, by a call from any congregation before next Presbytery, 
Mr. Andrews, McNish, Anderson, and Morgan, are ordered to ordain him, 
and that one of the said members, or two, as they shall see fit, preach at 
the solemnity. — 1712, p. 26. 

b. The business of Mr. Wotherspoon and the people of Apoqilinimy 
came again into consideration, upon which the Presbytery appointed as 
follows, that Masters Andrews, Anderson, Powell, Jones, and Gillespie, do 
manage in the affair between Mr. Wotherspoon and the people of Apo- 
quinimy, that after a formal call presented before them by the said people 
of Apoquinimy, they, at their own discretion, appoint the said Mr. Wo- 
therspoon to pass his trials before them, and that if they shall be fully sat- 
isfied as to his qualifications, they proceed to his ordination, and settlement 
among that people. — 1713, p. 34. 

It was reported by the ministers appointed to transact the affair relat- 
ing to Mr. Wotherspoon's ordination, that they, in compliance with the 
last year's minutes, did solemnly by prayer, fasting, and imposition of 
hands, ordain the said Mr. Robert Wotherspoon, unto the sacred function. 
19 



146 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

and office of the ministry, to the Presbyterian congregation at Apo- 
quintmy, upon the 13th day of May, 1714.* 

c. A unanimous call from the people of Welsh Tract to Mr. David 
Evans, being presented to us and approven, we offered it to him, which he 
accepted; whereupon it was appointed as follows, viz. : * 

That Messrs. Jedediah Andrews, Jones, Anderson, Gillespie, and Wo- 
therspoon, solemnly ordain him to the work and office of the ministry, 
after having been satisfied with his ministerial abilities, in any pieces of 
trial they shall think fit to appoint him. — 1714, p. 36. 

[See Minutes of General Presbytery, passim.'] 

d. The appointment of the Synod with respect to the ordination of 
Masters John Clement and William Stewart, was complied with. They 
being solemnly set apart to the work of the ministry by the Rev. Masters 
Samuel Davis, John Hampton, and John Thompson, at Rehoboth, in 
Somerset county, in Maryland, upon the — day of June, 1719. — 1719, 
p. 55. 

[See, also, case of John Griffith, ordained by a Presbytery pro re nata, 
appointed by Synod. — 1758, p. 289.] 

3. Ordination by Foreign Bodies not approved. 

The Assembly took up the report of the Committee on Overture No. 3, 
which was laid on the table; which being read and amended, was adopted, 
and is as follows, viz. : 

Whereas, many of the ministers, who are to supply the vacant churches 
and destitute places in the more new and growing parts of our Church, 
must, for some time to come, continue to be educated in the older sections 
of our country, and at a great distance from the field where they are to 
be employed ; and whereas, it is important to the happy and useful 
settlement of these ministers, in their several fields of labor, that they 
should enjoy the full confidence of the ministers and churches among whom 
they are to dwell ; and whereas, the ordination of ministers in the presence 
of the people among whom they are to labor, is calculated to endear them 
very much to their flocks, while it gives their fathers and brethren in the 
ministry an opportunity of knowing their opinions and sentiments on sub- 
jects of doctrine and discipline ; and whereas, our Form of Government 
seems to recognize the right and privilege of each Presbytery to examine 
and ordain those who come to the pastoral office within their bounds, and 
who have never before exercised that office ; therefore, Resolved, 

That it be earnestly recommended to all our Presbyteries, not to ordain, 
sine titulo, any men, who propose to pursue the work of their ministry in 
any section of the country where a Presbytery is already organized to 
which 'they may go as licentiates and receive ordination. 2. That the 
several bodies with which we are in friendly correspondence in the New 
England States, be respectfully requested to use their counsel and influ- 
ence to prevent the ordination, by any of the Councils or Consociations, 
of men who propose to pursue the work of the ministry within the bounds 
of any Presbytery belonging to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian 

* Memorandum. 

It being appointed the last Presbytery, that the ordination of Mr. Robert Wother- 
ppoon should be left to the discretion of diverse ministers who are named in the min- 
utes; the said members having heard him preach a popular sermon on Heb. vi. 19, 
received his exef/esia on a question de sanctorum pemeverantia, taken on account of his 
skill in the original languages, and likewise his attainments and orthodoxy in theolog- 
ical matters, to their satisfaction, did on the 13th day of May, 1714, set apart the said 
Mr. Wotherspoon unto the work of the ministry. — 1714, p. »>5. 



OF THE PRESBYTEKY. 147 

Church ; and that the delegates from this Assembly to those bodies respec- 
tively be charged with communicating this resolution. — 1834, p. 428. 

4. Lay Ordination Invalid. 

a. The Committee to whom was referred Overture No. 15, viz., on ordi- 
nation by a deposed minister or by laymen, made the following report, 
which was adopted, viz. : 

That this paper contains a letter from a minister in South Carolina to 
the stated clerk, requesting him to obtain a decision of the General As- 
sembly on the question, ''whether the ordination of a minister of the gos- 
pel by the interposition of the hands of the laity is valid." That the an- 
swer to this question should be in the negative is so obvious and evident 
on all correct principles of ecclesiastical order, that your Committee are 
of opinion that it is unnecessary for the General Assembly to give any 
further consideration to the subject. — 1832, p. 366. 

b. The Committee on Overture No. 3, viz., a question from the Presby- 
tery of Bethel respecting holding communion with the followers of Wil- 
liam C. Davis, a deposed minister, and calling themselves Independent 
Presbyterians, reported that in their judgment the questions proposed in 
said overture ought to be answered in the negative. They therefore 
would recommend the adoption of the following resolution, viz. : 

Resolved, That while this Assembly readily acknowledges the right of 
the session to determine according to the Scriptures and the Constitution 
of our Church the qualifications for admission to sealing ordinances, yet 
they feel it to be their duty to declare that in their judgment the services 
of those who have received only lay ordination and of those who have 
been deposed from the gospel ministry are unscriptural and unwarrant- 
able, and therefore an attendance on their ministrations cannot be in the 
order of the gospel, and ought to be discouraged and discountenanced by 
every friend of the Eedeemer's kingdom. — 1833, p. 407. 

5. Rule in respect to Receiving a Minister from another Denomi- 
nation. 

a. The consideration of the report of the Committee to which had been 
referred the question of validity of ordination in the case of a Baptist 
elder was resumed, and the report being read, was adopted, and is as 
follows, viz. : 

It is not among the principles or usages of the Presbyterian Church to 
consider the ordination of ministers by other Protestant churches as in- 
valid; on the contrary, the Presbyterian Church has always considered the 
ordinations of most other Protestant churches as valid in themselves, and 
not to be repeated when those who have received them become members 
of the Presbyterian Church. Nor is it perceived that there is any suffi- 
cient reason why the ordinations in the Baptist Church should not be con- 
sidered as valid, and be sustained as such. 

But while the Presbyterian Church can act as has now been stated in 
regard to ordinations, it is among those principles and usages which she 
regards as most sacred and important, to secure for her churches both a 
pious and a learned ministry, and she cannot admit of any usage or exer- 
cise any apparent liberality inconsistent with security in this essential 
particular. On the whole, therefore, the Committee recommend the fol- 
lowing resolution : 

Resolved, That when applications are made by ministers of the Baptist 
or any other Protestant denomination to be connected with the Presbyte- 



148 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

rian Church, the Presbytery to which the applications are made shall 
require all the qualifications both in regard to piety and learning which 
are required of candidates for licensure or ordination of those who have 
originally belonged to the Presbyterian Church ; and shall require the 
applicants from other denominations to continue their study and prepara- 
tion till they are found on trial and examination to be qualified in learn- 
ing and ability to teach in the manner required by our standards ; but 
that when found to be thus qualified, it shall not be necessary to reordaiu 
the said applicants, but only to install them when they are called to settle 
in Presbyterian congregations. — 1821, p. 23. 

b. Overture No. 19. A request of the Rev. J. G. Montfort that the 
Assembly answer the following question : "Is it the duty of Presbyteries, 
when elders or deacons from the Methodist Episcopal Church apply to 
become ministers in our Church, to recognize their ordination as sufficient, 
or to ordain them as in the case of other candidates ?" 

The Committee recommended that the overture be answered by a refer- 
ence to the action on the subject of the General Assembly of 1821. The 
report was adopted.— 1852, p. 210, O. S. [See 8, below.] 

6. Ordination Procured by Fraud Valid, but the Presbytery 
should Depose. 

Is the ordination of a minister valid which has been procured by forgery 
and unwarrantable means? 

Confining the answer of the Assembly to this case as verbally explained, 
this question is answered in the affirmative, but that the Presbytery should 
in such case proceed immediately to depose him. — 1843, p. 198, O. S. 

7. Ordination on the Sabbath Day Inexpedient, but left to Dis- 

cretion of the Presbytery. 

An overture was received from the Presbytery of Orange, requesting 
the opinion of the General Assembly on the question whether it be proper 
to ordain licentiates to the office of the gospel ministry on the Sabbath 
day. The General Assembly think it would not be for edification to adopt 
a uniform rule on the subject. In general they think it is not expedient 
that ordinations should take place on the Sabbath, yet that there may be 
cases in which urgent or peculiar circumstances may demand them. The 
Assembly therefore judged it best to leave it to the Presbyteries to act in 
this concern as they may judge that their duty requires. — 1821, p. 10. 

8. The Reasons for Receiving- an Ordained Minister from another 

Denomination to be Recorded. 

The Committee of Overtures brought in the following resolution, which, 
having been read and amended, was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

Resolved, That in the opinion of this Assembly the decisions of the Gen- 
oral Assembly in 1792, and referred to by the Assembly of 1800, respect- 
ing the reordination of ministers regularly ordained in the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, and desiring to connect themselves with the Presbyterian 
( Ihurch in the United States of America, however expedient at the time of 
its formation, ought not to be considered as a precedent to guide the future 
decisions of the judicatories of this Church ; and that the Presbyteries 
under the care of this Assembly, when they receive into their connection 
an ordained minister from any other denomination, be careful to record 
the circumstances of the case and the reasons which induced them to re- 
ceive such ordained minister. — 1810, p. 441. 






OF THE PRESBYTERY. 149 

9. Leave to Ordain Refused where there is no Presbytery. 

Overture No. 34, a memorial from the Presbytery of New York, refer- 
ring to this Assembly the following case: Application was made to the 
Presbytery of New York in April to receive by letter from the Presbytery 
of Cincinnati, the Rev. John Beveridge, now a resident of Northern Mex- 
ico, and to authorize the Rev. Andrew J. Park, now a member of the 
Presbytery of New York, and residing in Northern Mexico, and the Rev. 
John Beveridge, when received by the Presbytery, to ordain to the work 
of the ministry, if the way be clear on examination, Mr. Brigide Sepul- 
veda, a converted Roman Catholic priest. 

The Committee recommend the following answer : 

Resolved, That inasmuch as there is no Presbytery, and not a sufficient 
number of ministers of whom to form a Presbytery, in Northern Mexico, 
such request be not granted. In consideration, however, of the urgency 
and peculiarity of the case, the Board of Foreign Missions are hereby in- 
structed to defray the expenses of Mr. Sepulveda's journey to and from 
New York for his ordination by the Presbytery of New York, if the way 
be clear.— 1871, p. 592. 

IV. TO INSTALL MINISTERS. 

10. The Cognizance of Settling Pastors belongs to Presbytery. 

That it belongs to the Presbyteries to take cognizance of the proceed- 
ings of sessions and congregations in the important concern of settling 
pastors, and to adopt the most effectual measures on the one hand to pre- 
vent all undue delay by the session, or the people, and on the other, to 
prevent all precipitancy in the settlement of any minister, or the adop- 
tion of any system of proceedings in the congregation inconsistent with 
the real and permanent edification of the people. — 1814, p. 560. 

11. A Pastoral Relation Recognized without Instalment. 

That it appears evident to this Synod, that Mr. Tennent having in all 
respects acted, and been esteemed, and looked upon, not only by this 
Synod, but also by the congregation of Neshaminy, and particularly by 
the appellants themselves, as the minister and pastor of the people of 
Neshaminy, that he is still to be esteemed as the pastor of that people, 
notwithstanding the want of a formal instalment among them (which 
omission, though the Synod doth not justify, yet it is far from nullifying 
the pastoral relation between Mr. Tennent and said people), and conse- 
quently that the Synod doth justify the judgment of the Presbytery of 
Philadelphia in reference to that matter, and that said appellants had no 
just cause of complaining against or appealing from said judgment of the 
Presbytery.— 1736, p. 127. 

12. The Presbytery may Refuse to Install even where Parties are 

Agreed. 

When a congregation and minister agree on the amount of salary to be 
paid and received, and both parties being fully satisfied, request the pas- 
toral relation to be constituted according to the order of the Presbyterian 
Church, has Presbytery the right to refuse to install, because, in their 
judgment, the salary is insufficient? 

Answered in the affirmative.— 1855, p. 272, O. S. 

[See under Form of Government, chap, xv.] 



— _ 



150 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 

V. TO REMOVE MINISTERS. 

13. The Presbytery has Power to Dissolve a Pastoral Relation at 

its own Discretion. 

a. Overture No. 22, from the Synod of Illinois, asking the following 
question, viz. : 

Has a Presbytery the constitutional power to dissolve the pastoral rela- 
tion against the remonstrance of the pastor and a majority of the church, 
when a large and influential minority of the church request it, by petition, 
and in the judgment of Presbytery the interests of religion in that con- 
gregation require it? 

Your Committee beg leave to recommend the following answer, viz. : 

The General Assembly think that the Presbytery has the constitutional 
power to dissolve the pastoral relation, according to chap, x., sec. viii., and 
chap, xviii. of our Book ; but that great regard ought to be had to ex- 
pediency in all such cases. 

Adopted.— 1860, p. 39, O. S. 

b. [The same question was asked the next year, and answered by refer- 
ring to the Minutes above, with the caution:] "That such power should 
in all cases be exercised with the greatest caution and discretion, and that 
the reasons for such action should be always fully recorded." — 1861, p. 
306, O. S. 

14. A Synod, on Appeal, Directs the Dissolution of the Pastoral 

Relation, and is Sustained. 

Your commission had this case several days before them, and bestowed 
upon it careful consideration; and have unanimously determined to report 
to the Assembly that the sense of this commission is, that the interests of 
the church of Hopewell require the dissolution of the pastoral relation, 
and that they agree with the decision of Synod, and they recommend the 
following minute: 

This Assembly recognizes the right of each congregation to decide 
whether a pastor is acceptable to them, and the wishes of a majority are 
to be set aside only for weighty reasons; yet such a state of things may 
exist between the pastor and a portion of his people, as shall require, for 
the fair name of religion, that the relation be dissolved. And for this 
reason the appeal and complaint of Joseph Connell against the Synod of 
Pittsburg is not sustained.— 1868, p. 649, O. S. 

[See the case in full below, chap. xvii. 5.] 

15. A Pastor may not be Dismissed to a Body other than that 

to which his Church belongs. 

The Committee report Overture No. 2 : " Is a member of Presbytery, 
desirous of withdrawing connection with our Church to a foreign body at a 
distance, entitled to a letter of dismission and recommendation on demand, 
while occupying the position as pastor of one of our churches?" 

The Committee report, that he is not thus entitled. 

The report was adopted. — 1861, p. 471, N. S. 

VI. TO JUDGE MINISTERS. 

16. The Presbytery alone must Judge of the Fitness of its Members. 

Your Committee doubted the correctness of the order given by the 
Synod to the Presbytery of Geneva, to reconsider their proceedings on 
the subject of the admission of the Rev. Shipley Wells, a constituent 



OF THE PKESBYTERY. 151 

member of that Presbytery, which order, though it be not appealed from, 
appears to have given rise to the protest in question. 

The Synod of Geneva were beyond doubt, in the opinion of your Com- 
mittee, competent to censure the Presbytery of Geneva for admitting 
hastily, and on slight evidence, into their body, an unworthy or even a sus- 
picious character. But it is, in the opinion of your Committee, equally 
clear, that the right of deciding on the fitness of admitting Mr. Wells, a 
constituent member of the Presbytery of Geneva, belonged to the Pres- 
bytery itself; and that having admitted him, no matter how improvident- 
ly, their 'decision was valid and final. The individual admitted became 
a member in full standing ; nor could the Presbytery, though it should 
reconsider, reverse its owm decision, or in any way sever the member 
so admitted from their body, except by a regular process. Adopted. — 1816, 
p. 012. 

17. A Presbytery may Reject an Applicant. 

A complaint and appeal of Rev. Thomas Ledlie Birch against certain 
proceedings of the Presbytery of Ohio in the case of Mr. Birch, particu- 
larly for refusing to receive him as a member of their body, on the 
ground of a supposed want of acquaintance with experimental religion, 
together with a representation of the congregation of Washington, in the 
bounds of the said Presbytery, on the subject, was brought in by the Com- 
mittee on Bills and Overtures. 

Subsequently Resolved, That no evidence of censurable procedure in 
the Presbytery of Ohio, in the case of Mr. Birch, has appeared to this 
house, inasmuch as there is a discretionary power necessarily lodged in every 
Presbytery to judge of the qualifications of those whom they receive, 
especially with respect to experimental religion. — 1801, pp. 213, 218. 

18. But not without Sufficient Reasons. 

a. A complaint was brought in by the Rev. Mr. George Duffiekl 
against the Second Philadelphia Presbytery, that they had, by one of 
their members, obstructed his entrance into a church in this city under 
their care, to which he had accepted a call, and had also refused to re- 
ceive him as a member, although he was dismissed from, and recom- 
mended by, the Presbytery of Donegal, which was read. 

After having maturely considered this matter, the Synod judge that 
Mr. Duffield has just cause of complaint against the conduct and judg- 
ment of the Second Philadelphia Presbytery, who ought to have admit- 
ted him to membership with them, and allowed him a fair trial ; where- 
fore we now declare him to be minister of the Pine Street or Third Pres- 
byterian congregation in this city, and order that he be put upon the list 
of the aforesaid Presbytery. — 1773, p. 446. 

b. Resolved, That the appeal of the Presbytery of Abingdon from the 
decision of the Synod of Virginia, in the case of the Rev. Robert Glenn, 
be dismissed, on the ground that the substantial cause of appeal has been 
removed by the act of that Presbytery, in their receiving Mr. Glenn, in 
conformity with the decision of the Synod. The appeal was accordingly 
dismissed. — 1822, p. 55. 

19. Rule as to a Member of an Extinct Presbytery. 

The Committee appointed to consider the overture sent up by the 
Presbytery of Baltimore respecting the course proper to be pursued by a 
Presbytery when a minister with a certificate of good standing from a 



152 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Presbytery which has no longer any existence applies for admission, but 
is supposed to be chargeable with some offence subsequently to the date 
of that certificate, made the following report, which was adopted, viz. : 

That after the most attentive consideration of the question presented in 
said overture, it appears to them that the proper answer is embraced in 
the following particulars, viz.: 

1. It is well known that the Book of Discipline of our Church expressly 
provides that when a minister shall be dismissed by one Presbytery with 
a view to his joining another, he shall always be considered as remaining 
under the jurisdiction of the Presbytery which dismissed him until he 
actually becomes a member of another. In the case stated in the over- 
ture, however, as the dismissing Presbytery had become extinct, it was 
physically impossible to act according to the letter of this rule. In these 
circumstances every principle of sound interpretation seems to direct that 
in ordinary cases the Presbytery into which admission is sought should 
receive the applicant, and if he be charged with any offence, conduct the 
process against him. 

2. Nevertheless, it is the privilege of every Presbytery to judge of the 
character and situation of those who apply to be admitted into their own 
body, and unless they are satisfied, to decline receiving the same. A Pres- 
bytery, it is true, may make an improper use of this privilege, in which 
case the rejected applicant may appeal to , the Synod or the General 
Assembly. 

3. When any minister dismissed in good standing by an extinct Presby- 
tery is charged with an offence subsequently to the date of his dismission, 
the Presbytery to which he applies for admission not only may, if they see 
cause, decline receiving him, but if their own situation be such that there 
is no prospect of their being able to conduct process against him in an 
impartial and efficient manner, ought to decline admitting him into their 
body. 

4. In this case ministers dismissed by an extinct Presbytery and not 
received into any other are to be considered as under the direction of their 
proper Synod, and ought to be disposed of as the Synod mav order. — 
1825, p. 146, 147. 

20. How Ministers and Licentiates from Corresponding Bodies 
are to be Received. 

The Committee appointed by the General Assembly of 1829 to con- 
sider and report to the Assembly of 1830 on the manner in which minis- 
ters and licentiates are to be received into any of our Presbyteries from 
ecclesiastical bodies in the United States which correspond with this Gen- 
eral Assembly, made the following report, which was adopted, viz. : 

That in their judgment every licentiate coming by certificate to any 
Presbytery in connection with the General Assembly from any portion of 
a corresponding ecclesiastical body, should be required to answer in the 
affirmative the constitutional questions directed by chap. xiv. of our Form 
of Government to be put to our own candidates before they are licensed; 
and that in like manner every ordained minister of the gospel, coming 
from any church in correspondence with the General Assembly by certifi- 
cate of dismission and recommendation, should be required to answer 
affirmatively the first seven questions directed by chap. xv. of our Form 
of Government to be put to one of our own licentiates when about to be 
ordained to the sacred office. 

The course which is thus recommended bv the Committee they believe 






OF THE PRESBYTERY. 153 

has been generally practiced by our Presbyteries, and the impropriety 
of admitting strangers into our connection on other terms than our own 
licentiates and ministers is too obvious to require remark. It is the 
assent of licentiates and ministers to these questions which brings them 
under the watch and care of the Presbyteries which receive them, and 
without which they ought not to enjoy the privileges of preachers of the 
gospel in our ecclesiastical connection. — 1830, p. 287. 

21. Ministers Dismissed in Good Standing should be Received on 
their Testimonials. 

Resolved, That a due regard to the order of the Church and the bonds 
of brotherhood require, in the opinion of this Assembly, that ministers 
dismissed in good standing by sister Presbyteries should be received by 
the Presbyteries which they are dismissed to join, upon the credit of their 
constitutional testimonials, unless they have forfeited their good standing 
subsequently to their dismissal. — 1834, p. 440. 

22. The Right of Presbytery to Satisfy Itself. 

1. Resolved, That in the judgment of this General Assembly, it is the 
right of every Presbytery to be entirely satisfied of the soundness in the 
faith, and the good character in every respect, of those ministers who apply 
to be admitted into the Presbytery as members, and who bring testimoni- 
als of good standing from sister Presbyteries, or from foreign bodies with 
whom the Presbyterian Church is in correspondence. And if there be 
any reasonable doubt respecting the proper qualifications of such candi- 
dates, notwithstanding their testimonials, it is the right and may be the 
duty of such a Presbytery to examine them, or to take such other meth- 
ods of being satisfied in regard to their suitable character as may be judged 
proper, and if such satisfaction be not obtained, to decline receiving them. 
In such case it shall be the duty of the Presbytery rejecting the appli- 
cant to make known what it has done, to the Presbytery from which he 
came, with its reasons, it being always understood that each Presbytery is 
in this concern, as in all others, responsible for its acts to the higher judi- 
catories. — 1835, p. 485. 

[The Assembly of 1837 refers to the above action, and declares:] 
This Assembly do now render it imperative on the Presbyteries to ex- 
amine all who make application for admission to their bodies at least on 
experimental religion, didactic and polemic theology and church govern- 
ment.— 1837, p. 429. 

[The New School Assembly of 1838 adopted the following:] 
Whereas, it is the inherent right of Presbyteries to expound and apply 
constitutional rules touching the qualifications of their own members, 
therefore, 

Resolved, That the action of the last Assembly making it imperative 
on the Presbyteries to examine all who make application to their bodies, 
not excepting ministers coming from other Presbyteries, is null and void. — 
1838, p. 660, N. S. 

23. A Presbytery may not give a Qualified Dismission nor Re- 
ceive a Minister except on a Letter of Dismission.— Where Re- 
ception is Void, the Name should be Stricken from the Roll. 

Can a Presbytery under any circumstances rescind its action in the re- 
ception of a member? The Committee recommends the following answer: 
20 



154 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

It appears in the case referred to in this overture that a minister, hav- 
ing taken a qualified letter of dismission from his Presbytery, was re- 
ceived by the Presbytery to which he was dismissed upon other testimo- 
nials. 

It is the opinion of this Assembly, 

1. That no Presbytery has the right to grant qualified letters of dismis- 
sion to any of its members. 

2. That no Presbytery can receive a minister except upon a letter of 
dismission from the Presbytery to which he belongs. 

3. That the action of the Presbytery in the case referred to, in receiving 
said minister, being void, the proper course would have been to strike his 
name from the roll, and notify the Presbytery to which he belonged of 
his irregularity. 

The report was adopted.— 1869, p. 922, O. S. 

24. The Presbytery may Dismiss to a Presbytery to be Erected. 

Overture No. 22, on the following question submitted by a member of 
the General Assembly : " Can a Presbytery dismiss a minister to connect 
himself with a Presbytery to be formed in a specified district?" 

The Committee recommend that it be answered in the affirmative, pro- 
vided some higher court has given authority for the formation of such 
Presbytery. 

The report was adopted.— 1867, p. 350, O. S. 

25. To Dismiss by a Committee is Unconstitutional. 

a. The report of the Committee on the reference from the Presbytery of 
Cayuga relative to the constitutionality of a rule of that body which had 
been laid on the table, was taken up. The rule of the Presbytery of Ca- 
yuga referred to the Assembly is as follows, viz. : The moderator for the 
time being and the stated clerk ex-officio were appointed a committee to 
grant letters of dismission to ministers without charge, and to licentiates 
and candidates under the care of this Presbytery, to unite with other Pres- 
byteries, and were directed to report at each stated meeting. 

In relation to this rule the following resolution, reported by the Com- 
mittee, was adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, That the rule hitherto acted upon by the Presbytery of Ca- 
yuga is inexpedient and unconstitutional. — 1830, p. 302. 

b. Also Overture No. 16, from the Presbyteries of Steubenville and 
Washington, asking whether it is competent and constitutional for a Pres- 
bytery to appoint a committee to dismiss unsettled ministers, licentiates 
and candidates without a call for the body to assemble. This question 
has already been decided by the General Assembly in the negative. (See 
Minutes of the General Assembly for 1830, p. 302.) 

The report was adopted. — 1865, p. 569, O. S. 

c. The same Committee further reported Overture No. 5 as follows: 
" May a Presbytery authorize its stated clerk during the intervals of its 
sessions to grant, at their own request, letters certifying the regular 
standing and dismission of its members to join other ecclesiastical 
bodies in connection or correspondence w r ith the General Assembly?" 
The Committee recommend that the above question be answered in the 
negative. 

The report was adopted.— 1865, p. 12, N.-S. 

[See Book of Discipline, chap, x., on Jurisdiction.] 



OF THE PRESBYTERY. 155 

26. Reception of Foreign Ministers.— The Rule. 

[The original rule on this subject may be found in the Minutes for 
1735, p. 118. Actiou was also taken in 1773, p. 448, and 1774, p. 455. 
In 1784 the matter forced itself anew upon the Synod, and particular 
care was enjoined upon all its members, 1784, p. 504. See also Baird's 
Collection, Revised Edition, pp. 254, 257, In 1798, p. 148, the Assembly 
adopted "regulations intended to embrace and extend the existing rules." 
In 1800 these regulations were modified and amended, and constitute the 
present Rule, viz. :] 

I. When any minister or licentiate from Europe shall come into this 
country, and desire to become connected with the Presbyterian Church in 
the United States, he may apply to any committee appointed to direct 
the services of traveling ministers and candidates; which committee shall 
inspect his credentials, and, by examination or otherwise, endeavor to 
ascertain his soundness in the faith and experimental acquaintance with 
religion ; his attainments in divinity and literature ; his moral and re- 
ligious character, and approbation of our public standards of doctrine 
and discipline. If the result shall be such as to encourage further trial, 
said committee may give him appointments to supply and recommend 
him to the churches till the next meeting of the Presbytery to which such 
committee belongs. It shall then become the duty of such minister or 
licentiate to apply to that Presbytery, or to any other in whose bounds 
he may incline to labor ; provided always, that he make his application 
to the Presbytery at their first meeting after his coming within their 
bounds ; and also, that immediately on coming within the bounds of any 
Presbytery, he apply to their committee to judge of his certificate of ap- 
probation, and, if they think it expedient, to make him appointments ; or, 
if it shall be more convenient, the application may be made to the Pres- 
bytery in the first instance ; but it shall be deemed irregular for any for- 
eign minister or licentiate to preach in any vacant church till he have 
obtained the approbation of some Presbytery or committee of Presbytery, 
in manner aforesaid. 

The Presbytery to which such minister or licentiate may apply, shall 
carefully examine his credentials, and not sustain a mere certificate of 
good standing, unless corroborated by such private letters, or other col- 
lateral testimony, as shall fully satisfy them as to the authenticity and 
sufficiency of his testimonials. After inspecting any evidences of his lit- 
erary acquirements which may be laid before them, the Presbytery shall 
enter into a free conversation with him, in order to discover his soundness 
in the faith and experimental acquaintance with religion. If they shall 
obtain satisfaction on these several articles, they shall proceed to examine 
him on the learned languages, the arts, sciences, theology, church history 
and government ; nor shall they receive him, unless he shall appear to 
have made such attainments in these several branches as are required of 
those who receive their education or pass their trials among ourselves. 
But if, upon the whole, he appears to be a person worthy of encourage- 
ment, and who promises usefulness in the Church, they shall receive him 
as a minister or candidate on probation, he first adopting our standards of 
doctrine and discipline, and promising subjection to the Presbytery in the 
Lord. During this state of probation he may preach the gospel where 
regularly called, either as a stated or occasional supply ; and if an or- 
dained minister, perform every part of the ministerial functions, except 
that he may not vote in any judicatory, or accept a call for settlement. 

If the foreigner who shall apply to any Presbytery or committee, as 



156 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

aforesaid, be an ordained minister, such committee and Presbytery may, 
at their discretion, dispense with the special examination on literature in 
this act prescribed, provided he shall exhibit satisfactory evidence that 
he has received such education, and made such progress in languages, 
arts, and sciences, as are required by the constitution of our Church as 
qualifications for the gospel ministry. But in all other respects, the ex- 
amination shall be the same as in the case of a licentiate. 

If from prospects of settlement, or greater usefulness, a minister or li- 
centiate under probation in any Presbytery, shall wish to move into the 
bounds of another, he shall receive a dismission, containing a certificate 
of his standing and character, from the Presbytery under whose care he 
shall have been ; which certificate shall entitle him to the same standing 
in the Presbytery into whose bounds he shall come, except that from the 
time of his coming under the care of this latter Presbytery, a whole year 
shall elapse before they come to a final judgment respecting his reception. 

When any foreign minister or licentiate, received on certificate, or 
pursuant to trials in any Presbytery, shall have resided generally and 
preached within their bounds and under their direction, for at least one 
year, they shall cause him to preach before them (if they judge it expe- 
dient), and taking into consideration, as well the evidence derived from 
their former trials as that which may arise from his acceptance in the 
churches, his prudence, gravity, and godly conversation, and from the 
combined evidence of the whole, determine either to receive him, to reject 
him, or to hold him under further probation. In case of receiving him 
at that, or any subsequent period, the Presbytery shall report the same 
to their Synod at its next meeting, together with all the certificates and 
other testimony on which they received them ; or, if it shall be more con- 
venient, this report may be made to the General Assembly. The said 
Assembly or Synod, as the case may be, shall then inquire into the pro- 
ceedings of the Presbytery in the affair, and if they find them to have 
been irregular or deficient, they shall recommit them to the Presbytery, 
in order to a more regular and perfect process. But if the proceedings 
had in the Presbytery appear to have been conformable to this regulation, 
they shall carefully examine all "the papers laid before them by the Pres- 
bytery, or which shall be exhibited by the party concerned, and consider- 
ing their credibility and sufficiency, come to a final judgment, either to 
receive him into the Presbyterian body, agreeably to his standing, or to 
reject him. 

In order, however, to facilitate the settlement of foreign ministers as 
soon as may consist with the purity and order of the Church, it is further 
ordained, that if the proper Synod or the General Assembly are not to 
meet within three months after that meeting of a Presbytery at which a 
foreign minister on probation is expected to be received, the Presbytery 
may, if they sec cause, lay his testimonials before the meeting of the 
Assembly or Synod which shall be held next before said meeting of the 
Presbytery. If this Assembly or Synod shall approve the testimonials, 
they shall give the Presbytery such information and direction as the case 
may require, and remit the same to them for final issue. In all other 
cases, it shall be deemed irregular for any Synod or General Assembly to 
receive a foreign minister or licentiate, until he shall have passed his 
period of probation, and been received and reported by some Presbytery, 
in manner aforesaid. 

No minister or licentiate, after being rejected by one Presbytery, shall 
be received by another, or if received through mistake or otherwise, he 
shall be no longer countenanced or employed, after the imposition is dis- 






OF THE PRESBYTERY. 157 

covered. If, however, any minister or licentiate shall think himself ag- 
grieved by the sentence of any Presbytery, he shall have a right to carry 
the matter by complaint to the proper Synod, or to the next General 
Assembly, giving notice thereof to the Presbytery during the meeting at 
which the sentence was pronounced, or at the meeting next following. 

These regulations and provisions relative to the reception of foreign 
ministers and licentiates, are to be considered as coming in place of all 
that have heretofore been established on this subject; and all judicatories 
and individuals under the care of the Assembly are to regard them ac- 
cordingly.— 1800, pp. 200-202. 

27. The Rule Enforced. 

a. The Committee appointed to examine the records of the Synod of 
Albany, recommend that they be approved, "excepting the case of re- 
ceiving a foreign licentiate, by the Presbytery of St. Lawrence, without 
laying their proceedings in the case before the Synod, or General Assem- 
bly."— 1822, p. 38. 

b. Papers touching the reception of the Kev. William Windle, a for- 
eign minister, to the Presbytery of Philadelphia. 

These w r ere remitted to that Presbytery, inasmuch as no record of its 
proceedings in the case had been placed in the hands of the Committee, 
by which they might ascertain how far the Presbytery has complied with 
the order of the Assembly, in such cases made and provided. — 1852, p. 
221, O. S. 

c. Overture No. 4, was taken up, viz. : An application from the Presby- 
tery of Watertown, for leave to receive Mr. William Lockhead, a foreign 
licentiate, who, after being under the care of the Presbytery of Cham- 
plain for five months, had been dismissed to the Presbytery of Watertown, 
and had been under the care of the latter Presbytery since the 9th of 
February last. The Presbytery of Watertown requests, that the Assem- 
bly will allow them to take into the account, for the term of trial, the 
time which Mr. Lockhead spent on trials in the Presbytery of Cham- 
plain. On this request the Assembly resolved, that the standing rule 
which requires that the foreign licentiate must spend a year in the Pres- 
bytery to which he is dismissed, be not dispensed with. — 1830, p. 299. 

{See a similar case, 1858, p. 273, O. S.] 

28. 'Rule applies to one Seeking- to be Restored. 

A reference from the Presbytery of St. Clairsville, of the case of the 
Rev. Samuel Boyd, who having retired in good standing from the Presby- 
terian ministry in Ireland in 1842, on account of a change in his views of 
Infant Baptism, now seeks a restoration to the exercise of the ministry 
among us, inasmuch as he adopts again, with full conviction, the whole 
Confession of our Faith. 

The Committee recommended that the Presbytery of St. Clairsville be 
instructed to proceed according to the rule relating to foreign ministers, 
the probation of one year commencing at the time of their next stated 
meeting. The recommendation was adopted.— 1849, p. 239, O. S. 

29. Privilege Lost by a Return to Europe. 

An application from the Presbytery of Philadelphia for advice and 
direction in the case of Rev. James T. Irvine. The facts of the case are 
these : 

In the year 1825, Mr. Irvine was received as a foreign licentiate on pro- 



158 FOEM OP GOVERNMENT. 

bation by the Presbytery of Philadelphia ; after the term of probation 
had expired, he was dismissed to the Presbytery of Huntingdon, and by 
that Presbytery ordained and installed in one of their churches. In the 
year 1834, he returned to Ireland, where he became the pastor of a church, 
and remained until the present year. 

The question to which the Presbytery wish an answer from the General 
Assembly is, 

Does Mr. Irvine come under the denomination of a foreign minister, 
and is he subject to the rules in such cases provided ? And if he be liable 
to the usual probation, may his probation be considered as commencing 
from the time in which he has made his present application to Presbytery, 
viz., from the 4th of April, 1848? 

The Committee recommend that both questions be answered in the 
affirmative. 

The recommendation was adopted. — 1848, p. 22, O. S. 

30. The Rule Applies to Canada. 

An overture from the members of the Presbytery of Michigan, asking 
if the rule of the General Assembly in relation to foreign ministers com- 
ing from Europe, should apply to ministers coming from Canada : 

The Committee recommended that the Assembly answer in the affirma- 
tive ; excepting only when such ministers have been ordained in the United 
States, and by any Presbytery of our communion. The recommendation 
was adopted. — 1849, p. 2o6, O. S. 

The Committee on the Polity of the Church reported a request from the 
Presbytery of Miami, to receive the Kev. J. L. Gourlay, a foreign minis- 
ter, as a member of that body. The Committee find that the said Rev. J. 
L. Gourlay furnished testimonials as being in good standing in the Can- 
ada Presbyterian Church, was duly examined by the Presbytery of Miami, 
and has served as a probationer under the care of that body for one year, 
in accordance with the rules of the General Assembly of 1800. See 
Baird's Digest, pp. 259,260. 

On the recommendation of the Committee, the request was granted. — 
1870, p. 30. 

31. An Exceptional Case. 

The Rev. J. Gillespie offered a paper, stating that the Rev. Samuel H. 
Thompson, who received his theological education at Princeton Theolog- 
ical Seminary and was licensed by the Presbytery of New Brunswick, but 
has since been in connection with a Presbytery in Ireland, from which he 
has brought a regular certificate, now holds a call to a church in the 
Presbytery of Ohio ; whereupon it was Resolved, That in the special cir- 
cumstances of this case, Mr. Thompson be recognized as a minister in 
regular standing in our Church. — 1869, p. 1155, O. S. 

32. Relaxation of the Rules Refused. 

The Committee further report an application, from the Fourth Presby- 
tery of New York, for such a modification of the rules in the Digest, as 
will facilitate the reception of ministers from foreign bodies, with whom 
we are upon terms of fraternal correspondence. The Committee can see 
and appreciate the fact, that, in the great changes which have occurred, 
bringing the ends of the earth near together, instances of seeming hard- 
ship may occur ; still in their judgment the time has not yet come, when 
it is wise for this Assembly to introduce the change in our arrangements 



OF THE PRESBYTERY. 159 

referred to ; and they therefore recommend that no action be taken by 
the Assembly in the premises. — 1855, p. 26, N. S. 

33. "Waived in Case of a Minister from a Presbytery in Corre- 
spondence. 

The Committee on the Polity of the Church reported the following 
question : 

Will the Committee on Church Polity consider the question of an 
amendment to the standing rules of the General Assembly, touching the 
reception of foreign ministers, so as to except from the application of these 
rules ministers coming directly from well-known charges or positions, and 
bringing satisfactory testimonials, where the Presbyteries into which they 
are to be received have previously signified their approval of the transfer 
from fields abroad to fields within their bounds? 

The Committee recommend as an answer to this question that so much 
of the regulations and provisions relative to the reception of foreign min- 
isters (see Digest, p. 117) as regards the probation through which such 
ministers must pass, before the Presbytery come to a final judgment of 
their reception, may, at the option of any Presbytery, be waived in those 
cases in which the transfer is directly from a Presbytery in correspondence 
with this Assembly, and in which cases the approval of the transfer by 
such Presbytery has been previously signified. 

The Presbytery receiving such a minister is strictly enjoined to make a 
careful record of all the facts in the case. — 1869, p. 281, K S. 

The report was adopted. 

34. Bule Repealed as to Ministers from the Presbyterian Churches 

of Great Britain. 

Overture No. 11, on receiving ministers from foreign countries. The 
Committee recommend the adoption of the following: 

Inasmuch as intercourse between the Presbyterian churches of Great 
Britain and our General Assembly is now much more frequent and inti- 
mate than in former years, affording the opportunity for mutual acquaint- 
ance, and knowledge of the character and standing of the ministers in the 
different churches of both countries; therefore, 

Resolved, That the regulation requiring ministers coming among us 
from the Presbyterian churches of Great Britain, to submit to a year's 
probation before maintaining ministerial standing, is no longer necessary, 
and is hereby repealed. Adopted. — 1872, p. 70. 

35. Jurisdiction of Members Non-Resident. 
See Book of Discipline, chap, v., sees, iii., iv., and chap, x., sec. ii. 

36. A Presbytery may not Restore one Deposed by Another. 

Also, Overture No. 19, being a memorial of the Rev. George D. Stew- 
art and others, that the General Assembly would take action and give 
relief in the case of Rev. Michael Hummer, who, having been deposed by 
the Presbytery of Iowa, had been restored by the Presbytery of Highland, 
against the remonstrance of the Presbytery of Iowa, just as if he was an 
independent minister. 

It is recommended that this General Assembly declare that it is irregu- 
lar and unconstitutional for any Presbytery to receive and restore a mem- 
ber of another Presbytery who has been deposed; and therefore the action 



160 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

of the Presbytery of Highland in restoring Mr. Hummer was improper; 
and the Presbytery of Highland is directed to reconsider its action, and 
proceed according to the requirements of the constitution. 
The report was adopted.— 1862, p. 608, O. S. 

37. One who has withdrawn can be Restored only by the Presby- 

tery from which he withdrew. 

Mr. David Austin, who had been formerly a member of the Presbytery 
of New York, and had withdrawn from the Presbytery and the Presbyte- 
rian Church, appeared before the Assembly and renewed his request of 
last year to be again received into ministerial communion and regular 
standing in the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Austin, having been fully 
heard in support of his petition, withdrew ; when the Assembly, after ma- 
turely considering the case, 

Resolved, That as it would be disorderly for this Assembly to restore 
Mr. Austin to his standing in the Presbyterian Church in the form in 
which it is sought by him, inasmuch as he withdrew from the Presbytery 
of New York, against whom he makes no complaint, and to whom, of 
course, he ought to apply, so this Assembly, in the course of the discussion 
had on the subject of Mr. Austin's application, have had before them 
sufficient evidence that it is inexpedient at present to recommend his re- 
ception by any judicature of this Church. Yet the Assembly are willing 
to hope that the time may come when the restoration of Mr. Austin to 
his former standing may take place to his own satisfaction and the edifi- 
cation of the Church.— 1802, p. 238. 

38. A Minister neither Suspended nor Dismissed may not be 

Stricken from the Roll. 

[In 1830 the Rev. Theodore Clapp, having adopted a system of doc- 
trine at variance with the Confession of Faith, communicated the fact to 
the Presbytery of Mississippi, of which he was a member, and requested a 
dismission to join the Hampshire County Association of Congregational 
Ministers of Massachusetts. Hereupon the Presbytery adopted a series of 
resolutions refusing the dismission, but declaring that "the Rev. Theo- 
dore Clapp is no longer either a member of this body or a minister of the 
Presbyterian Church." The whole business came before the Assembly 
upon a complaint of a minority of the session of the First Church, in New 
Orleans, with consent of the Presbytery carried up to the General Assem- 
bly. — Baird.~\ 

Resolved, That since the Rev. Theodore Clapp has neither been dis- 
missed nor suspended by the Presbytery of Mississippi, he ought to be 
regarded as a member of that body, and that in the opinion of this Assem- 
bly they have sufficient reasons for proceeding to try him upon the charge 
of error in doctrine. — 1831, p. 340. 

39. The Name of one Suspended is to Remain upon the Roll. 

The records of the Synod of Northern Indiana approved except that 
on page 54, the Synod censure the Presbytery of Michigan for retaining 
the name of Mr. Nicoll on the roll after suspending him from the gospel 
ministry. Your Committee are of the opinion that the name of a sus- 
pended minister should be retained on the roll of Presbytery till they 
proceed to the higher censure, though he be deprived of the exercise of 
Ids ministerial functions. 

The report was adopted.— 1847, p. 398, O. S. 



OF THE PRESBYTERY. 161 

40. Deposition does not Necessarily Infer also Excommunication. 

— When both are Intended, it should be so Expressed. 

a. The Committee to which was referred the consideration of a report 
made by the committee which had been appointed to examine the records 
of the Synod of Geneva reported, and their report being read, was adopted, 
and is as follows, viz. : That the records of the Synod be approved to page 
45, with the exception of a resolution in page 28, w T hich declares that a 
deposed minister ought to be treated as an excommunicated person. In 
the judgment of this Assembly, the deposition and excommunication of a 
minister are distinct things, not necessarily connected with each other, 
but when connected ought to be inflicted by the Presbytery to whom the 
power of judging and censuring ministers properly belongs. — 1814, p. 549. 

b. Overture No. 20. A question submitted by John Warnock of Ala- 
bama, " Does deposition from the ministry exclude from church privi- 
leges?" The Committee recommended the following resolution, which 
was adopted, viz.: 

Resolved, That though the causes which provoke deposition are almost 
always such as to involve the propriety of exclusion from the sacraments, 
yet the two sentences are not essentially the same, the one having refer- 
ence to office and the other to the rights of membership, and therefore, 
Presbyteries should be explicit in stating both when they mean both. 
When, however, a Presbytery interpret deposition to involve suspension 
from the sacraments, and pronounce the censure in that sense, the sentence 
obviously includes both. — 1848, p. 34, O. S. 

41. The Name of a Deposed Minister to be Published in case he 

does not Cease from Ministerial Functions. 

Resolved, That it be recommended to the Presbyteries under the care of 
the General Assembly wdien they shall depose any of their members from 
the exercise of the ministerial office, and when any person so deposed shall, 
without having been regularly restored, assume the ministerial character, 
or attempt to exercise any of the ministerial functions, that in such case, 
with a view to prevent such deposed person from imposing himself on the 
churches, Presbyteries be careful to have his name published in the As- 
sembly's magazine as deposed from the ministry, that all the churches 
may be enabled to guard themselves against such dangerous impositions. 
—1806, p. 360. 

42. MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO MINISTERS. 
1. Ministers who Withdraw from the "Work of the Ministry. 

a. Inasmuch as Mr. Stevenson has from time to time and for years past 
neglected attending on our judicatures, and also omitted his ministry with- 
out giving us any reasons lor his said conduct, it is therefore agreed that 
his name shall be struck out of our records till he come before us and 
give an account of his proceedings. — 1741, p. 156. 

b. If Persistent, to be Regularly Excluded or Deposed. 

That if any minister of the gospel, through a worldly spirit, a disrelish 
for the duties of his office, or any other criminal motive, become negligent 
or careless, he is by no means to be suffered to pursue this course so :is at 
length to be permitted to lay aside the ministry without censure, because 
this would be to encourage a disregard of the most solemn obligations by 
opeuing a way to escape from them with impunity. 
21 



162 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

But in all such cases Presbyteries are seasonably to use the means and 
pursue the methods pointed out in the word of God and the rules of this 
Church to recall their offending brother to a sense of duty; and if all their 
endeavors be ineffectual, they are at length regularly to exclude or depose 
him from his office. 

If any cases or questions relative to this subject arise in Presbyteries 
which are not contemplated by the provisions of this rule, such cases or 
questions should be referred to the General Assembly for a special decis- 
ion.— 1802, p. 259. 

c. Presbyteries to Inspect the Fidelity of their Members. 

The constitutional remedy for these evils is in the hands of the Pres- 
bytery, to whom it belongs to ordain, install, remove and judge ministers 
(See Form of Government, chap, x., sec. viii.); and whose duty it is to in- 
spect the fidelity of those whom they have solemnly set apart to the work 
of the ministry by the imposition of hands. — 1834, p. 450. 

d. Reasons to be Required and Recorded, with Approval or Disapproval. 

That when ministers have withdrawn, qr may hereafter withdraw, from 
the work of the ministry, wholly or in part, it be enjoined upon the Pres- 
byteries to which they belong to require of such ministers their reasons for 
so doing, which reasons are to be put upon record by the Presbytery, with 
an expression of their approbation or disapprobation of the same. — 1834, 
p. 450. 

e. To be called to Account and Dealt with. 

That those ministers who give up the regular and stated work of the 
gospel ministry as their main work, except it be for reasons satisfactory to 
their Presbyteries, should be called to an account by the Presbyteries to 
which they belong, and dealt with according to the merits of their re- 
spective cases. And the justifiable cause for which any minister gives up 
his work should be stated on the minutes of his Presbytery at the time, 
with the approval of the body. 

/. That all our Presbyteries be directed, at their first stated meeting 
after the rising of this Assembly, to require such ministers in their bounds 
as are not regularly engaged in their covenanted work, as their chief busi- 
ness, to give an account of themselves ; and the Presbyteries shall take 
such order in the premises as is consistent with this minute, and report 
their doings specially to their respective Svnods, and to the next Assem- 
bly.— 1842, p. 28, O. S. 

g. Compliance with the Ride of 1834 Enforced. 

1. That the attention of the Synods be called to the rule adopted by 
the General Assembly of 1834. (Minutes, page 450. See d, above.) 

2. That the Synods be required at their next regular meeting to obtain 
replies from their several Presbyteries to the two following questions, 
namely: 

(1.) Whether the above recited rule of the Assembly of 1834 has been 
observed by the Presbytery. 

(2.) Whether proper discipline has been exercised, in cases where the 
reasons for withdrawal from ministerial duty have been disapproved by 
the Presbytery ; and also in cases of habitual absence from the meetings 
of the Presbytery without the rendering of sufficient excuse. 

The report was adopted.— 1869, p. 263, N. S. 



OF THE PRESBYTERY. 163 

h. From the Presbytery of Elizabethtown, asking the Assembly, " for 
the relief of our minutes, our ecclesiastical courts, and our ministerial 
name, to define whether a minister who turns aside from his calling, not 
from bad health or moral delinquency, to some secular employment, 
should demit the sacred office, or be denied the full immunities of the 
Presb} T tery." 

Resolved, 1st. That the former deliverances of the Assembly on that 
subject, to wit, in the years 1802, 1834 and 1839 (see b, d), are sufficient. 

Resolved, 2nd. That the Presbyteries be enjoined to execute the rule of 
the Assembly of 1834, as to any members "who have withdrawn in whole 
or in part, without justifiable cause, from the work of the ministry." — 1869, 
pp. 935, 936, O. S. 

2. "When Providentially Incapacitated, Ministerial Privileges Re- 

main. 

Resolved, That it is a principle of this Church that no minister of the 
gospel can be regularly divested of his office except by a course of disci- 
pline, terminating in his deposition ; that if any minister, by providential 
circumstances, become incapable of exercising his ministerial functions, or 
is called to suspend them, or to exercise them only occasionally, he is still 
to be considered as possessing the ministerial character and privileges; 
and his brethren of the Presbytery are to inspect his conduct ; and while 
they treat him with all due tenderness and sympathy, they are to be care- 
ful that he do not neglect ministerial duty beyond what his circumstances 
render unavoidable. — 1802, p. 258. 

3. Rights of Ministers without Charge to a Seat in Church Courts. 

• a. The Committee to which was referred the overture from the Presby- 
tery of Baltimore, in the following words, viz., "Are ministers without 
charges constituent members of our church judicatures, and have they an 
equal voice with settled pastors and ruling elders of congregations in ec- 
clesiastical governments?" reported, and their report being read and 
amended, was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

In the judgment of this Assembly, this question is answered affirma- 
tively, chap, ix., sec. 2, of the Form of Government of the Presbyterian 
Church, in these words: "A Presbytery consists of all the ministers and 
one ruling elder from each congregation within a certain district." — 1816, 
p. 615. 

b. The Committee to whom was referred Overture No. 9, relative to the 
right of ministers without charge to a seat in our judicatories, made their 
report, which, after some discussion, was referred to a committee consisting 
of Dr. Blythe, Dr. Hoge, Mr. Montfort, Mr. Elliot, and Mr. A. O. Patter- 
son, to take the subject into consideration, and report to the next General 
Assembly.— 1835, p. 492. 

The report of the Committee on the rights of ministers without charges 
to a seat in the judicatories of the Church, was taken up, and indefinitely 
postponed.— 1836, p. 294. 

c. Overture in Relation to the Right of Ministers not engaged in the Minis- 
terial Work to sit in Church Courts. 

According to the constitution of our Church, ministers, as such, whether 
with or without charge, are of equal power and privilege. If the defection 
of any minister from the duties implied in his ordination vows is serious 
enough to disfranchise him, it is sufficiently serious to call for the orderly 
exercise of discipline. The remedy, therefore, for the evil complained 



164 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

of lies with the Presbyteries, and cannot be reached by any action of 
the Assembly. Touching the alleged inequality between the ministers 
and the elders in our judicatories, it need only be remarked that the 
number of vacant churches in a growing land like this greatly exceeds 
the number of unemployed ministers, and in the Church at large the 
elders could at any time obtain a large majority, if disposed so to do. 
Apprehending no danger in this direction, and recognizing no antagonism 
between the teaching and the ruling elders in the Church, this Assembly 
sees no reason for special action in the case, leaving the Presbyteries in our 
large cities, where ministers without charge are prone to collect, to deal 
with them in an orderly manner as their wisdom may suggest. — 1859, p. 
533, O. S. 

4. May a Minister hold a Civil Office? 

The Committee to whom was referred the communication from the 
Presbytery of Ohio respecting the Rev. Boyd Mercer and his letter to the 
moderator of the Assembly, exhibited their report. 

The report, having been read and amended, was adopted, and is as fol- 
lows, viz.: 

With respect to the abstract question, whether the tenure of a civil 
office be or be not incompatible with that of the holy ministry, the Assem- 
bly is of opinion that there is nothing in the holy Scriptures, or in the Con- 
stitution, acts or proceedings of the Presbyterian Church in these United 
States, expressly prohibitory of such union of offices. 

With respect to the particular case referred to their consideration, as 
Mr. Mercer in his letter expressly asserts that it is not his intention to 
decline the office of the holy ministry, and that he was led to devote him- 
self for the present to the functions of an associate judge by a state of 
health so infirm as to interrupt the regular discharge of his public duties 
as a minister of religion, your committee are of opinion that the Presby- 
tery of Ohio ought not to censure him unless there be some circumstances 
in the case unknown to the Assembly. 

That none, however, may so far misconstrue these sentiments as to per- 
suade themselves that they countenance a covetous, ambitious spirit, your 
committee further beg leave to suggest the propriety of cautioning your 
clergy against worldly-mindedness; of exhorting them not to aspire after 
places of emolument or civil distinction ; of reminding them that the cure 
of souls is their peculiar business, and that they who serve at the altar 
ought, as far as possible, to avoid temporal avocations. — 1806, p. 363. 
Reaffirmed.— 1808, p. 399. 

5. He may hold the Office of Chaplain in the Army or Navy. 

a. Application was made to Synod by Mr. Beatty, desiring to know 
their mind with respect to his going as chaplain to the forces that may be 
raised in the Province of Pennsylvania, if he shall by the Government be 
called to that service. The Synod do judge it to be his duty. — 1756, p. 
275. 

b. Application having been made to Mr. Beatty by Colonel Armstrong 
to serve as chaplain to the first battalion of the Pennsylvania Provincials 
for the ensuing campaign, he requested the advice and judgment of this 
Synod with respect to his duty therein. The Synod do unanimously 
agree that it is his duty to go. — 1758, p. 282. 

c. 'Tis allowed that Messrs. Alexander McDowel and Hector Allison 
go as chaplains to the Pennsylvania forces, and that Mr. Kirkpatrick go 
with the New Jersey forces, the ensuing campaign. — 1760, p. 302. 



OF THE PKESBYTERY. 165 

d, The First Philadelphia Presbytery report that they have ordained 
Mr. Israel Evans and Mr. William Lynn to qualify them to act as chap- 
lains in the army to which they had been appointed. — 1776, p. 472. 

e. Also ordaiued Mr. Robert Keith to qualify him to act as a chaplain 
in the army. — 1777, p. 477. 

/. A reference from the Presbytery of Philadelphia on the propriety of 
their ordaining to the work of the gospel ministry a licentiate under their 
care who now holds the office of a chaplain in the navy of the United 
States was considered, whereupon the Assembly resolved, 

That this judicature of the Presbyterian Church feels a deep and lively 
interest in the spiritual welfare of the mariners of this country, and espe- 
cially of those who are engaged in the naval service of our Union ; and 
that the Assembly therefore will rejoice if any Presbytery under its care 
has the opportunity of ordaining any well-qualified persons, men of piety 
and learning, with a view to their rendering permanent ministerial ser- 
vices to large congregations of our fellow-citizens who dwell in ships-of- 
war.— 1826, p. 171. 

6. Demission of the Ministry. 

a. There being from time to time complaints of the weakness and defi- 
ciency of Mr. Robert Laing, rendering his exercise of the ministerial 
function a detriment to the interest of religion, and rather a scandal than 
an help to the gospel, the Synod advised him to demit the whole exercise 
of the ministry, and not to take it up again but by the approbation of at 
least three ministers of the Presbytery wherein he may reside ; the said 
Mr. Laing did quietly and humbly acquiesce in the aforesaid advice. — 1726, 
p. 84. 

b. The Presbytery of New York report that the Rev. Mr. William Wood- 
hull, one of their members, appeared before them at their last meeting, 
and stated to them his situation, as being still incapable of exercising 
his ministry by his continued indisposition, and the little, or rather no, 
probability of his ever being able to attempt the exercise of it in future, 
and that he was at the same time engaged in certain secular employ- 
ments that would seem to render it improper to have his name iu their 
records as a member, while he is incapable of attending their meetings, or 
discharging any of the great duties of his ministry, and therefore submits 
to them the propriety of their continuing and considering him as a member 
from time to time; and that the Presbytery, on considering his situation, 
thought it best to leave his name out of their records in future, till he 
shall be able to return to the exercise of his ministry, an event that would 
give them great pleasure. 

The Synod considered the above report, and are of opinion that Mr. 
Woodhull ought to be continued a member of the Presbytery of New York, 
and therefore direct that Presbytery to insert his name in their roll. — 
1783, p. 497. 

c. In consequence of Mr. Joseph Montgomery's having informed them 
[the New Castle Presbytery] that through bodily indisposition he was 
incapable of officiating in the ministry, and having* also accepted an office 
under the civil authority, they have left his name out of their records. 

The Synod disapprove of the conduct of the Presbytery of New Castle. 
in striking the name of Mr. Montgomery off their roll for the reasons given 
in their report; neither of which, nor both together, seem to be sufficient ; 
and in future recommend to all Presbyteries, when any ministers under 
their inspection resign their charge, or discontinue the exercise of their 



166 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

office while they remain in the same bounds, to pass a regular judgment 
on the reasons given for such conduct ; and continue their inspection of 
those who shall not have deserved to be deprived of the ministerial charac- 
ter, though they may be laid aside from immediate usefulness. — 1785, pp. 
507, 510. 

d. By a report from the Presbytery of Lewes, it appeared that a min- 
ister, heretofore a member of that Presbytery, had been declared to be no 
longer a member thereof; and, as the Assembly were informed, is considered 
by them as divested of the ministeral office, and this without deposition, 
suspension, or censure ; wherefore, 

Resolved, That it is a principle of this Church that no minister of the 
gospel can be regularly divested of his office except by a course of discipline, 
terminating in his deposition. That if any minister, by providential cir- 
cumstances, become incapable of exercising his ministerial functions, or is 
called to suspend them, or to exercise them only occasionally, he is still to 
be considered as possessing the ministerial character and privileges ; and 
his brethren of the Presbytery are to inspect his conduct; and while they 
treat him with due tenderness and sympathy, they are to be careful that 
he do not neglect his ministerial duty, beyond what his circumstances 
render unavoidable. — 1802, p. 258. 

[In 1858 an overture was sent down by the Assembly, O. S., proposing 
to add to chap, xv., Form of Government, three sections providing for 
the demission of the ministry. — p. 299. 

[This overture was rejected ; affirmative 24 Presbyteries, negative 84 
Presbyteries.— 1859, p. 532.] 

e. A Full Minute on Demission of the Ministry. 

The Assembly resumed the consideration of the report of the special 
committee (Edwin F. Hatfield, D.D., Henry B. Smith, D. D., and Walter 
S. Griffith, Esq.) on the Demission of the Ministry. After considerable 
discussion, the report was adopted, and is as follows, viz.: 

The Committee to whom was referred, by the last General Assembly, 
an overture from the Presbytery of Philadelphia, Third, on the "Volun- 
tary Demission of the Ministry," respectfully submit the following report : 

The Constitution of our Church, it is well known, provides for the de- 
position of the unworthy, by due process of discipline ; but seems not to 
have anticipated that any other class would require to be separated from 
the responsibilities of an office so high and so sacred. It nowhere con- 
templates the dismission of the members of the church to the world, nor 
the return of the ministry, at their own instance, to the mere secularities 
of every-day life. 

Such is the view that has been taken of our standards from the be- 
ginning. Neither the old Synod of New York and Philadelphia, nor 
any of our General Assemblies, has ventured to give any different inter- 
pretation. The Assembly of 1802, on the occasion of the exercise, by the 
Presbytery of Lewes, of the prerogative of divesting one of their minis- 
ters of his office, without deposition, suspension, or censure, passed the 
following resolution: 

" Resolved, That it is a principle of this Church that no minister of the 
gospel can be regularly divested of his office except by a course of disci- 
pline terminating in his deposition. That if any minister, by providential 
circumstances, become incapable of exercising his ministerial functions, or 
is called to suspend them, or to exercise them only occasionally, he is still 
to be considered as possessing the ministerial character and privileges; 
and his brethren of the Presbytery are to inspect his conduct ; and while 



OF THE PRESBYTERY. 167 

they treat him with due tenderness and sympathy, they are to be careful 
that he do not neglect his ministerial duties beyond what his circumstances 
render unavoidable." 

The office is to be retained ; but, for sufficient reason, the exercise of 
the office may be discontinued in whole or in part. Such was the judg- 
ment of the Synod of 1726, in the case of Mr. Robert Laing, who, by 
reason of the complaints of his "weakness and deficiency," brought against 
him, "rendering his exercise of the ministerial function a detrimeut to the 
interests of religion, and rather a scandal than a help to the gospel," "ad- 
vised him to demit the whole exercise of the ministry, and not to take it 
up again but by the approbation of at least three ministers of the Pres- 
bytery wherein he may reside." 

Similar was the judgment of the Synod of 1783, in the case of Mr. 
William Woodhull, who had represented to the Presbytery of New York, 
of which he was a member, "his situation, as being still incapable of exer- 
cising his ministry by his continued indisposition, and the little, or rather 
no, probability of his ever being able to attempt the exercise of it in fu 
ture; and that he was at the same time engaged in certain secular employ- 
ments that would seem to render it improper to have his name in their 
records as a member." The Synod judged, "that Mr. Woodhull ought to 
be continued a member of the Presbytery of New York." 

Two years afterward, in the case of Mr. Joseph Montgomery, of the 
Presbytery of New Castle, whose name had been dropped from the roll of 
the Presbytery, at his own instance, on account of indisposition of body, 
and the acceptance of "an office under the civil authority," the Synod ex- 
pressed their disapprobation of the measure, and recommended " to all 
Presbyteries, when any ministers under their inspection resign their charge, 
or discontinue the exercise of their office while they remain in the same 
bounds, to pass a regular judgment on the reasons given for such conduct, 
and continue their inspection of those who shall not have deserved to be 
deprived of the ministerial character, though they may be laid aside from 
immediate usefulness." 

Thus uniformly has the doctrine been maintained by the ecclesiastical 
authorities of our Church, " that no minister of the gospel can be regu- 
larly divested of his office except by a course of discipline terminating in 
his deposition." The Assembly of 1852 took the same ground, or at least 
refused to take ground to the contrary. In the case of a member of the 
Presbytery of Portage, " who, though chargeable with no disciplinable 
offence, had forsaken the ministry for ten or more years, had regularly 
and permanently engaged in secular employments, had become a private 
member of the Church, and had no design of again acting as a minister 
of the gospel, and who, on this ground, had requested his Presbytery to 
strike his name from the roll of members," the Presbytery took the po- 
sition " that presbyterial law contemplates the ministerial office as per- 
manent, ceasing not but by death or deposition ;" yet they referred the 
case to the wisdom of the General Assembly. And the Assembly of 1852, 
although the Committee on the Polity of the Church recommended "that 
the Presbytery be directed to strike his name from the roll, without im- 
plying any censure or any imputation upon his Christian character," 
refused to adopt the recommendation ; thereby confirming the position 
taken by the Presbytery, and conforming their action to the uniform 
decisions of the highest ecclesiastical authorities of our Church from the 
beginning. 

It is true that, in common with most of the evangelical denominations, 
we maintain that ordination is but a ceremony — an outward sign — a pub- 



168 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

lie recognition on the part of the ordainers of the fitness of him who is 
ordained for the office to which he is set apart; it does not impress a cha- 
racter or impart a fitness not previously possessed. But, in the case of a 
minister of the gospel, it recognizes the fact that the man has consecrated 
himself to this high and holy calling; has, by irrevocable vows, set him- 
self apart from merely secular pursuits to the service of the Lord Jesus 
Christ in the ministry. From these vows the Church has received no dis- 
pensation to release him, and, therefore, has ever disclaimed the power 
and right, even in the exercise of discipline. 

So long, therefore, as it is in the power of the minister, he is to exercise 
his gifts and graces in this particular calling. He is under covenant, both 
to Christ and to the Church, thus to serve God. He may not, without 
breach of covenant, abandon, merely at his own instance, the ministerial 
for a secular calling. If the providence of God puts it out of his power, 
evidently and unmistakably, to pursue his ministerial work, it becomes his 
duty to bring his case before his brethren of the Presbytery, and submit it to 
their decision. If any minister neglects this obvious duty, and of his own 
accord devotes himself to secular pursuits, his Presbytery are to investi- 
gate the case, and pass judgment upon it. Such was the judgment of the 
General Assembly of 1834. 

"When ministers have withdrawn," they say, "or may hereafter with- 
draw, wholly or in part, from the work of the ministry, it is enjoined upon 
the Presbyteries to which they belong to require of such ministers their 
reasons for so doing ; which reasons are to be put upon record by the 
Presbytery, with an expression of their approbation or disapprobation of 
the same." 

In like manner, also, the Assembly of 1802, in order, very properly, to 
guard against the practical demission of the office, determined and di- 
rected, " that if any minister of the gospel, through a worldly spirit, a 
disrelish for the duties of his office, or any other criminal motive, becomes 
negligent or careless, he is by no means to be suffered to pursue this course, 
so as at length to be permitted to lay aside the ministry, without censure; 
because this would be to encourage a disregard of the most solemn obliga- 
tions, by opening a way to escape from them with impunity. But, in all 
such cases, Presbyteries are seasonably to use the means and pursue the 
methods pointed out in the word of God and the rules of this Church, to 
recall their offending brother to a sense of duty ; and if all their endeav- 
ors be ineffectual, they are at length regularly to exclude or depose him 
from his office." 

This rehearsal of the action of previous Assemblies, it is thought, is a 
sufficient answer to the overture, without entering upon a discussion of the 
abstract question : " May an ecclesiastical body, in any case, demit from 
the office of the ministry without discipline or censure?" We simply refer 
to the usages of our own Church, and urge them upon the attention of 
our Presbyteries. They are not to allow any of their ministers to retire 
from the ministerial work of their own accord ; but to require, of such as 
are desirous to enter into a secular calling, their reasons for such a course, 
which they are to put upon record, approvingly or otherwise. The cir- 
cumstances of the age call loudly upon this Assembly to reaffirm these 
long-established principles, and to enjoin upon the Presbyteries the utmost 
carefulness in preventing the secularization of our ministry. — 1860, pp. 
234, 236, N. S. 

[In the Assembly of 1871 an overture on the demission of the ministry 
was committed to Rev. Drs. Z. M. Humphrey, Charles Hodge, Henry B. 
Smith, George W. Musgrave, and Elijah R. Craven, to report to the next 



OF THE PEESBYTERY. 169 

Assembly, p. 590. For the Report and Overture, see Minutes, 1872, pp. 
46-50. The overture was rejected. Affirmative 45 Presbyteries, negative 
Q5, not voting 69.— 1873, p. 526. 

7. Ministers are not to be Enrolled as Members of Particular 

Congregations. 

From the Presbytery of Miami the question, whether ordained minis- 
ters of the gospel ought not to be considered church members, and to 
have their names enrolled on the sessional records of the church where 
they are settled as pastors or stated supplies, which question the Commit- 
tee recommended to be answered in the negative. After debate the rec- 
ommendation was adopted. — 1843, p. 176, O. S. 

8. Ministers who "Withdraw from Presbytery and Unite with an- 
other Denomination Stricken from the Roll. 

a. The Committee on the reference from the Chenango Presbytery in 
the case of the Rev. Edward Andrews, made the following report, w T hich 
was adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, As the sense of this Assembly, that though the conduct of 
Mr. Andrews was disorderly, it be recommended to the Presbytery to do 
nothing further in the case than simply to strike his name from the list 
of their members.— 1828, p. 240. 

[Mr. Andrews had withdrawn to the Episcopal Church and been reor- 
dained.] 

b. Resolved, That when a minister otherwise in good standing gives no- 
tice in form to the Presbytery to which he belongs that he renounces the 
fellowship of the Presbyterian Church, or by neglecting to attend the meet- 
ings of its judicatories, after being dealt with for such neglect, gives evi- 
dence that he has done so in fact, his name ought to be struck from the 
roll of its members, a notice of this procedure communicated to the dis- 
owned member, and if necessary published to the Church. 

The congregation under the care of such minister ought to be held 
as still under the care of Presbytery unless they give evidence that they 
also have been withdrawn, in which case their name ought also to be 
struck from the list of congregations belonging to the Presbytery. — 1830, 
p. 305. 

c. Resolved, That it be recommended to the majorities of Presbyteries 
and church sessions to take no other action in relation to members who 
have left them to join other ecclesiastical bodies not in connection with 
us than to strike their names from the roll. — 1839, p. 24, N. S. 

d. Overture No. 5, from the Second Presbytery of New York, asking 
the direction of the Assembly as to the action to be taken by Presbytery 
in the case of a member who, without previous conference with his co- 
presbyters, or without receiving a certificate of dismission, leaves the Pres- 
bytery, and abandons the ministry of the Presbyterian Church. The 
Committee recommend to the Assembly the adoption of the following res- 
olution as an answer to the request of the Presbytery : 

Resolved, That in such cases as that presented in the overture, the Pres- 
bytery ought simply to erase the name of the minister from the roll, pro- 
vided he leaves the Church without being chargeable with fundamental 
error in doctrine or immorality of life. Adopted. — 1854, p. 17, O. S. 

[See Book of Discipline, chap, x., ii.] 

22 



170 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

VII. TO EXAMINE AND APPROVE OR CENSURE CHURCH RECORDS. 
43. Presbyteries must Review the Records of Sessions. 

a. Whereas, It appeared in the course of the free conversation on re- 
ligion that in one of the Presbyteries under the care of the General As- 
sembly, the sessional records of the several church sessions were not regu- 
larly called up and examined every year by the said Presbytery, and there 
is reason to believe that other Presbyteries had conducted, in the same 
manner, therefore, 

Resolved, That it be and it hereby is required of all the Presbyteries 
within the bounds of the General Assembly annually to call up and ex- 
amine the sessional records of the several churches under their care, as 
directed in the Book of Discipline. — 1809, p. 429. 

b. The Assembly, after seriously reviewing the order of the last Assem- 
bly, and maturely deliberating on the remonstrance of the Presbytery of 
Philadelphia against it, can by no means rescind the said order, inasmuch 
as they consider it as founded on the constitution of our Church, and as 
properly resulting from the obligation on the highest judicatories of the 
Church to see that the constitution be duly regarded; yet, as it is alleged, 
that insisting on the rigid execution of this order with respect to some of 
the church sessions would not be for edification, the Assembly are by no 
means disposed to urge any Presbytery to proceed under this order beyond 
what they may consider prudent and useful. — 1810, p. 453. 

[The principles laid down by the Assembly for the guidance of Synods 
apply mutatis mutandis to the minutes of sessions. See chap, xi., sec. vi., 
Form of Government.] 

VIII. TO RESOLVE QUESTIONS OF DOCTRINE OR DISCIPLINE. 

IX. TO CONDEMN ERRONEOUS OPINIONS. 

X. TO VISIT PARTICULAR CHURCHES, TO INQUIRE AND REDRESS. 

44. Overture on the Right of a Church to dismiss its Elders. 

a. The Committee on the Polity of the Church, to whom was referred 
the overture — When a church shall dismiss its ruling elders, and deny to 
its members the right of appeal and complaint, and deny the authority 
of Presbytery over it, has it a right to be represented in the judicatories 
of our Church ? — reported as follows : 

Our Church is organized on constitutional principles, with powers and 
duties appropriate to each branch or part thereof; and with a gradation 
of subordinate and superior judicatories, designed to preserve unity of 
doctrine, and orderly discipline, according to the Scriptures. 

This constitution does not recognize a right of revolution, and makes no 
provision therefor ; but treats all such cases simply as breaches of order, 
and visits them with appropriate constitutional remedies. Any individual 
church is represented in the Church judicatories constitutionally only 
by the pastor or an elder, one or both ; and it can find admission into such 
judicatories only through such a mode of representation. 

The overture supposes three cases: 1st, a dismissal of elders; 2d, a 
denial of the right of appeal and complaint ; and 3d, a denial of the 
authority of the Presbytery. 

Each of these is an unconstitutional act, is utterly null and void, and 
subjects the offending church to visitation and discipline at the hands of 
the Presbytery. The Form of Government, chap, x., sec. viii., empowers 
the Presbytery "to visit particular churches, for the purpose of inquiring 
into their state, and redressing the evils that may have arisen in them ; to 



OF THE PRESBYTEEY. 171 

unite or divide congregations, at the request of the people ; or to form or 
receive new congregations ; and, in general, to order whatever pertains to 
the spiritual welfare of the churches under their care." 

The above-named acts of insubordination, being void, work no effect ; 
the session have still the right, and it is their duty, to send one of the 
elders to the Presbytery and the Synod ; and his votes and acts in these 
bodies are the votes and the acts of the church. So, too, the Presbytery 
may send any one of such elders to the General Assembly ; and should such 
church refuse obedience to the acts of the judicatories so constituted, it 
would be subject to the discipline, in due form, of our ecclesiastical law. 
Such church has a right to be represented by elders, and it cannot pass by 
them and substitute a private member as its representative. A void act of 
deposition, or dismission of its elders, does not incapacitate the church. 
In sending one of its dismissed elders to the Presbytery or the Synod, it 
disaffirms its illegal act, and that is an end of it ; and if it should send a 
delegate, not an elder, he could not be received ; and the church would 
be simply unrepresented (except by the pastor), pro hde vice ; but the church 
is still under the care of the Presbytery, and subject to its government. 
The bond of union, which was formed by mutual .and concurrent consent 
and act, cannot be dissolved by an ex parte act of insubordination or rev- 
olution, until the other party has acted thereon. The Committee, there- 
fore, recommend the following answer to the overture : 

Resolved, That the acts of insubordination, specified in the overture, do 
not, of themselves, infer a forfeiture of the church's right to be represent- 
ed in the Church judicatories ; but such representation must be in the 
mode, and by the persons, specified in the constitution of the Church. — 
1860, pp. 260, 261, N. S. 

b. The Committee on the Polity of the Church reported Overture No. 5: 

Where one. portion of a church connected with, and under the juris- 
diction of, the Presbytery, denies the jurisdiction and authority of the Pres- 
bytery and every other body, and all right to review its proceedings, and 
the right of appeal to the Presbytery, and declare their determination so to 
continue ; and the other portion of such church declare to the Presbytery 
their wish to continue their connection with the Presbytery as heretofore, 
instead of setting up as an independent church, what is the duty of the 
Presbytery toward that portion who remain faithful to such jurisdiction? 

And recommended the following answer: That, in the judgment of 
the Assembly, the report on the subject last year (see Minutes, pp. 260, 
261) implies that the church sustains the same relation to the Presbytery 
as before the denial of its jurisdiction ; and that the delegate of the church 
is entitled to a seat in the Presbytery, as in years previous to the act 
aforesaid.— 1861, p. 478, K S. 

45. Presbytery may, without Petition, direct an Elder to cease 

Acting. 

Overture from the session of the Presbyterian church at Ironton, Mis- 
souri, in reference to the power of the Presbytery to declare that a mem- 
ber of the session shall cease to be an acting elder, without request from 
the session, or any members of the church. 

The Committee would recommend the following answer. (See Form of 
Government, chap, x., sec. 8.) Presbytery has power to visit particular 
churches for the purpose of inquiring into their state, and redressing the 
evils that may have arisen in them, and to order whatever pertains to their 
spiritual welfare, without being requested by the session. 



172 FOEM OF GOVERNMENT. 

The report was adopted.— 1869, p. 924, O. S. 
[See Form of Government, xiii., vii.] 

46. A Church may not "Withdraw without Consent of Presbytery. 

a. From the Presbytery of Bloomington, asking, Has any church, or 
any part of a church in our connection, the constitutional right to with- 
draw from a Presbytery without its consent, and to unite with another 
body? Answered in the negative. — 1866, p. 54, O. S. 

b. [From the Presbytery of Iowa City:] Can a Presbyterian church, 
under the care of a Presbytery, withdraw regularly without first asking 
consent and leave of the Presbytery ? 

We unhesitatingly reply, that no Presbyterian church, under care of a 
Presbytery, can withdraw regularly without first asking consent and leave 
of the Presbytery under whose care and jurisdiction it voluntarily placed 
itself.— 1867, pp. 511, 512, N. S. 

47. Course to be Pursued when a Church wishes to "Withdraw. 

Also Overture No. 4, from certain members of the Presbytery of Athens, 
asking " whether it is allowable for a Presbytery and a church under its 
charge to dissolve their connection by mutual consent, the church retain- 
ing its organization and standing as an independent body." 

The Committee recommended that the following answer be given: 
The only proper method of dissolving the relation between a Presby- 
tery and a church desiring to become an independent body is for such 
church to withdraw, declining the further jurisdiction of the Presbytery, 
and the Presbytery to make such a record of its withdrawal as the charac- 
ter of the action of the withdrawing church requires. The recommenda- 
tion was adopted. — 1862, p. 33, N. S. 

48. Presbytery may Dissolve a Church. 

Judicial Case No. 3, being the appeal and complaint of Smiley Shep- 
herd against the Synod of Illinois. The report was as follows: 

The following facts are stated in the records of the Presbytery of 
Bloomington, and are not denied by the complainant: The Second Church 
of Union Grove in October, 1859, had for about twenty years neither 
meeting-house, pastor nor stated supply, nor had it submitted, through the 
whole of that period until 1859, either statistical reports or sessional rec- 
ords. It had worshiped regularly with the First Church of Union Grove. 
In fact, in 1859 it consisted of the complainant and his family alone; but 
the complainant claimed and exercised the right, as ruling elder, to re- 
ceive members to his church and to sit and vote in Presbytery and Synod. 
For about fifteen years the Presbytery had considered the church as with- 
out even a nominal existence, having in 1841 dropped it from the roll, 
and it was not restored to the roll till 1856, and then only with a view of 
having it regularly united with the First Church of Union Grove. On 
the 11th of October, 1859, Presbytery dissolved the said Second Church, 
and directed the stated clerk to furnish its members with the usual certifi- 
cates to some other Presbyterian church. 

Against this proceeding Mr. Shepherd appealed, and complained to the 
Synod of Illinois, but his complaint was not sustained. He now appeals 
and complains to the General Assembly. 

He does not deny the facts as stated by the Presbytery, but alleges 
that both Presbytery and Synod were guilty of certain gross irregularities 
and an arbitrary use of power in the proceeding. But the papers do not 



OF THE PRESBYTERY 173 

contain evidence sustaining these allegations. There is no testimony of 
any kind filed with these papers. It is impossible for the Assembly to 
determine from the record whether the power of the Presbytery was dis- 
creetly exercised. The Committee therefore recommend that the appeal 
and complaint be dismissed. 

The report was adopted, and the appeal and complaint dismissed.— 
1863, p. 36, O. S. 

XI. TO ORGANIZE, UNITE AND DIVIDE CHURCHES. 
49. The Organizing of Churches belongs to Presbytery. 

Is a minister of the gospel in our connection, ex-officio, authorized to 
organize churches in the bounds of Presbyteries without any previous 
order of Presbytery directing such organization ? 

Resolved, That except in frontier and destitute settlements, where, by 
Form of Government, chap, xv., sec. xv., it is made a part of the business 
of evangelists to organize churches, and except in cases where it is ex- 
ceedingly inconvenient to make application to a Presbytery (for which 
provision is made in the act of Assembly of 1831), it is not the preroga- 
tive of a minister of the gospel to organize churches without the previous 
action of some Presbytery directing or permitting it, since in Form of 
Government, chap, x., sec. viii., to form new congregations is enumerated 
among the powers of a Presbytery, and since in chap, iv., "Of Bishops or 
Pastors," no mention is made of any such power being lodged in the hands 
of an individual minister. — 1833, p. 410. 

50. Organization on Petition of a Minority. 

Has a Presbytery the constitutional right to divide a church where a 
majority of the members of said church are opposed to its division? 

Resolved, That where the minority request it, and the Presbytery has 
reason to believe that the interests of religion will be promoted by it, the 
Presbytery has the right to form the minority into a new congregation. — ■ 
1848, p. 29, O. S. 

51. Presbytery may Prohibit an Organization. 

[The people about White Clay Creek, in New Castle county, Delaware, 
petitioned Presbytery to have the ordinances of the gospel administered 
with more convenience and nearness to the place of their abode, for the 
greater advantage and ease to their several families. Against this the 
people of New Castle protested, craving that the people of White Clay 
Creek may not be suffered to set-up a meeting-house in the country, that 
their meeting-house and congregation in New Castle may not be dam- 
aged by this rupture of their fellow-members of White Clay Creek.] 

The General Presbytery 

Ordered, That the people of New Castle and the country should not be 
divided by setting up two separate meetings. — 1708, pp. 11, 12. 

52. "When new Congregations may be Formed. 

The Assembly censure a minister for irregularity in dividing the 
church in Peoria, by which he did not make a separation from the great 
body of the Presbyterian Church, but a schism in the body, contrary to 
the word of God and the government of the Church, which allow of the 
division of the Church universal into separate congregations only when 



174 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

the people of God are too numerous or too remote from each other to 
assemble in one place to worship God. — 1840, p. 302, O. S. 

53. To Divide a Congregation without Request of the People 

Irregular. 

The Synod [of Illinois] seem to have overlooked the irregularity of the 
Presbytery in dividing a congregation when there was no request from 
the people on the subject. — 1840, p. 302, O. S. 

XII. TO ORDER WHATEVER PERTAINS TO THE SPIRITUAL WELFARE OF 

THE CHURCHES. 

54. A Presbytery Dissolves a Pastoral Relation on its own 

Discretion. 

a. The moderator explained the state of the question, and read the 
action of the Presbytery of St. Louis complained against, which was as 
follows : 

The memorial of certain members of Pine Street church having been 
presented, after discussion, 

Resolved, 1. That by the action of Presbytery in June, 1863, the pas- 
toral relation between Dr. McPheeters and the Pine Street church was 
dissolved, and Dr. McPheeters ceased to be the pastor of that church, and 
ceased to have the right to exercise discipline, or perform the functions of 
the pastoral office in that church. 

Resolved, 2. That inasmuch as this action was taken by Presbytery in 
the exercise of its power " to ordain whatever pertains to the spiritual 
welfare of the churches under their care," and is its solemn judgment that 
the interests of the Pine Street church required that Dr. McPheeters 
should cease to exercise the functions of minister to that church, therefore 
Presbytery learn with regret that Dr. McPheeters is still officiating as 
minister in that church, whether by invitation of session or at his own 
instance is not known to Presbytery, but in either case they do hereby 
ordain and declare that in the judgment of Presbyter)'- the peace and har- 
mony and spiritual interests of Pine Street church, as well as a proper 
respect for the feelings of a large minority opposed to the ministration of 
their former pastor, require that Dr. McPheeters shall cease all connection 
with that church, and no longer attempt to minister to that congregation. 

The vote in the case was then taken by calling the roll, and with the 
following result : To sustain the complaints against the Presbytery, 47 ; 
not to sustain, 119; to sustain in part, 2 ; excused from voting, 1. 

Whereupon the moderator announced that the complaints in this case 
against the Presbytery of St. Louis were not sustained. 

Dr. Krebs moved, and it was carried, to appoint a Committee to draw 
up and report a minute in this case. 

The following persons were appointed as the Committee, viz. : Drs. 
Beatty, Musgrave, Elliott, Tustin, Craven and Judge Linn. — 1864, p. 311, 
O. S. 

The following is the minute in the case, viz. : 

b. The Assembly does not sustain the complainants, because the pro- 
ceedings of the Presbytery of St. Louis in this case appear constitutional 
and regular, and, so far as we can perceive, were judicious, equitable, and 
for the edification of the church. 

These complaints, both in. their language and the necessity of the case, 
brought the whole proceeding under our review. The question of a dis- 
solution of the pastoral relation between Dr. McPheeters and the Pine 



OF THE PRESBYTERY. 175 

Street church was originally brought in an orderly manner before the 
Presbytery, by petition of a minority of said church, and a personal 
tender of resignation by the pastor ; and after all the constitutional steps 
were taken with care and deliberation was decided by the Presbytery, 
acting for the peace and welfare of that church. That which was called 
an appeal and complaint to Synod against that action could not so suspend 
all further proceedings as to prevent the Presbytery from considering and 
acting upon the continued disturbed state of that congregation ; and when, 
at a subsequent stated meeting of that body, this subject came before them, 
they did, almost unanimously, deem it unadvisable that the late pastor 
should continue ministerial labors in that congregation. Against this 
decision of the Presbytery, Dr. McPheeters and others have uttered these 
complaints, which we do not sustain. 

The Assembly has patiently listened to the history of this case from the 
opposite points of view taken, but in their decision have strictly confined 
themselves to the facts on record. The resignation of the pastoral re- 
lation, and the distracted state of the church, seemed plainly to call for 
the action of the Presbytery ; and being upon the ground, and conversant 
with all the circumstances and demands of the case, they seem most com- 
petent to understand and decide what that action should be. The question 
of the pastor's loyalty to his national government, which seemed to be so 
largely a disturbing element in the church, has not been properly before 
the Assembly, as it was not pronounced upon in any presbyterial action. 
They judged it best for the peace and prosperity of that particular church 
that the late pastor should retire altogether, and cease from his public min- 
istrations to them ; and this Assembly cannot decide otherwise. And though 
many of the members of the Presbytery were absent from that meeting 
which so decided, this could not invalidate their proceedings, as it was a 
regular and lawful meeting of that body. 

The right and duty of the Presbytery " to order whatever pertains to 
the spiritual welfare of the churches under their care, and especially to 
heal dissensions, bj seeking to remove the occasions of them, is a dis- 
tinctive and important feature in our Presbyterian polity. And when the 
pastor himself so far recognized the propriety of his withdrawal as to ten- 
der to the Presbytery his resignation, it was clearly competent for that 
body not only to grant his request, but to order, if necessary, that he 
cease his ministrations to that people, if they believed that by longer con- 
tinuing to serve them the dissensions would be fomented, the strife become 
embittered, and the spiritual interests of the church endangered. And 
when the Presbytery did, at length, so interfere and direct, without pro- 
nouncing upon the rumors and side issues which were the occasions of the 
strife and unhappy condition of the church, they simply undertook to 
control the relations of pastor and people for the welfare of the church, 
without impeaching, by any expression, the moral character and minis- 
terial standing of that pastor. They only ordered, as a prudential mea- 
sure, that the resignation which he had himself voluntarily tendered to 
them, should properly and entirely be carried out, by his ceasing in any 
way to keep up this unhappy state of things, and by ceasing to minister 
to them as their pastor."— 1864, pp. 327, 328, O. S. 

55. A Presbytery may not Dismiss or Receive a Church -without 
the Consent of Synod. 

Resolved, That it is unconstitutional for a Presbytery to dismiss a con- 
gregation under their care, and for any other Presbytery to receive the 



176 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

congregation so dismissed, without the approbation of the Synod to which 
such Presbyteries respectively belong. — 1823, p. 91. 

56. The Power of Presbytery over Unemployed Ministers and Va- 
cant Churches. — Mode of Proceeding. 

The Assembly proceeded to the consideration of the Report of the 
Committee on Church Polity, on "Vacant Churches and Unemployed 
Ministers," which was adopted, as follows : 

Sundry papers on the general subject of " Vacant Churches and Unem- 
ployed Ministers," to wit: The report of a Committee appointed by the 
Assembly of 1871 made to the Assembly of 1872, and referred to this 
Assembly ; 2. An overture from the Presbytery of Wooster, with accom- 
panying documents ; and 3. A memorial from Rev. Allen H. Brown, a 
member of the Presbytery of West Jersey. 

The Committee recommend the following plan, namely : 

I. That the Assembly enjoin on each Presbytery, to submit this im- 
portant matter to that Committee (standing or special) which has the par- 
ticular care of its missionary churches, with the following instruction, viz.: 

1. To provide, as far as may be possible, permanent or occasional work 
for every minister desiring it, who is without charge, within its Presby- 
terial jurisdiction ; and also to provide permanent or occasional preach- 
ing for every destitute church under its presbyterial care. 

2. To arrange for grouping the smaller aid-receiving vacant churches, 
so as most effectively to furnish competent support for the minister serving 
them, and so as also to secure the preaching of the gospel to the greatest 
possible number. 

3. And since aid-receiving churches, when they become vacant, are 
usually cut off from Home Missionary aid until they shall have found an 
acceptable minister ready to be commissioned ; and since many of these 
churches, being unable to provide for themselves even occasional supplies, 
thereby suffer serious injury in any long vacancy, each presbyterial Com- 
mittee is urged to endeavor, in its own way, to nourish and sustain these 
churches until they are advanced to a condition in which they can be 
assisted by the Board of Home Missions. 

4. To report, to the Chairman of the Synodical Committee, the names 
of "vacant churches and unemployed ministers" in their bounds for 
whom they are not able to provide. 

II. It is further recommended, that each Synod appoint a Committee 
on " vacant churches and unemployed ministers," consisting of one from 
each of the presbyterial Committees aforesaid, in like manner, and, as far 
as possible, to distribute, among the vacant churches of their own Synod, 
such unemployed ministers as have been reported to them, always regard- 
ing the rights of the Presbyteries and the wishes of the people. 

If there should yet remain a surplus of either vacant churches or un- 
employed ministers within the bounds of any Synod, the chairman of its 
Committee on this subject shall report the same to the Board of Home 
Missions. 

III. And whereas, there may be, in the vast extent of our territory, an 
excess of " unemployed ministers " in one part thereof, and in another an 
excess of " vacant churches," the Board of Home Missions is hereby au- 
thorized and instructed to organize a Special Bureau, whose business it 
shall be to gather and publish such statistics bearing on the subject as 
may be important for the information of the churches, and to consider the 
case of such "vacant churches and unemployed ministers" as may have 



OF THE PRESBYTERY. 177 

been reported to them by the synodical Committees ; and to endeavor to 
adjust and distribute these, so that, as far as possible, every capable min- 
ister, asking for it, may have something to do, and every church may be 
supplied ; always, however, so as not to interfere in any wise w 7 ith Presby- 
terial prerogatives. 

IV. It is further recommended, that, whereas the Minutes of the Assem- 
bly for 1872 report 1029 vacant churches, of which 485 have each but 
25 members or less, and 174 have each only 10 members or less, the Pres- 
byteries embracing them be instructed to consider whether some of these 
churches may not be consolidated advantageously to themselves, without 
injury to the cause of religion. — 1873, p. 562. 

IX. It shall be the duty of the Presbytery to keep a full and fair 

record of their proceedings, and to report to the Synod every year 

licensures, ordinations, the receiving or dismissing of members, the 

removal of members by death, the union or division of congregations 

or the formation of new ones, and, in general, all the important 

changes which may have taken place within their bounds in the 

course of the year. 

[See under Form of Government, chap, xi., sec. vi. Nearly every case 
there applies equally to the Records of Presbytery.] 

1. Narratives and all Important Papers to be Recorded. 

Resolved, That this Assembly earnestly recommend to the Synods and 
Presbyteries to record in their minutes the Narrative of Religion and all 
other papers. — 1870, p. 91. 

2. Modification of the Rule as to Reports to Synods. 

The stated clerk, to whom was committed Overture No. 6 from the 
Synod of Virginia, reported the following resolution, which was adopted, 
viz.: 

Resolved, That the standing rule of the Assembly on the subject of the 
reports of Presbyteries to their respective Synods, contained on page 84 
of the Digest of 1820, be and the same is hereby repealed ; and hereafter 
Presbyteries are required to make no other reports to Synods than such 
as are required by chap, x., sec. ix., in the Form of Government, and these 
in as general terms as that article of the Constitution will allow. — 1833, 
p. 400. 

PRESBYTERIAL REPORTS. 

It is required of every Presbytery to prepare and forward to the Gen- 
eral Assembly : 

1. A Statistical Report, according to the form exhibited on page 194 of 
the present Appendix, of which a printed blank will be furnished in due 
season, by order of the Assembly, to the stated clerk of every Presbytery. 
This report should, if possible, embrace all the changes in the Presbytery 
previous to the first day of April. 

2. A Narrative of the State of Religion within the bounds of the Presby- 
tery for the year ending April 1st. 'These narratives should specify facts 
in regard to the particular churches, their state, trials, encouragements 
and prospects ; how many of them, and which, have enjoyed revivals of 
religion through the year ; in which of them the catechisms are taught, 



178 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Sabbath-schools and Bible classes organized, with the number of scholars 
and teachers. Also the various arrangements of the Presbytery for 
church extension, stating the number of their ministers, and the particular 
manner in which they are employed; the number of their churches, and 
how they are supplied ; the gross amount of funds collected in their 
bounds for home missions and church erection ; the amount received by 
their churches from the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions or the 
Assembly's Sustentation Committee ; the number of houses of worship, 
with their probable value, whether they are free from debt, and what has 
been done within the year to relieve them from debt ; the number of new 
churches organized and new houses of worship erected; what itinerant 
arrangements have been adopted for preaching the gospel; what and how 
much agency has been employed, together with all such other facts and 
suggestions as will show from year to year what has been accomplished, 
and what may need to be undertaken, to bring all the churches to a proper 
degree of effort to promote the kingdom of Christ. As the narratives are 
not to be publicly read, less care may be given to their style and more to 
the detail of particulars, such as will aid the Committee of the Assembly 
in preparing their Annual General Narrative of the State of the Church. 
—1872, pp. 191, 192. 

X. The Presbytery shall meet on its own adjournment ; and when 
any emergency shall require a meeting sooner than the time to which 
it stands adjourned, the moderator, or, in case of his absence, death 
or inability to act, the stated clerk, shall, with the concurrence or at 
the request of two ministers and two elders, the elders being of differ- 
ent congregations, call a special meeting. For this purpose he shall 
send a circular letter, specifying the particular business of the in- 
tended meeting, to every minister belonging to the Presbytery, and 
to the session of every vacant congregation, in due time previous to 
the meeting ; which shall not be less than ten days. And nothing 
shall be transacted at such special meeting besides the particular busi- 
ness for which the judicatory has been thus convened. 

1. Presbytery may Meet without its own Bounds. 

1. Resolved, That Synod has power to order a Presbytery to meet and 
to transact such business as in the judgment of Synod is intimately con- 
nected with the good order and well-being of the Church. 

2. Resolved, That as such meetings are of the nature of pro re nata 
meetings, the rules that are laid down in our book for the regulation of 
such called meetings ought to regulate and govern in all cases these meet- 
ings ordered by Synod, except when ordered to meet during the sessions 
of Synod on -business immediately connected with the proceedings of that 
body. In such cases the Presbytery may be required to meet at once by 
order of the Synod. 

3. Resolved, That whilst it would be inexpedient and wrong for the 
Synod to order a Presbytery to meet beyond its own bounds without the 
express consent of its members, we see no constitutionalor valid objection 
against a Presbytery agreeing to meet without its own geographical lim- 
its. -1848, p. 60, O. S. 



OF THE PRESBYTERY. 179 



2. A Meeting pro re nata must be Called by the Moderator 
Chosen at a Stated Meeting. 

a. [The Records of the Synod of Mississippi approved,] with the excep- 
tion that the Synod acknowledges the constitutionality of a meeting of the 
Presbytery of Clinton that had been called by a moderator chosen pro 
tempore at a previous pro re nata meeting, instead of being called by the 
moderator appointed at the last stated meeting of the Presbytery. — 1842, 
p. 28, O. S. 

3. "When Meetings pro re nata may be Called. 

In answer to the first query, the Synod judge that meetings of judica- 
tures pro re nata can only be necessary on account of important occur- 
rences unknown at their last meeting, and which cannot be safely deferred 
till their stated meeting, such as scandal raised on a minister's character 
tending to destroy his usefulness and bring reproach on religion, or feuds 
in a congregation threatening its dissolution, or some dangerous error or 
heresy broached ; but not matters judicially deferred by the judicature, 
except some unforeseen circumstance occurs, which makes it appear that 
some principal things on which the judgment depends may then be had, 
and cannot be obtained if it is deferred till their stated meeting, nor for 
any matters that ordinarily come in at their stated meetings. And when 
such occasional meetings appear necessary to the moderator himself, it is 
proper to call the judicature together, or upon the application of any two 
members judging it necessary, provided always that seasonable notice be 
given to all the members of the occasion, time and place of meeting, and 
that it be appointed at such a season as may render the attendance of the 
members practicable. — 1760, p. 305. 

4. Applicants for a Meeting pro re nata may Name a Time and 
Place which the Moderator may not Change. 

1. In an application to the moderator of a Presbytery to call a pro re 
nata meeting of that body, is it competent for applicants to specify a par- 
ticular time and place for such meeting? 

2. If a particular time or place, or both, be specified in the application 
for a pro re nata meeting of Presbytery, has the moderator a right, on 
such application, to call a meeting at a different time and place? 

The first question was answered affirmatively, the second negatively, at 
the recommendation of the Committee. — 1856, p. 522, O. S. 

XL At every meeting of Presbytery a sermon shall be delivered, 
if convenient; and every particular session shall be opened and closed 
with prayer. 

The Preacher not Necessarily a Member of that Presbytery. 

The Records of the Synod of Indiana approved, except that on page 
253 it appeared that the Presbytery of Madison, at a certain meeting, 
in the absence of the moderator, invited a minister from another Presby- 
tery to preach the opening sermon. This act of Presbytery the Synod 
condemn as unconstitutional. The Committee are of the opinion that the 
Presbytery by so doing violated no principle of the constitution. 

Adopted.— 1849, p. 250, O. S. 



180 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

XII. Ministers in good standing in other Presbyteries, or in any 
sister churches, who may happen to be present, may be invited to sit 
with the Presbytery as corresponding members. Such members 
shall be entitled to deliberate and advise, but not to vote in any de- 
cisions of the Presbytery. 

1. Synods and Presbyteries may Correspond with Local Bodies. 

a. Resolved, That while this Assembly would not interfere authorita- 
tively with the lower judicatories in the exercise of their prerogative, they 
would recommend that no ministers should be invited to sit as correspond- 
ents who do not belong to some body in correspondence with this Assem- 
bly.— 1843, p. 23, N. S. 

b. The report of the Committee in reference to correspondence with the 
Methodist Episcopal conferences, which had been put upon the docket, 
was taken up, and the following resolution was adopted, viz. : 

Whereas, the communication of the Oneida Annual Conference of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church solicits only a correspondence between them- 
selves and the Synod of New York and New Jersey, and not with the 
Presbyterian Church generally ; and whereas, the Synod has referred the 
matter to the Assembly without submitting any specific proposition or 
plan for such correspondence ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the communication be referred back to the Synod to 
adopt such measures as they may deem proper in pursuance of the request 
for a correspondence of the local bodies. — 1850, p. 323, N. S. 

c. Overture: Is it orderly for our Presbyteries and Synods to invite 
ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church to sit as corresponding mem- 
bers ? which was answered by the Assembly unanimously in the affirma- 
tive.— 1849, p. 174, N. S. 

2. The Ecclesiastical Bodies must be Named. 

Minutes (Synod of Albany) approved, with the exception of having in- 
vited several ministers to take their seats as corresponding members with- 
out describing the ecclesiastical bodies to which such ministers belong. — 
1815, p. 578. 



OF THE SYNOD. 181 



CHAPTER XI. 

OF THE SYNOD. 

I. As a Presbytery is a convention of the bishops and elders within 
a certain district : so a Synod is a convention of the bishops and elder* 
within a larger district, including at least three Presbyteries. The 
ratio of the representation of elders in the Synod is the same as in the 
Presbytery. 

The Form of Government, as adopted in 1789, reads : " As a Presbytery, 
etc., so a Synod is the Convention of several Presbyteries within a larger 
district, including at least three Presbyteries." The Assembly of 1804, 
p. 304, sent down an overture to the Presbyteries to change the section so 
as to read as at present, and adds in a note, " Under this section it has been 
doubted whether the members can proceed to business as a Synod, unless 
there are present several Presbyteries, i. e., at least three ministers from one 
of the existing Presbyteries and three from another. The doubt has not 
only caused delay in several instances, but defeated the whole business 
of one entire meeting. The amendment therefore goes to make a Synod 
consist not of Presbyteries, but, as it ought, of bishops and elders. 

The amendment was adopted. — 1805, p. 333. 

1. Synod may not Refuse to Receive the Members of its Presby- 
teries, nor Order their Names to be Erased. 

a. The records of the Synod of Michigan were, on the recommendation 
of the Committee, approved, with the following exception, That on pages 
137, 138, 139, 140, the Synod declined to receive two members, whose names 
appear on the minutes of two of the Presbyteries, and that the Synod 
also directed said Presbyteries to strike the names of said members of Pres- 
bytery from their roll, one of the members belonging to the Presbytery 
of Monroe, the other to the Presbytery of St. Joseph. — 1849, p. 176, N. S. 

b. On the records of the Synod of Indiana, the following report was 
adopted : 

The Committee to which were referred the records of the Synod of 
Indiana reports that it has examined said records, and recommends their 
approval, with the following exception : 

On pages 157 and 8 the record declares that Synod refused to enroll 
the Rev. E. B. Smith, because he had made no public contradiction of the 
fact that his name appears in the public prints as a signer of the Declara- 
tion and Testimony, although he privately informed the stated clerk of 
Synod that he had neither himself signed the " Declaration and Testi- 
mony," nor authorized any one to sign it for him, as appears from page 
153 of the records. 

It seems to the Committee that the Synod should have directed the 
Rev. Mr. Smith to make a public contradiction before taking further 
action, because, as the record now stands, it implies that the Synod has no 
confidence in his statements. If his statements are unworthy of belief he 
should be disciplined. The Committee recommend that the Synod bo 
directed to review its action. — 1867, p. 357, O. S. 



182 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 

e. Overture No. 28. On the doings of the Synod of Michigan, the 
matter of enjoining the Presbyteries of St. Joseph and Monroe to erase 
the names of Rev. Marcus Harrison and Rev. A. L. Payson from their 
rolls, was taken up. It was Resolved, That the action of the Synod in the 
premises is unconstitutional. — 1849, p. 177, N. S. 

[For a historv of the Synods prior to 1869, see Baird, Revised Edition, 
pp. 264, 275, 853. New Digest, pp. 142-154.] 

2. The Synods as Constituted in 1870. 

The order of the day, viz., the Enabling Act, was then taken from the 
docket, amended, and passed as follows : 

JResolved, That, in order to carry into full effect the plan of Reunion, 
the fifty-one Synods, into which the Presbyteries of this Church are now 
distributed, be and they are hereby so arranged as to make but thirty-four 
Synods, to be constituted as follows : 

1. The Synod of Long Island is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
several Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the counties 
of King's, Queen's, Suffolk and Richmond, in the State of New York; to 
meet on the twenty-first day of June, 1870, at 3 p. m., in the First Pres- 
byterian Church (Remsen street) of Brooklyn, N. Y. 

2. The Synod of New York is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the counties of 
New York, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster 
and Sullivan, in the State of New York, and within New England ; to 
meet on the twenty-first day of June, 1870, at 11 A. m., in the First Pres- 
byterian Church of New York ; and the Synod of New York is hereby 
declared to be the legal successor of the Synod of New York, and of the 
Synod of New York and New Jersey, and as such entitled to the posses- 
sion and enjoyment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the per- 
formance of all the duties, of those Synods. 

3. The Synod of Albany is hereby constituted ; to consist of the Pres- 
byteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the district north of the 
northern line of the Synod of New York, and east of the western line of 
the counties of Greene, Schoharie, Montgomery, Fulton, Hamilton and 
Franklin, N. Y. ; to meet on the fourth Tuesday of June next, in the 
Second Church of Troy, N. Y., at 7i p. m. ; and the Synod of Albany is 
hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synod of Albany, New 
School, and of the Synod of Albany, Old School, and as such entitled to 
the possession and enjoyment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to 
the performance of all the duties, of those Synods. 

4. The Synod of Utica* is hereby constituted ; to consist of the Pres- 
byteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the district west of the 
Synod of Albany, extending to the State line on the north, and to the 
western line of Tioga, Cortland, Onondaga and Oswego counties, in the 
State of New York ; to meet on the twenty-first day of June, 1870, at 1\ 
p. M., in the First Presbyterian Church of Oneida, N. Y. ; and the Synod 
of Utica is hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synods of 
Utica and Susquehanna, and as such entitled to the possession and enjoy- 
ment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of all 
the duties, of those Synods. 

5. The Synod of Geneva is hereby constituted ; to consist of the Pres- 
byteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the district west of the 
Synod of Utica, and extending to the west line of Steuben, Ontario and 

* Changed to Central New York, 1873, p. 525. 



OF THE SYNOD. 183 

Wayne counties, in the State of New York ; to meet on the eleventh day 
of July next, in the First Presbyterian Church of Ithaca, N. Y., at 7i 
p. m. ; and the Synod of Geneva is hereby declared to be the legal successor 
of the Synod of Geneva, and as such entitled to the possession and enjoy- 
ment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of all 
the duties, of that Synod. 

6. The Synod of Genesee* is hereby constituted ; to consist of the Pres- 
byteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the district lying west 
of the Synod of Geneva, in the State of New York ; to meet on the 
twenty-eighth day of June next, in the Central Church, Buffalo, N. Y., at 
1\ p.m.; and the Synod of Genesee is hereby declared to be the legal 
successor of the Synods of Genesee and Buffalo, and as such entitled to 
the possession and enjoyment of all the rights and franchises, and liable 
to the performance of all the duties, of those Synods. 

7. The Synod of New Jersey is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the State of New 
Jersey, together with the Presbytery of Corisco, in Africa ; to meet on the 
twenty-first day of June next, at 3 p. m., in the Westminster Church of 
Elizabeth, N. J. ; and the Synod of New Jersey is hereby declared to be 
the legal successor of the Synod of New Jersey, and as such entitled to the 
possession and enjoyment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the 
performance of all the duties, of that Synod. 

8. The Synod of Philadelphia is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the district between 
the eastern line of Pennsylvania and the west line of the counties of 
Bradford, Sullivan, Luzerne, Schuylkill, Lebanon and York, together 
with the Presbytery of Western Africa ; to meet on the twenty-first day 
of June, 1870, at 8 p. m., in Spring Garden Church, Philadelphia; and 
the Synod of Philadelphia is hereby declared to be the legal successor of 
the Synods of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, and as such entitled to the 
possession and enjoyment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the 
performance of all the duties, of those Synods. 

9. The Synod of Harrisburg is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the district lying 
west of the Synod of Philadelphia, and east of the west line of the coun- 
ties of McKean, Cameron, Clearfield, Blair and Bedford, in the State of 
Pennsylvania; to meet on the twenty-eighth day of June next, at 1\ p. m., 
in the First Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. . 

10. The Synod of Erie is hereby constituted; to consist of the Presby- 
teries and parts of Presbyteries in the north-west counties of Pennsylvania, 
west of the Synod of Harrisburg, and bounded south by the counties of 
Cambria and Westmoreland, and the Allegheny and Ohio rivers to the 
State line, except that part of Indiana county lying east and south of the 
Black Lick Creek; to meet on the seventh day of July, 1870, at 1\ p. m., 
in the Park Presbyterian Church, Erie, Pa.; and the Synod of Erie is 
hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synods of Allegheny and 
West Pennsylvania, and as such entitled to the possession and enjoyment 
of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of all the 
duties, of those Synods. 

11. The Synod of Pittsburg is hereby constituted; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the remainder of 
Pennsylvania, west of the Synod of Harrisburg, and south of the Synod 
of Erie, and all of West Virginia west of the Allegheny ridge ; to meet. 

* Changed to Western New York, 1871, p. 539. 



184 FORM OP GOVERNMENT. 

on the twenty-third day of June, 1870, at 10* a.m., in the First Church 
of Pittsburg, Pa. ; and the Synod of Pittsburg is hereby declared to be 
the legal successor of the Synod of Pittsburg, and as such entitled to the 
possession and enjoyment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the 
performance of all the duties, of that Synod. 

12. The Synod of Baltimore is hereby constituted; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the States of Del- 
aware and Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and that part of 
West Virginia east of the Allegheny ridge, together with the Presbytery 
of Rio Janeiro ; to meet on the fourteenth day of June, 1870, at 7J p. m., 
in the Central Church of Wilmington, Del. ; and the Synod of Baltimore 
is hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synod of Baltimore, and 
as such entitled to the possession and enjoyment of all the rights and 
franchises, and liable to the performance of all the duties, of that Synod. 

13. The Synod of Atlantic is hereby constituted ; to consist of the Pres- 
byteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the States of North and 
South Carolina, Georgia and Florida; to meet on the seventh day of July, 
1870, at 11 a.m., in Biddle Institute, Charlotte, N. C. 

14. The Synod of Cleveland is hereby constituted; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the district bounded 
by the Ohio State line on the east, and the west and south lines of the 
counties of Lorain, Medina, Summit, Stark, Tuscarawas, Guernsey, Noble 
and Monroe; to meet on the twenty-ninth day of June, 1870, at 7] p. m., 
in the Second Church of Cleveland, Ohio ; and the Synod of Cleveland is 
hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synods of Wheeling and 
Western Reserve, and as such entitled to the possession and enjoyment of 
all the rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of all the du- 
ties, of those Synods. 

15. The Synod of Toledo is hereby constituted ; to consist of the Pres- 
byteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the counties west of the 
Synod of Cleveland, and the east and south lines of the counties of Erie, 
Huron, Crawford, Wyandot, Hardin, Logan, Champaign, Shelby and Mer- 
cer, Ohio; to meet on the twenty-first day of June, 1870, at lh p. m., in the 
Reunion Presbyterian Church of Lima, Ohio; and the Synod of Toledo is 
hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synod of Sandusky, and 
as such entitled to the possession and enjoyment of all the rights and 
franchises, and liable to the performance of all the duties, of that Synod. 

16. The Synod of Cincinnati is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the counties 
bounded by the north and east lines of Darke, Miami, Clarke, Greene, 
Fayette, Ross, Vinton and Gallia, in the State of Ohio; to meet on the 
twelfth day of July, 1870, at 11 a.m., in the Second Church of Cincin- 
nati, Ohio ; and the Synod of Cincinnati is hereby declared to be the legal 
successor of the Synods of Cincinnati, N. S., and Cincinnati, O. S., and as 
such entitled to the possession and enjoyment of all the rights and fran- 
chises, and liable to the performance of all the duties, of those Synods. 

17. The Synod of Columbus is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the remaining, 
being the central, counties of Ohio; to meet on the twelfth day of July, 
1870, at 8 P. m., in the Second Church of Columbus, Ohio; and the Synod 
of Columbus is hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synods of 
Ohio, N. 8., and Ohio, O. S., and as such entitled to the possession and en- 
joyment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of 
all the duties, of those Synods. 

18. The Synod of Michigan is hereby constituted; to consist of the 



OF THE SYNOD. 185 

Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within that part of Mich- 
igan embracing the whole of the lower peninsula of that State ; to meet 
on the twelfth day of July, 1870, at 8 p. m., in the Westminster Church 
of Detroit, Mich. ; and the Synod of Michigan is hereby declared to be 
the legal successor of the Synod of Michigan, and as such entitled to the 
possession and enjoyment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to 
the performance of all the duties, of that Synod. 

19. The Synod of Kentucky is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the State of Ken- 
tucky ; to meet on the twenty-ninth day of June, 1870, at 8 p. M., in the 
Chestnut Street Church of Louisville, Ky. ; and the Synod of Kentucky 
is hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synod of Kentucky, 
and as such entitled to the possession and enjoyment of all the rights and 
franchises, and liable to the performance of all the duties, of that Synod. 

20. The Synod of Tennessee is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the States of Ten- 
nessee, Louisiana and Texas, with all our ministers and churches in the 
States intervening ; to meet on the fourteenth day of July, 1870, at 2 
p.m., in New Market, Tenn.; and the Synod of Tennessee is hereby de- 
clared to be the legal successor of the Synod of Tennessee and of the 
Synod of Nashville, and as such entitled to the possession and enjoyment 
of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of all the 
duties, of those Synods. 

21. The Synod of Indiana, South, is hereby constituted ; to consist of 
the Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the State of 
Indiana, south of the north line of the counties of Wayne, Henry, Han- 
cock, Marion, Hendricks, Putnam, Clay and Vigo ; to meet on the fifth 
day of July, 1870, at 71 p. m., in the Third Presbyterian Church of Indi- 
anapolis, Ind. ; and the Synod of Indiana, South, is hereby declared to be the 
legal successor of the Synods of Indiana, N. S., and Indiana, O. S., and as 
such entitled to the possession and enjoyment of all the rights and fran- 
chises, and liable to the performance of all the duties, of those Synods. 

22. The Synod of Indiana, North, is hereby constituted ; to consist of 
the Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the State of 
Indiana, north of the north line of the Synod of Indiana, South; to meet 
on the twenty-eighth day of June, 1870, at 8 p. m., in the First Presbyte- 
rian Church of Logansport, Ind. ; and the Synod of Indiana, North, is 
hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synods of Northern Indi- 
ana and Wabash, and as such entitled to the possession and enjoyment 
of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of all the 
duties, of those Synods. 

23. The Synod of Illinois, South, is hereby constituted; to consist of 
the Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the State of 
Illinois, south of the north line of the counties of Edgar, Douglas, Moul- 
trie, Shelby, Christian, Montgomery, Macoupin, Green and Calhoun; to 
meet on the twelfth day of July, 1870, at 7j P. M., in the First Presbyte- 
rian Church of Vandalia; and the Synod of Illinois, South, is hereby de- 
clared to be the legal successor of the Synod of Illinois, N. S., and as such 
entitled to the possession and enjoyment of all the rights and franchises, 
and liable to the performance of all the duties, of that Synod. 

24. The Synod of Illinois, Central, is hereby constituted ; to consist of 
the Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the counties 
north of the north line of the Synod of Illinois, South, and south of the 
south line of the counties of Kankakee, Grundy, La Salle, Putnam, Bu- 
reau, Henry and Mercer; to meet on the twelfth day of July, 1870, at 7} 

24 



186 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

p.m., in the First Church of Bloomington, 111.; and the Synod of Illinois, 
Central, is hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synod of Illi- 
nois, O. S., and as such entitled to the possession and enjoyment of all the 
rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of all the duties, of 
that Synod. 

25. The Synod of Illinois, North, is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the remaining coun- 
ties of the State of Illinois, being those north of the north line of the Synod 
of Illinois, Central; to meet on the twenty-eighth day of June, 1870, at 1\ 
p. m., in the First Church of Chicago, Illinois ; and the Synod of Illinois, 
North, is hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synods of Chi- 
cago and Peoria, and as such entitled to the possession and enjoyment of 
all the rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of all the 
duties, of those Synods. 

26. The Synod of Wisconsin is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the State of Wis- 
consin, together with the upper peninsula of Michigan, and the county of 
St. Louis, in the State of Minnesota ; to meet on the twelfth day of July, 
1870, at 7h p. m., in the North Church of Milwaukee, Wis. ; and the Synod 
of Wisconsin is hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synods of 
Wisconsin, N. S., and Wisconsin, O. S., and as such entitled to the posses- 
sion and enjoyment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the per- 
formance of all the duties, of those Synods. 

27. The Synod of Minnesota is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the State of Min- 
nesota (except the county of St. Louis), and also the Territory of Daco- 
tah ; to meet on the fifth day of July, 1870, at 8 p. m., in the First Presby- 
terian Church of Minneapolis, Minn.; and the Synod of Minnesota is 
hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synods of Minnesota and 
St. Paul, and as such entitled to all the rights and franchises, and liable 
to the performance of all the duties, of those Synods. 

28. The Synod of Iowa, North, is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the counties of the 
State of Iowa, north of the south line of the counties of Clinton, Jones, 
Linn, Benton, Tama, Marshall, Story, Boone, Greene, Carroll, Crawford 
and Manona; to meet on the fifth day of July, 1870, at 8 p. m., in the First 
Presbyterian Church of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and the Synod of Iowa, 
North, is hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synods of Iowa, 
N. S., and Iowa, O. S., and as such entitled to the possession and enjoyment 
of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of all the 
duties, of those Synods. 

29. The Synod of Iowa, South, is hereby constituted; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the State of Iowa, 
south of the south line of the Synod of Iowa, North, Nebraska, and the 
Territory of Wyoming ; to meet on the thirteenth day of July, 1870, at 
8 p. m., in the Central Church of Des Moines, Iowa ; and the Synod of 
Iowa, South, is hereby declared to be the legal successor of the Synod of 
Southern Iowa, and as such entitled to the possession and enjoyment of all 
the rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of all the duties, 
of that Synod. 

30. The Synod of Missouri is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the State of Mis- 
souri ; to meet on the sixth day of July, 1870, at 8 P. m., in the First Pres- 
byterian Church of St. Louis, Mo. ; and the Synod of Missouri is hereby 
declared to be the legal successor of the Synod of Missouri, N. S., and the 



OF THE SYNOD. 187 

Synod of Missouri, 0. S., and as such entitled to the possession and enjoy- 
ment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of all 
the duties, of those Synods. 

31. The Synod of Kansas is hereby constituted ; to consist of the Pres- 
byteries and parts of Presbyteries included within the State of Kansas, in 
Colorado, in New Mexico and in the Indian Territory; to meet on the 
twelfth day of July, 1870, at 71 p. m., in the First Church of Topeka ; 
and the Synod of Kansas is hereby declared to be the legal successor of 
the Synod of Kansas, X. S., and Kansas, O. S., and as such entitled to the 
possession and enjoyment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the 
performance of all the duties, of those Synods. 

32. The Synod of the Pacific is hereby constituted ; to consist of the 
Presbyteries and parts of Presbyteries west of the Rocky Mountains ; to 
meet on the twelfth day of July, 1870, at 7 i o'clock p. m., in the Howard 
Church of San Francisco, Cal. ; and the Synod of the Pacific is hereby 
declared to be the legal successor of the Synods of Pacific and Alta Cali- 
fornia, and as such is entitled to the possession and enjoyment of all the 
rights and franchises, and liable to the performance of all the duties, of 
those Synods. 

33. The Synod of India is hereby constituted ; to consist of the Pres- 
byteries and parts of Presbyteries, and all our missionaries and churches, 
in that country, to meet on their own adjournment. 

34. The Synod of China is hereby constituted ; to consist of the Pres- 
byteries and parts of Presbyteries, and all our missionaries and churches, 
in China, Siam and Japan ; to meet on the twentieth day of October, 1870, 
at 7 p. m.j in the Presbyterian Mission Chapel, at Shanghai. — 1870, pp. 
91-97. 

On the recommendation of the Committee on the Polity of the Church 
it was 

Resolved, That the churches connected with any of the Presbyteries of 
this Church that are located beyond the bounds of the United States be, 
and they hereby are. attached to the Presbytery and Synod as newly ar- 
ranged to which they are next adjacent. — 1870, p. 127. 

35. The Synod of Colorado is hereby constituted; to consist of the 
ministers and churches in the Presbyteries of Colorado, Santa Fe and 
Wyoming ; and that said Synod meet at Pueblo, Colorado, on the fourth 
day of September. 1871, at 11 o'clock a. m. — 1871, p. 547. 

3. Changes in the Boundaries of the Synods. 

a. Overture No. 8, from the Presbytery of St. Paul, asking for the rele- 
gation of St. Louis county, Minnesota, to the Presbytery of St. Paul, Synod 
1 1' Minnesota. The reconstruction act, by special provision, embraced the 
county of St. Louis in the Synod of Wisconsin, instead of that of Min- 
nesota, to which it geographically belongs. The change now asked for by 
the overture will make the Synod of Minnesota embrace the whole of the 
State of Minnesota. The Committee, therefore, recommend that the re- 
quest be granted. — 1871, p. 540. 

b. The Church of Milford, Pa., from the Presbytery of Lackawnnna. 
Synod of Philadelphia, to the Presbvterv of Hudson, Synod of New York. 
—1871, p. 540. 

c. Overture No. 16, from the American Presbyterian Church of Montreal, 
Canada, asking the Assembly to transfer it from the Presbytery of Chain- 
plain to the Presbytery of New York. In view of the peculiar circum- 
stances of this case, the church being outside of the United States, the 



188 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Committee recommend that the request be granted, and that the presby- 
terial connection of the American church of Montreal be hereby changed 
accordingly. — lb., p. 541. 

d. Overture No. 19, from the Synod of Columbus, asking for the 
transfer of the Church of Buffalo, in Guernsey county, with its pastor, the 
Rev. H. C. Foulke, from the Presbytery of St. Clairsville, Synod of 
Cleveland, to the Presbytery of Zanesville, in this Synod. Also, a re- 
monstrance from the Presbytery of St. Clairsville, on the ground that the 
church and pastor had refused to acknowledge their Synodical relation as 
declared by the last Assembly, and that the Presbytery of St. Clairsville 
have remonstrated with the Synod of Columbus against the illegal recep- 
tion of the church and pastor. The Committee recommend that the re- 
quest be answered in the affirmative. — lb., p. 545. 

e. Overture No. 23, a memorial from the Synod of Minnesota, asking 
the Assembly to attach the Santee Reservation in Nebraska to the Synod 
of Minnesota. It appears, by the memorial, that the Pilgrim churcli 
among the Santee Indians in Nebraska was, by the reconstruction act, 
placed within the Synod of Iowa, South ; and as it w T ould seem to be ad- 
visable that all the churches in the Dakota Mission should be under the 
care of one Synod, the Committee recommend the granting of the request. 
—lb., p. 546. 

/. The Church of Canal Fulton, transferred from the Presbytery of 
Mahoning, Synod of Cleveland, to the Presbytery of Wooster, Synod of 
Columbus.— 1872, p. 86. 

g. The Committee recommend that the western boundary of the Sy- 
nod of Harrisburg be so changed as to include within that Synod the 
Shiloh Church of St. Mary's, to be attached to the Presbytery of North- 
umberland. Adopted. — 1872, p. 86. 

h. To transfer the Churches of Mechanicsville and Clarence from the 
Presbytery of Iowa City and Synod of Iowa, South, to the Presbytery of 
Cedar Rapids, Synod of Iowa, North, and also. to alter the boundary line 
between those two Synods so that the northern tier of townships in Cedar 
county shall be included within the limit of the Synod of Iowa, North. 
Adopted.— 1872, p. 88. 

i. An overture from the Presbytery of Austin, Texas, asking to be de- 
tached from the Synod of Tennessee, and made a constituent part of the 
Synod of Kansas, because of the great distance, and inconvenient access 
to that part of Tennessee where the Synod usually meets, which have thus 
far hindered the Presbytery altogether from attending ; and on the other 
hand, the direct communication with Kansas, now established by railroad 
connections. 

Recommended that the Presbytery of Austin be a part of the Synod of 
Kansas, until a Synod be organized in Texas. Adopted. — 1873, p. 525. 

k. The Church of Reem's Creek, Presbytery of Catawba, Synod of At- 
lantic, transferred to Presbytery of Holston, Synod of Tennessee, on ac- 
count of inconvenience of geographical position. — 1873, p. 539. 

I. A memorial from the Synod of Illinois Central, and one from the 
Presbytery of Ottawa, in connection with the Synod of Illinois, North, re- 
questing that the boundary line between those Synods be changed so as to 
include the two townships of Osage and Groveland, in the county of La 
Salle, within the territory of Illinois Central. Granted. — 1873, p. 539. 

II. Any seven ministers, belonging to the Synod, who shall con- 
vene at the time and place of meeting, with as many elders as may be 



OF THE SYNOD. 189 

present, shall be a quorum to transact synodical business ; provided 
not more than three of the said ministers belong to one presbytery. 

1. The Rule as to a Quorum must be Observed. — Irregular Pro- 
ceedings.— How treated. 

a. It appears from the record that certain members of the Synod of 
West Tennessee met at Knoxville, Tennessee, Oct. 12, 1848, and consti- 
tuted themselves the Synod of West Tennessee, contrary to the Form of 
Government, chap, xi., sec. 2, there being seven ministers present, but four 
of them were from one Presbytery. 

1st. The Assembly declare all proceedings and acts of those members of 
the Synod of West Tennessee found recorded on pp. 214-230 unconstitu- 
tional and invalid, except so far as relates to the appointment of the time 
and place for the next meeting of Synod. 

2d. That the Synod be directed to review, at its first regular meeting 
hereafter, the proceedings and acts of said members of the Synod, and 
that they adopt or reject the same, in whole or in part, as they may see 
fit.— 1849, p. 248, O. S. 

b. The Acts of less than a Quorum Unconstitutional. 

In regard to the Minutes of 1855, Synod of Arkansas, the Assembly 
declares — 

1st. That the proceedings and acts of the members of said Synod, met 
at Little Rock, Sept. 20, 1855, are unconstitutional and void — inasmuch 
as they proceeded without such a quorum as the constitution requires — 
except so far as relates to the appointment of the time and place of the 
next meeting. 

2d. The Synod is directed to review, at its next regular meeting, the 
proceedings and acts of said members, and to adopt or reject them, in 
whole or in part, as they may see fit. — 1856, p. 539, O. S. 

2. Session on the Sabbath Censured. 

a. The Committee appointed to examine the records of the Synod of 
North Carolina reported, when the records were approved, with the ex- 
ception that on page 48 it is recorded that Synod held a session on Sab- 
bath evening. This was the closing meeting ; and though it does not seem 
to have been one of much business, still, in the opinion of the Assembly, 
it was not proper. — 1834, p. 445. 

b. The records of the Synod of Peoria approved, with the exception 
" that on page 33 there is the record of a business meeting held on Sab- 
bath evening."— 1846, p. 18, K S. 

3. When a Synod has failed to Meet on its Adjournment.— The 

Remedy. 

a. As it appeared from the representations of ministers and elders 
assembled at Yorktown, the 20th of October, 1795, and signed Robert 
Davidson, that the Synod of Philadelphia did not meet according to its 
last adjournment, nor since the time to which it was adjourned. On mo- 
tion, 

Resolved, That the moderator of the Synod of Philadelphia, the Rev. 
Dr. Robert Davidson, ought to be considered as competent to call a meet- 
ing of the same, and that he do accordingly call a meeting, to be held in 
the Third Presbyterian Church in the city of Philadelphia, on the fourth 



J 90 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Wednesday of October next ; and that he give due notice thereof by a 
circular letter to the moderators of the several Presbyteries composing 
the said Synod, whose duty it shall be to acquaint the other members. 

Resolved, as the opinion of the Assembly, That from the nature of the 
thing two or more members of any judicatory, meeting according to the 
adjournment, may adjourn from day to day until a sufficient number attend 
for the transacting of business, and in case a quorum should not attend 
within a reasonable time, that the moderator shall be considered as com- 
petent to fix any time and place he may judge proper for convening the 
body ; and if he be absent, that the members assembled shall represent 
the matter speedily to him, that he may act accordingly." — 1796, p. 113. 

b. A request from the moderator of the Synod of Upper Missouri, that 
as the Synod failed to meet last fall, according to adjournment, in Kansas 
City, owing to the distracted state of the country, the Assembly would 
enjoin upon said Synod to meet in Liberty Church, Clay county, Missouri, 
on the 1st day of October next, at 7 o'clock p. m. 

The Committee recommend that the request be granted, and the Synod 
be and hereby is directed to meet accordingly. — 1862, p. 596. " Time 
changed to Oct. 8, and report adopted." — p. 610, O. S. 

[At the same meeting a similar request from the Synod of Baltimore 
was answered in the same manner.] — p. 596, O. S. 

Also Synod of Missouri, N. S.— 1862, p. 14. 

On petition of the Presbytery of Albany, the Assembly changed the 
time of the meeting of the Synod of Albany on account of the meeting 
of the Evangelical Alliance. — 1873, p. 525. 

4. Meeting's pro re nata Constitutional. 

a. The Committee of Overtures also reported Overture No. 13. This 
overture was taken up, and is as follows, viz.: "An answer is requested to 
the following question, viz., Has the moderator of a Synod a right to call 
a meeting of the Synod during the interval of its stated sessions?" 

Resolved bv the Assembly, That this question be answered in the af- 
firmative.— 1829, p. 268. 

b. The Assembly took up the protest and complaint of a minority of 
the Synod of Virginia against a decision of said Synod in favor of called 
meetings of Synod. The complainants and Synod were heard, after 
which it was resolved that the complaint be not sustained. — 1832, p. 368. 

c. The Committee on the Records of the Synod of Tennessee reported 
that after a careful examination of those records they find them correct ; 
and the attention of the Committee having been called to the report of a 
committee of the Synod of Tennessee relating to the constitutionality of a 
called meeting of said Synod, convened in accordance with a declaratory 
resolution of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 1796, 
and found on page 321 of the Digest published in 1820, after a careful 
examination of the whole subject, they recommend the following action 
in the case: That in the judgment of this General Assembly the meeting 
of the Synod of Tennessee at Knoxville, in said State, on the ninth day 
of November, was in accordance with the constitution of the Presbyterian 
Church, and the Assembly do so declare. The report was adopted. — 1855, 
p. 16, N. S. 

5. The Moderator must Specify the Object of the Meeting. 

The records of the Synod of Kentucky were approved, except the record 
of a meeting of Synod, which was convened pursuant to call of the modera- 



OF THE SYNOD. 191 

tor without a specification of the object for which they were convened. — 
1823, p. 74. 

6. Moderator may not Change the Time of Meeting-. 

a. Resolved, That the records of the Synod of North Carolina be ap- 
proved, with the exception of the postponement of the regular meeting of 
Svnod by the moderator, which this Assembly consider irregular. — 1848, 
p.* 36, O. S. 

6. Records of the Synod of Illinois approved, except in the case of the 
action of that body, as recorded on page 415, sustaining the act of the 
moderator of the Synod in changing the time of its annual meeting. — 
1854, p. 500, N. S. 

7. A Superior Court may make the Change. 

A request from the Presbytery of Missouri that the Assembly will 
change the place of the next stated meeting of the Synod of Missouri. 
The Committee recommended that the request be granted, and that the 
next stated meeting of the Synod of Missouri be held at Boonville instead 
of Jefferson City, to which place it now stands adjourned, which was 
adopted.— 1842, p. 16, O. S. 

[On the same page is a similar action changing the stated meeting of 
the Synod of North Carolina.] 

III. The same rule as to corresponding members, which was laid 
down with respect to the Presbytery, shall apply to the Synod. 

[See ante, chap, x., sec. xii., Form of Government.] 

IV. The Synod has power to receive and issue all appeals regu- 
larly brought up from the Presbyteries ; to decide on all references 
made to them ; to review the records of Presbyteries, and approve or 
censure them; to redress whatever has been done by Presbyteries con- 
trary to order; to take effectual care that Presbyteries observe the 
constitution of the Church ; to erect new* Presbyteries, and unite or 
divide those which were before erected ; generally to take such order 
with respect to the Presbyteries, sessions and people under their care, 
as may be in conformity with the word of God and the established 
rules, and which tend to promote the edification of the Church; and, 
finally, to propose to the General Assembly, for their adoption, such 
measures as may be of common advantage to the whole Church. 

1. The Synod has Appellate, but not Original, Jurisdiction. 

a. The Assembly having maturely considered the appeal of Mr. Davis 
from the proceedings of the Synod of the Carolinas in his case, 

Resolved, That although they highly approve of the zeal of the Synod 
to preserve the purity and peace of the Church within their bounds, yet 
they cannot but decide that in their proceedings in the above case, in de- 
ciding that they had a right to try Mr. Davis, when there was no reference 
nor appeal in his case before them, they have not strictly adhered to the 
constitution of the Presbyterian Church. — 1810, p. 448. 



192 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

b. This Decision Reaffirmed. 

The Committee appointed to report on the petition of the Presbytery of 
South Carolina relative to a reconsideration of a decision of last Assem- 
bly reported, and recommended the reconsideration. Their report was 
rejected and the Committee discharged. Whereupon, 

Resolved, That though the General Assembly regret the dissatisfaction 
of the Presbytery of South Carolina in the case of Mr. Davis, yet they 
cannot see it to be expedient or proper to reconsider the judgment of the 
General Assembly of last year on the case in question. — 1811, p. 468. 

c. That the Synod (of Genesee) seem to have forgotten the nature and 
limits of their appellate, as distinguished from the original, jurisdiction in 
the case, in that they censure at their bar the appellant in a way compe- 
tent in any circumstances only to the session of the church to which the 
appellant was primarily amenable. — 1840, p. 11, N. S. 

2. The Synod may not institute Judicial Process. 

The proceedings of the Synod of Cincinnati, in the institution and pros- 
ecution of judicial process against William Graham, are unconstitutional 
and irregular, and therefore null and void ; and the Synod is hereby en- 
joined to take constitutional action in the case, and to revise and cor- 
rect its proceedings accordingly. — 1846, p. 31, N. S. 

3. A Synod Censured for Entertaining an Appeal irregularly 

brought. 

The records of the Synod of Utica excepted to. 

1 and 2. See under Discipline, chap, vii., sec. in., sub. sec. v., 3 b. — 
1840, p. 12, N. S. 

4. The Synod may Reverse and Correct the Action of Presbytery, 

but must Observe the Rules of Discipline. 

The Assembly having heard the complaint of the Presbytery of Carlisle 
against the Synod of Philadelphia, in the case of William S. M'Dowell, 
with the facts and arguments offered both by the Presbytery and the Syn- 
od, judge that the Synod had a constitutional right to reverse the decis- 
ion of the Presbytery in this case, either in whole or in part, as to them 
might seem proper, but that in the exercise of this right the Synod have 
not duly regarded the principles of discipline prescribed in the constitu- 
tion ; inasmuch as it appears by their records that they have removed all 
censure from a man whom they declare to be deserving of rebuke, with- 
out directing that rebuke to be administered, and without receiving any 
evidence of his penitence. — 1823, p. 81. 

5. The Synod has Jurisdiction over the Members of an Extinct 
Presbytery not received by any other Presbytery. — 1825, p. 147. 

See above, chap x., sec. viii., 17. 

6. A Synod visits a Church to Ascertain the Acceptability of its 

Elders. 

Resolved, That the Assembly expresses no opinion upon the action of the 
Synod (of New Jersey) in appointing a committee to visit the Third Church, 
Newark, in order to ascertain if anv member of the session were unaccept- 
able to the people.— 1862, p. 631, O. S. 



OF THE SYNOD. 193 

The next year the complaint of William B. Guild against the action of 
Synod was sustained pro forma. — 1863, p. 35, O. S. 

A Synod directs a Presbytery to dissolve the pastoral relation, and on 
complaint to the Assembly is sustained. See above, chap, x., sec. viii., etc., 
appeal of Jos. Connell vs. Synod of Pittsburg. — 1868, p. 648, O. S. 

V. The Synod shall convene at least once in each year; at the 
opening of which a sermon shall be delivered by the moderator, or, 
in case of his absence, by some other member ; and every particular 
session shall be opened and closed with prayer. 

1. The above Rule construed Literally, and must be Obeyed. 

a. The records of the Synod of Pittsburg approved, except "that at 
the opening of the Synod no sermon was delivered, as the Constitution re- 
quires, but on the following evening." — 1827, p. 205. 

b. The records of the Synod of Albany approved, except that "the 
Synod was opened without a sermon, whereas the Form of Government, 
chap, xi., sec. v., requires that a sermon shall be preached." — 1843, p. 181, 
O. S. 

c. Records of Synod of Buffalo, except, 

3d. That it appears by the record on page 75 that a meeting of the 
Synod was opened without a sermon, whereas the Form of Government, 
chap, xi., sec. v., requires that a sermon shall be preached. 

And again, on page 79, that at the opening of the Synod no sermon 
was delivered, as the Constitution requires, but on the following evening. 
—1856, p. 520. O. S. 

2. The Records should State that the Meetings were Opened and 
Closed -with Prayer. 

a. The records of the Synod of Pennsylvania approved, except, that 
" there is no evidence from the records that the last meeting of the Synod 
was opened with prayer."— 1850, p. 314, K S. ; 1859, p. 531,0. S. 

b. The records of the Synod of Tennessee were approved, with the fol- 
lowing exceptions : 

1. On p. 34 it appears from the record that the Synod adjourned at the 
close of the day without prayer. 

2. On p. 36 it is recorded that the Synod was constituted with prayer, 
it being the second day of the sessions of the Synod. — 1854, p. 500, N. S. 

c. The records of the Synod of Kentucky approved, except that "there 
is no record of prayer in p. 176." — 1854, p. 501, K S. 

d. Records of Synod of Minnesota approved, except " that on p. 54, in 
the record of the session of Friday, Sept. 30, 1859, no mention is made 
of the opening services." — 1860, p. 239, N. S. 

e. The opening minute of each session of the Synod of Cincinnati is 
defective, in not recording the meeting of the Synod before its being 
opened with prayer. — 1849, p. 177, N. S. 

/. Records of Synod of Cincinnati approved, except " that on p. 5 the 
Synod adjourned without prayer."— 1865, p. 553, O. S. 

g. Synod of Geneva, except "that it does not appear from the record 
that they finally closed their sessions with prayer."— 1830, p. 288. 

h. It does not appear from the records that the Synod of North Caro- 
lina closed its final session with the usual exercises of singing, prayer and 
the apostolical benediction. — 1852, p. 216, O. S. 
25 



194 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. . 

i. The Committee on the Records of the Synod of Sandusky reported, 

That they had examined the same, and recommend their approval, with 
the following exception : 

On page 49, on motion to approve records of Presbytery of Michigan, 
the following exception was made by members of Synod : " With the ex- 
ception to so much of the record as excepts to the sessional records of the 
Westminster Church, Detroit, and the church in Pontiac, for the failure to 
close meetings with prayer. 

''While the Synod regards it as eminently proper to open and close the 
meetings of session with prayer, yet, as the matter is left by the Form of 
Government at the discretion of the session ; and as such meetings are 
sometimes held under circumstances which render the formal opening and 
closing with prayer inconvenient, the exercise of the discretion of the ses- 
sion is not properly a matter of censure by Presbytery." The exception 
was lost. 

It is the opinion of your Committee that Synod erred in declining to sus- 
tain this exception, it being in harmony with the Form of Government of 
our Church.— 1863, p. 48, 0. S. 

j. The Synod of Columbus, "except that on several occasions, if the 
sessions of this Synod were opened with prayer, there is no record of the 
fact."— 1872, p. 68. 

VI. It shall be the duty of the Synod to keep full and fair records 
of its proceedings, to submit them annually to the inspection of the 
General Assembly, and to report to the Assembly the number of its 
Presbyteries, and of the members and alterations of the Presbyteries. 

1. The Records must be Full and Fair.— Reasons for Decisions 
must be Recorded. 

a. Synod of Pittsburg, except resolution on page 74, disapproving of 
the proceedings of a Presbytery, without assigning the reasons. — 1820, p. 
728. 

b. Synod of Ohio, except a minute on page 243, disapproving of a de- 
cision ofia Presbytery, and ordering said Presbytery to reconsider that de- 
cision, without any reasons being assigned. — 1827, p. 202. 

c. Absentees must be Recorded; Judicial Cases must be Stated. 

The records of the Synod of Philadelphia were approved, with the fol- 
lowing exceptions, viz. : 

1st. That there is no record of absentees from the meeting. 

2d. That it appears, from page 282, that an appeal and complaint was 
issued in the usual form, without any intimation of what the sentence or 
proceeding was against which the complaint was made. 

3d. That it appears, from page 273, that another complaint was issued, 
•without any record of the proceeding complained of or the body whose pro- 
ceeding was the subject of complaint. — 1852, p. 216, O. S. 

d. Resolution must be Recorded ; Nature and Reasons for Decision. 

The records of the Synod of Ohio were approved, with the exceptions, 
1st. That on page 77 it is stated that after discussion certain resolutions 
were adopted, as follows. None of these resolutions appear on record, and 
their character is not described. 2d. In a judicial case, on its issue, the 
final record, containing the sentence of the court, is defective, inasmuch 






OF THE SYNOD. 195 

as its statement gives no clue to the merits or significance of the decision, 
or reasons for it. — 1861, p. 315, O. S. 

e. Overture Answered must be Described. 

The Committee on the records of the Synod of Pittsburg presented the 
following report, which was adopted : 

The Committee on the records of the Synod of Pittsburg report, recom- 
mending their approval, with exception of a minute, page 152 of the 
records, where an overture from the United Presbyterian Synod of Pitts- 
burg appears to have been answered without any description being given 
of it.— 1865, p. 541, O. S. 

/. Papers must be Preserved, Pages numbered. 

The Committee on the records of the Synod of Wisconsin presented the 
following report, which was adopted : 

The Committee on the records of the Synod of Wisconsin report, recom- 
mending their approval as far as written, with these exceptions : 1st. The 
pages are not numbered. 2d. There seems to have been a want of proper 
care in the preservation of papers, as the Committee on the Minutes of the 
General Assembly made a verbal report which w T as accepted, but the 
report is wanting. This thing the Synod itself condemns in the case of 
the Presbytery of Dane. — 1865, p. 541, O. S. 

g. Judicial Cases must be Described. 

Synod of Cincinnati. On pp. 6 and 13 a complaint was received, re- 
ferred and decided, without any statement in regard to the character of 
said complaint, — 1865, p. 553, 6. S. 

h. Reasons must be Recorded. 

The Committee on the Synod of Onondaga reported, recommending 
that they be approved as far as written, with the following exception: 

On page 186 we find the Synod administering censure to the Presby- 
tery of Cayuga for an act of discipline toward one of its churches, on the 
ground that the reasons for such discipline were not given according to 
the requirements of our Book of Discipline ; yet on the next page we find 
said Synod reaffirming the acts of a church censured by its Presbytery, 
and reversing the decision of the Presbytery without giving the required 
reasons for such a singular proceeding. 

The report was adopted.— 1863, p. 277, N. S. 

i. The Synod (of Illinois) have not discharged their duty. They ought 
to have spread upon their record everything which influenced their judg- 
ment in the case.— 1840, p. 303, O. S. 

j. The Committee on the Eecords of the Synod of Cincinnati reported 
as follows : 

1. That they have examined the records, and move they be approved 
as far as written, with the following exceptions, that on page 36 the min- 
ute is defective in that a complaint was received, referred and decided, 
without any statement with regard to the subject matter of said complaint. 

2. This defect in the record disables this Assembly from deciding as to 
the validity of the recorded reasons given for the decision of the Synod 
in the case on page 37. 

3. This defect in the minutes is the more to be excepted against, inas- 
much as it records the implied censure of the complainant, while the As- 



196 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

sembly is deprived of the opportunity to pass upon the case. — 1866, p. 50, 
O. S. 

See also Book of Discipline, chap, vii., sec. i., sub. sec. iii. 

2. The Records Should be Fair. 
a. The records of the Synod of Northern Indiana were approved, with 
the exception of the mode of recording the minute of a joint session of 
the two Synods of Indiana and Northern Indiana, which, instead of being 
written, is cut from a newspaper and pasted in the book. — 1868, p. 640, 
O. S. 

b. Sundry Omissions and Irregularities Censured. 

The records of the Synod of Wisconsin were approved, with the follow- 
ing exceptions, viz.: 

1. The records are marked by several verbal omissions and the neglect 
of orthography and punctuation, and the absentees of 1852-1853 are not 
recorded. 

2. During the sessions of 1852 there is no evidence that the Synod read, 
corrected or approved the records, though on page 16 it appears that the 
records of that year were read twelve months after in Synod, though still 
there is no evidence that they were approved by it. The minutes of 1858 
do not appear to have been ever read or approved in Synod. And the 
records of 1854 were not read and approved till the meeting of 1855. 

3. On page 23 it appears that the Synod, October 13, 1853, adjourned 
to meet at Neenah the second Thursday of October, 1854. A quorum 
having failed to meet at that time, the members present adjourned to a 
different time and place (Madison, October 26), and there is no evidence 
that any steps were taken to cause their moderator to notify all the minis- 
ters and church sessions of the new meeting. This is contrary to the spirit 
of the precedents approved by the Assembly (see minutes 1796, p. 113; 
Baird, p. 212), and transcends the liberty allowed for such cases by the 
third general rule for judicatories. 

4. On pages 23, 27 and 32 are recorded adjournments without any evi- 
dence that the sessions were closed with prayer. 

5. On pages 35, 36, the report of a Committee of Review on the Records 
of the Presbytery of Dane, containing an exception against the action of 
the Presbytery for appointing Rev. J. W. Sterling its lay commissioner to 
the General Assembly, is entered on the records of Synod without any 
record of its adoption by Synod ; and again it is stated that this report 
was amended by striking out the exception, and there is still no evidence 
of its adoption as amended. Also, on pages 39, 40, the report of a com- 
mittee touching the complaints of J. Y. Smith is made a part of the rec- 
ords of Synod, though, so far as these records show, it was only accepted 
and laid on the table. 

6. The records of the Synod's action on the complaints of said J. Y. 
Smith against the Presbytery of Dane are not complete enough to fulfill 
the demands of the Book of Discipline, chap, iv., sec. xxiii., which says 
that the record ought to " exhibit everything which had an influence on 
the judgment of the court." No exception is proposed against the action 
of Synod touching those complaints, inasmuch as they have been brought 
before this Assembly through another channel (the judicial Committee) 
and passed upon. — 1856, p. 520, O. S. 

3. The Records must be Presented Annually. 
a. Ordered, That the minutes of the respective Synods be laid yearly 
before the General Assembly, to be by them revised. — 1789, p. 7. 



OF THE SYNOD. 197 

b. Overture No. 6 was taken up, viz., a request of the Synod of Indiana, 
that the General Assembly be requested to dispense with synodical reports 
in future. 

Resolved, That this request cannot be granted because it is unconstitu- 
tional.— 1830, p. 302. 

c. Resolved, That the respective Synods make yearly reports to the Gen- 
eral Assembly of all the licensures, ordinations and installments, transla- 
tions and deaths, and whatever changes may take place among the mem- 
bers within their bounds. — 1789, p. 7. 

d. The Committee on Overture No. 7, viz., " a request from the Synod of 
Ohio to change the form of statistical reports from the Synods to the Gen- 
eral Assembl} r ," made the following report, which was adopted, viz.: 
That inasmuch as the General Assembly has required all the Presbyteries 
to send up their statistical reports immediately after the last stated meet- 
ing prior to the next succeeding Assembly, and as these reports anticipate 
the information communicated in the synodical reports about a year; 
therefore, 

Resolved, That each Synod shall not be required to report in detail, but 
simply to report to the Assembly, the number of its Presbyteries, and of 
the members and alterations of the Presbyteries, agreeably to the sixth 
section of chapter eleventh on Form of Government. — 1832, p. 371. 

e. The Committee on the Records of the Synod of Wisconsin reported 
that they have been subjected to an increased amount of labor in examin- 
ing the minutes of this Synod in consequence of the failure of the stated 
clerk to send up the records annually to the Assembly, as our rules re- 
quire. The minutes of this body have not been brought under the in- 
spection of the Assembly since May, 1860, leaving an accumulation of 
four years of unexamined and unapproved records. 

There are indications that the stated clerk has been delinquent in 
punctually recording the annual minutes as taken by the temporary 
clerk. In this way the records were probably not in readiness to be sent 
to the Assembly at the proper time by the commissioners annually ap- 
pointed. 

With these exceptions, the. Committee recommended that the records 
be approved as far as written, in the usual form. 

The report was adopted.— 1864, p. 482, N. S. [See 1856, p. 519, O. S.] 

/. Records of the Synod of Wabash approved, except that they have 
not been presented to the Assembly since 1859. — 1861, p. 462, N. S. 

g. Records of Synod of Columbus, except that these records have not 
been presented to the Assemblv since the reconstruction of the Synod in 
1870.— 1872, p. 68. 

h. Resolved, That the stated clerk be directed to remind the Synod of 
Alta California of its neglect of duty in the failure for several years to 
send its records to the General Assembly for review. — 1868, p. 15, N. S. 

i. The Synods of Atlantic, China, Harrisburg, Illinois South, Indiana 
North, Kansas and Pacific were directed, at their next regular meeting, 
to call their stated clerks to account for not having sent up their records 
to this Assembly. — 1872, p. 68. 

4. The Records must Show all Changes in the Presbyteries. 

"The records of the Synod of Albany approved as orderly and correct, 
excepting that the Presbyterial reports are not so fully recorded as to ex- 
hibit in detail even the changes which take place from time to time in 
the Presbyteries."— 1811, p. 479. 



198 FOEM OF GOVEENMENT. 



5. The Record should State the Body to which a Corresponding 

Member belongs. 

a. The proceedings of the Synod of Albany approved, with the ex- 
ception of having invited several ministers to take their seats as corre- 
sponding members, without describing the ecclesiastical body to which 
such ministers belong. — 1815, p. 578. 

b The records of the Synod of Illinois approved, "except the Rev. 
Messrs. James H. Dickey, Dewey, Whitney and W. Comstock, ministers 
of the Church of Jesus Christ, being present, were invited to sit as corre- 
sponding members," the bodies to which the ministers respectively belong 
not being mentioned.— 1840, p. 296, O. S. 

c. The records of the Synod of Peoria were approved, with the ex- 
ception that on page 28 mention is made of a minister being invited to 
sit as a corresponding member without designating the ecclesiastical body 
to which he belonged.— 1846, p. 18, N. S. 

d. The records of the Synod of Illinois, p. 440, " do not state the eccle- 
siastical connection of the Rev. Amasa Lord, w 7 ho was invited to sit as a 
corresponding member." — 1857, p. 387, N. S. 

6. The Minutes should be Read and Approved. 

a. The records of the Synod of Cincinnati approved, except "the 
omission at the opening of each session to read the minutes of the previ- 
ous session, with no evidence in the records that the minutes were ap- 
proved by Synod/ —1849, p. 177, N. S. 

b. Synod of Wabash, except " that on pp. 51 and 52 the Synod met and 
proceeded to business without reading the minutes of the previous day's 
session. On page 59 the Synod closed its annual sessions and adjourned 
without reading or approving the minutes of the clerk." — 1854, p. 500, 
N. S. 

e. The records of the Synod of Wisconsin, except that "during the 
sessions of 1852 there is no evidence that the Synod read, corrected or 
approved the records; though on p. 16 it appears that the records of that 
year were read twelve months after, in Synod, though still there is no evi- 
dence that they were approved by it. The minutes of 1853 do not appear 
to have been ever read or approved in Synod. And the records of 1854 
were not read and approved till the meeting of 1855." — 1856, p. 520, O. S. 

d. The records of the Synod of Pennsylvania were approved, excepting 
" that it does not appear from the book that the records have ever been 
approved by the Synod."— 1857, p. 387, N. S. 

e. Synod of Arkansas, " the minutes were not read and approved." — 
1860, p. 34, O. S. 

7. The Minutes should be Attested by the Stated Clerk. 

a. The records of the Synod of Tennessee are not attested by the stated 
clerk —1854, p. 500, N. S. 

b. The records of the Synod of Kentucky not approved by the Synod, 
and some not attested by the stated clerk. — 1854, p. 501, N. S. 

c. Synod of Wabash, "not signed by the stated clerk, as our Church 
order requires."— 1862, p. 28, N. S. 

8. Absentees must be called to Answer. 

a. The Committee appointed to examine the records of the Synod of Vir- 
ginia reported, and the book was approved to page 83, with the exception 



OF THE SYNOD. 199 

of a resolution found in page 82, in which the Synod determined to dis- 
continue the practice of calling upon their members for the reasons of 
their absence from its meetings. — 1825, p. 140. 

b. Synod of New York, except " that reasons for tardiness do not ap- 
pear to have been required of those who were not present at the opening 
of Synod."— 1873, p. 506. 

9. NamesiOf Absentees should be Recorded. 

The records of the Synod of Peoria were approved, except "that in the 
roll of the Synod record is made that no members of the Presbytery of 
Belvidere were present, but no record of the names of absentees." — 1850, 
p. 314, N. S. 

a. The records of the Synod of Mississippi approved, except " that the 
absentees are not recorded in their meetings of 1854 and 1855." — 1856, p. 
538, O. S. 

b. The records of the Synod of Philadelphia approved, except "that 
there is no record of absentees from the meeting."* — 1852, p. 216, O. S. 

c. "The records of the Synod of Philadelphia were approved, with the 
exception that no record is made of the names of absentees, and no ex- 
cuse for absence required." — 1868, p. 640, O. S. 

10. Synod may not Discipline Absentees. 

"The records of the Synod of the Carolinas were approved, with the 
exception of the resolution to make a minister liable to suspension, without 
trial, for three years' absence from Synod, without sending forward his 
reason for absence." — 1811, p. 468. 

11. A Narrative of the State of Religion should be Prepared and 

Recorded. 

a. The records of the Synod of Illinois were, on the recommendation 
of the Committee, approved, with the following exception, viz. : 

At the sessions of Synod in October, 1846, it does not appear from the 
records that a narrative of the state of religion was prepared. Such an 
omission is considered contrary to the general usage of Synods, and not 
for the edification of the Church. — 1849, p. 176, N. S. 

b. The records of the Synod of Illinois were approved, except "that they 
do not contain the narrative on the state of religion which was presented 
by the Committee on that subject at the sessions of the Svnod in 1854, p. 
434."— 1857, p. 387, N. S.; 1861, p. 462, N. S. ; 1862, p/28, K S. 

e. Resolved, That the Assembly earnestly recommend to the Presbyteries 
and Synod to record in their minutes the narrative of religion, and all 
other important papers. — 1870, p. 91. 

SYNODIC A L KEPOETS. 

A Statistical Report is to be forwarded to the Assembly by the stated clerk 
of every Synod, in which are to be stated the number of Presbyteries, 
ministers, churches, licentiates and candidates within their bounds, and 
how distributed, the changes which may have been made in the number or 
arrangement of their Presbyteries, the names of the stated clerks of the 
Presbyteries, the place and hour of the next annual meeting, and the 
name of the moderator and stated clerk of the Synod. Such a report is 
necessary in order to the correctness of the tabular report of the Synods 
printed in the appendix to the minutes. 



200 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

CHAPTER XII. 
OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.* 

I. The General Assembly is the highest judicatory of the Presby- 
terian Church. It shall represent, in one body, all the particular 
churches of this denomination; and shall bear the title of The Gen- 
eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States of America. 

* The radical principles of Presbyterian church government and discipline are : 
That the several different congregations of believers, taken collectively, constitute one 
Church of Christ, called emphatically the Church ; that a larger part of the Church, 
or a representation of it, should govern a smaller, or determine matters of contro- 
versy which arise therein ; that, in like manner, a representation of the whole should 
govern and determine in regard to every part and to all the parts united — that is, that 
a majority shall govern, and consequently that appeals may be carried from lower to 
higher judicatories, till they be finally decided by the collected wisdom and united 
voice of the whole Church. For these principles and this procedure, the example of the 
apostles and the practice of the primitive Church are considered as authority. See 
Acts xv. to the 29th verse, and the proofs adduced under the last three chapters. 

1. Formation of the General Assembly. 

a. The Synod, considering the number and extent of the churches under 
their care, and the inconvenience of the present mode of government by 
one Synod, 

Resolved, That this Synod will establish out of its own body three or 
more subordinate Synods, out of which shall be composed a General As- 
sembly, Synod or Council, agreeably to a system hereafter to be adopted. 
—1786, p. 517. 

b. Resolved unanimously, That this Synod be divided, and it is hereby 
divided, into four Synods, agreeably to an Act made and provided for that 
purpose in the sessions of Synod in the year one thousand seven hun- 
dred and eighty-six ; and that this division shall commence on the dis- 
solution of the present Synod. 

Resolved, That the first meeting of the General Assembly, to be consti- 
tuted out of the above said four Synods, be held, and it is hereby appoint- 
ed to be held, on the third Thursday of May, one thousand seven hun- 
dred and eighty-nine, in the Second Presbyterian Church in the city of 
Philadelphia, at eleven o'clock A. m. ; and that Dr. Witherspoon, or, in his 
absence, Dr. Rogers, open the General Assembly with a sermon, and pre- 
side till a moderator be chosen. — 1788, p. 548. 

2. Organization of the Assembly. 

[Usage has fixed the third Thursday of May, at 11 A. m., as the time 
for the annual meeting of the Assembly. The last moderator present 
preaches the sermon, and then opens the session with prayer, and presides 
during the organization of the Assembly. The Committee on Commissions 
report; irregular commissions are referred to a special Committee, who re- 
port, and the roll is completed. A moderator and temporary clerks are 
chosen, and the Assembly is ready for business.] 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 201 



"Last Moderator present" Not necessarily in Commission. 

Pittsburg, May 21, 1835. 
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church met in the First 
Presbyterian Church in this city, and the Rev. Dr. Lindsley, the moder- 
ator of the last Assembly, being absent, was opened with a sermon by the 
Rev. Samuel Miller, D. D., at the request of the Rev. Dr. William A. 
McDowell, the last moderator present, with a sermon on 2 Corinthians iv. 
7 : " But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of 
the power may be of God and not of us." After the sermon the 3tated 
clerk called the house to order and informed them, that the Rev. Dr. 
Lindsley, the moderator of the last Assembly, being absent, the duties of 
the chair devolved upon the last moderator who is present, and has a 
commission to sit in this Assembly, and therefore he moved that the Rev. 
Nathan S. S. Beman, D. D., be called to the chair. This motion pre- 
vailed, and Dr. Beman took the chair, and constituted the Assembly with 
prayer. — 1835, p. 461. 

Thursday afternoon, 3 o'clock. 

The Assembly met. 

A motion was made to reconsider the vote by which Dr. Beman was 
called to the chair, on the ground that many persons voted in the appre- 
hension that Dr. Wm. A. McDowell, the moderator immediately preceding 
Dr. Lindsley, was not in the house, and that many others believed the 
rule of the house required the constituting moderator to be in commission, 
which Dr. McDowell was not. This motion, after considerable discussion, 
was adopted unanimously. 

After some further remarks, it was agreed that the original motion of 
the stated clerk should be again submitted to the house, and the vote be 
taken by him. Whereupon Dr. Ely put the question : " All who are in 
favor of sustaining the resolution passed in the morning, by which Dr. 
Beman was called to the chair, will signify it by saying Aye." This 
motion was lost. 

It was then moved that the Rev. Wm. A. McDowell, D. D., being the 
last moderator present, be requested to take the chair. This motion pre- 
vailed, and Dr. McDowell took the chair accordingly. — 1835, p. 466. 

Who shall open the Assembly, the Moderator being absent ? — A Commissioner, 

Whereas, there exists a difference of opinion as to the proper person 
to open the sessions of the General Assembly, in case the moderator of the 
Assembly immediately preceding be not present ; therefore, 

Resolved, That it is the deliberate judgment of this General Assem- 
bly, that by the Constitution of our Church no person is authorized to 
open the sessions of the General Assembly, or to preside at the opening 
of said sessions, except the moderator of the Assembly immediately pre- 
ceding, or, in case of his absence, a commissioner to the Assembly, selected 
for the purpose by the other commissioners, met at the time and place 
fixed for said meeting. — 1843, p. 194, O. S. 

The Rule as Adopted in 1871. 

If a quorum be assembled at the hour appointed, and the moderator 
be absent, the last moderator present, or, if there be none, the senior mom- 
ber present, shall be requested to take his place without delay until a 
new election. (Rule ii.) — 1871, p. 491. 
26 



™ 



202 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 



3. Rules of Organization. — Committee on Commissions. 

Resolved, That the permanent and stated clerks be and they hereby are 
appointed a standing Committee of Commissions ; and that the commission- 
ers to future Assemblies hand their Commissions to said committee, in the 
room in which the Assembly shall hold its sessions, on the morning of the 
day on which the Assembly opens, previous to 11 o'clock; and further, 
that all commissions which may be presented during the sessions of the 
Assembly, instead of being read in the house, shall be examined by said 
Committee, and reported to the Assembly. — 1829, p. 269. 

I. That the Committee of Commissions shall, in the afternoon, report the 
names of all whose commissions shall appear to be regular and constitu- 
tional, and the persons whose names shall thus be reported shall immedi- 
ately take their seats and proceed to business. 

a. II. The first act of the Assembly, when thus ready for business, shall 
be the appointment of a Committee of Elections, whose duty it shall be 
to examine all informal and unconstitutional commissions, and report on 
the same as soon as practicable. — 1826, p. 191. 

STANDING ORDER. 

The credentials of commissioners and delegates are to be presented at 
a previous hour of the same day, or of the preceding day, according to 
public notice, to the stated and permanent clerks, acting as a standing 
Committee on Commissions. 

b. The Committee on Commissions reported that several persons had 
appeared as commissioners whose commissions were either entirely wanting 
or defective. 

Whereupon a Committee on Elections, consisting of the Rev. George C. 
Heckman, D. D., the Rev. Samuel M. Morton and Mr. David Robinson, 
was appointed, to whom these cases were referred. — 1870, p. 3. 

[Subsequently] on recommendation of the Committee on Commissions 
and the Committee on Elections, the following persons were recognized 
as duly appointed commissioners of this General Assembly, and their 
names entered on the roll of the Assemblv. — 1870, p. 4. 

c. The Rev. Daniel W. Poor, D. D., and Rev. David X. Junkin, D. D., 
ministers, and Hon. James Pollock and Benjamin F. Butler, elders, were 
appointed a Committee on Elections, who presently reported, recommend- 
ing the enrollment of a number of ministers and elders, present without 
commissions, or with informal commissions, but with evidence satisfactory 
of appointment by their respective Presbyteries; and their report was 
adopted.— 1871, p. 490. 

[For usages as to defective commissions, see under Form of Govern- 
ment, chap, xxii., sec. ii.] 

4. Of the Mode of Choosing- the Moderator of the Assembly. 

On motion agreed that it be the standing rule of the General Assem- 
bly, in choosing a moderator, that any commissioner may nominate a 
candidate for the chair. The candidates so pointed out shall then sever- 
ally give their votes for some one of their number, and withdraw ; when 
the remaining commissioners shall proceed, viva voce, to choose by a plu- 
rality of votes one of said candidates for moderator. — 1791, p. 39. 

In the Assembly of 1846, O. S., it was 

Resolved, That a majority of all the votes given for moderator be 
necessary for a choice. — p. 189. 



OF THE GENEEAL ASSEMBLY. 203 

A like resolution was passed by nearly every Assembly from 1851 to 
1869. 

5. Of the Manner of Installing the Moderator. 

The Committee appointed to examine the rules of the house, and to add 
to them, if they should judge it necessary, a rule directing the method 
in which a moderator, after his election, shall be introduced to his office, 
made their report, which was agreed to, and is as follows : 

Your Committee report that when a new moderator hath been elected, 
before he take the chair, the former moderator shall address him and the 
house, in the following or like manner, viz. : 

Sir : It is my duty to inform you, and announce to this house, that you 
are duly elected to the office of moderator in this General Assembly. For 
your direction in office, and for the direction of this Assembly in all your 
deliberations, before I leave this seat, I am to read to you and this house 
the rules contained in the records of this Assembly, which I doubt not 
will be carefully observed by both, in conducting the business that may 
come before you. 

[Here the moderator is to read the rules,* and afterward add :] 

Now, having read these rules, according to order, for your instruction 
as moderator, and for the direction of all the members in the management 
of business, praying that almighty God may direct and bless all the de- 
liberations of this Assembly for the glory of his name, and for the edifica- 
tion and comfort of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, I resign 
my place and office as Moderator. — 1791, p. 34 ; 1822, pp. 43, 44. 
Rules Relating to the Moderator. 

1. The moderator shall take the chair precisely at the hour to which the 
judicatory stands adjourned, shall immediately call the members to order, 
and on the appearance of a quorum shall open the session with prayer. 

4. It shall be the duty of the moderator, at all times, to preserve order, 
and to endeavor to conduct all business before the judicatory to a speedy 
and proper result. 

5. It shall be the duty of the moderator carefully to keep notes of the 
several articles of business which may be assigned to particular days, and 
to call them up at the time appointed. 

6. The moderator may speak to points of order, in preference to other 
members, rising from his seat for that purpose, and shall decide questions 
of order, subject to an appeal to the judicatory by any two members. 

7. The moderator shall appoint all committees, except in those cases in 
which the judicatory shall decide otherwise. 

8. When a vote is taken by ballot in any judicatory, the moderator shall 
vote with the other members ; but he shall not vote in any other case, un- 
less the judicatory be equally divided ; when, if he does not choose to vote, 
the question shall be lost. 

6. Communications addressed to the Moderator. 

Resolved, That every letter or communication addressed to the modera- 
tor be opened and read by him, and at his discretion be either communi- 
cated immediately to the Assembly for their decision, or to the Committee 
of Overtures, to be by them brought before the house in the ordinary chan- 
nel.— 1794, p. 79. 

* Instead of reading the rules, it has become usage to put the book containing 
them formally in the hands of the new moderator, and to make the necessary change 
in the formula above. See page 205 for the rules in full. For convenience such as 
concern the moderator in the discharge of his duty are given here. 



204 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

7. The Moderator may not have a double Vote. 

On the question being taken, the moderator claimed a right to a vote as 
a commissioner from the Presbytery of Albany, distinct from the casting 
vote. He left it to the house to decide on the claim. The house, having 
taken a vote on the subject, decided by a great majority against the mod- 
erator's claim. — 1798, p. 140. 

8. The Moderator, when a Member of a Court appealed from or a 
Party in the Case, will not Preside. 

a. The moderator, being a member of the Synod of Philadelphia (ap- 
pealed from), withdrew, and Dr. M'Knight took the chair. — 1792, p. 56. 

b. Appeal of Pope Bushnell. The moderator, being a member of the 
Synod appealed from, Mr. Jennings, the last moderator present, took the 
chair.— 1826, p. 184. 

c. Judicial Case No. 1 was taken up. The moderator, being a party in 
the case, vacated the chair, and on motion, Dr. Krebs was requested to 
act as moderator during the trial of the case. — 1866, p. 48, O. S. 

9. Rules of Order for the General Assembly. 

The General Rules for Judicatories, as adopted by the Assembly, 
have appended the following note as defining their authority, viz. : 

The following rules, not having been submitted to the Presbyteries, 
make no part of the constitution of the Presbyterian Church. Yet the 
General Assembly of 1821, considering uniformity in proceedings in all 
the subordinate judicatories as greatly conducive to order and despatch of 
business, and having revised and approved these rules, recommend them 
to the Synods, Presbyteries and sessions as a system of regulations which, 
if they think proper, may be advantageously adopted by them. 

The rules, as modified and adopted by the Assembly for its guidance in 
1822, pp. 42-45, may be found in full in New Digest, pp. 168-171. Some 
alteration was made chiefly with regard to the previous question — e. g., 1835, 
p. 473, 1851, p. 27, N. S. The rules as in use in the N. S. Assembly may 
be found in New Digest, pp. 602-605, the O. S. in Baird's Digest, 866-870. 
On the reunion the Assembly resolved to adopt the general rules for ju- 
dicatories contained in the appendix to the constitution as the rules of 
this Assembly, except that the 13th, 14th, 17th and 18th rules shall be 
as follows, viz. : 

13. Motions to lay on the table, to take up business, to adjourn, and the 
call for the previous question, shall be put without debate. 

On questions of order, postponement, or commitment no member shall 
speak more than once. 

On all other questions, each member may speak twice, but not oftener, 
without express leave of the Judicatory. 

14. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received un- 
less to adjourn, to lay on the table, to postpone indefinitely, to postpone to 
a day certain, to commit or to amend; which several motions shall have 
precedence in the order in which they are herein arranged, and the motion 
for adjournment shall always be in order. 

17. The previous question shall be put in this form, namely, Shall the 
main question be now put? 

It shall only be admitted when demanded by a majority of the members 
present; and the effect shall be to put an end to all debate and bring the 
body to a direct vote : First, on a motion to commit the subject under 
consideration (if such motion shall have been made) ; secondly, if the 






OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 205 

motion for commitment does not prevail, on pending amendments ; and 
lastly, upon the main question. 

The eighteenth rule to be omitted, as suoerseded and unnecessary. — - 
1870, p. 12. 

A Committee — Kev. George W. Musgrave, D. D., Eev. Z. M. Hum- 
phrey, D. D., Rev. J C. Watson, D. D., Hon. Wm. Strong, LL.R, and 
Hon. J. Ross Snowden — was appointed to revise the rules for judicatories, 
and report to the next General Assembly. — 1870, p. 13. 

The Committee appointed by the last General Assembly to consider and 
report general rules for judicatories presented a report, with general 
rules, as follows : 

The Committee appointed by the last General Assembly to revise the 
general rules for judicatories respectfully present the following report: 

The Committee found, on a comparison of the rules in use in the two 
former branches of the Church, that they were, with very few exceptions, 
identical, and that very few changes were necessary. The Committee 
propose only four changes, each of which is indicated in the margin of the 
report. The proposed changes relate to the presentation of minutes, mo- 
tions to amend, to lay on the table, and the previous question ; and are 
numbered respectively 12, 20, 21 and 22. 

For the sake of a more convenient reference, the rules have been re- 
arranged, so as to bring those relating to the same or kindred subjects 
more nearly together. 

We are happy to add that the Committee are unanimous in recom- 
mending to the Assembly the adoption of the subjoined rules, and would 
respectfully suggest that, if adopted, the Board of Publication should be 
directed to publish them as thus arranged and modified. 

GENERAL RULES FOR JUDICATORIES. 

I. The moderator shall take the chair precisely at the hour to which 
the judicatory stands adjourned, and shall immediately call the members 
to order, and on the appearance of a quorum shall open the session with 
prayer. 

II. If a quorum be assembled at the hour appointed, and the moder- 
ator be absent, the last moderator present, or, if there be none, the senior 
member present, shall be requested to take his place without delay, until a 
new election. 

III. If a quorum be not assembled at the hour appointed, any two 
members shall be competent to adjourn from time to time, that an oppor- 
tunity may be given for a quorum to assemble. 

IV. It shall be the duty of the moderator, at all times, to preserve or- 
der, and to endeavor to conduct all business before the judicatory to a 
speedy and proper result. 

V. It shall be the duty of the moderator carefully to keep notes of the 
several articles of business which may be assigned for particular days, and 
to call them up at the time appointed. 

VI. The moderator may speak to points of order, in preference to other 
members, rising from his seat for that purpose, and shall decide questions 
of order subject to an appeal to the judicatory by any two members. 

VII. The moderator shall appoint all Committees, except in those cases 
in which the judicatory shall decide otherwise. 

VIII. When a vote is taken by ballot in any judicatory, the moderator 
shall vote with the other members; but he shall not vote in any other 
case, unless the judicatory be equally divided ; when, if he do not choose 
to vote, the question shall be lost. 



206 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

IX. The person first named on any Committee shall be considered as 
the chairman thereof, whose duty it shall be to convene the Committee ; 
and, in case of his absence or inability to act, the second named member 
shall take his place and perform his duties. 

X. It shall be the duty of the clerk, as soon as possible after the com- 
mencement of the sessions of every judicatory, to form a complete roll of 
the members present, and put the same into the hands of the moderator. 
And it shall also be the duty of the clerk, whenever any additional mem- 
bers take their seats, to add their names, in their proper places, to the said 
roll. 

XI. It shall be the duty of the clerk immediately to file all papers, in 
the order in which they have been read, with proper endorsements, and to^ 
keep them in perfect order. 

XII. The minutes of the last meeting of the judicatory shall be pre- 
sented at the commencement of its sessions, and, if requisite, read and 
corrected. 

XIII. Business left unfinished at the last sitting is ordinarily to be 
taken up first. 

XIV. A motion made must be seconded, and afterward repeated by 
the moderator, or read aloud, before it is debated; and every motion shall 
be reduced to writing, if the moderator or any member require it. 

XV. Any member who shall have made a motion shall have liberty to 
withdraw it, with the consent of his second, before any debate has taken 
place thereon ; but not afterward, without the leave of the judicatory. 

XVI. If a motion under debate contain several parts, any two mem- 
bers may have it divided, and a question taken on each part. 

XVII. When various motions are made with respect to the filling of 
blanks with particular numbers or times, the question shall always be 
first taken on the highest number and the longest time. 

XVIII. Motions to lay on the table, to take up business, to adjourn, 
and the call for the previous question, shall be put without debate. On 
questions of order, postponement or commitment, no member shall speak 
more than once. On all other questions, each member may speak twice, 
but not oftener, without express leave of the judicatory. 

XIX. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received, 
unless to adjourn, to lay on the table, to postpone indefinitely, to postpone 
to a day certain, to commit or to amend, which several motions shall 
have precedence in the order in which they are herein arranged ; and the 
motion for adjournment shall be always in order. 

XX. An amendment, and also an amendment to an amendment, may be 
moved on any motion, but a motion to amend an amendment to an amend- 
ment, shall not be in order. Action on amendments shall precede action 
on the original motion. 

XXI. A distinction shall be observed between a motion to lay on the 
table for the present, and a motion to lay on the table unconditionally, 
viz. : A motion to lay on the table for the present shall be taken with- 
out debate; and if carried in the affirmative, the effect shall be to place 
the subject on the docket, and it may be taken up and considered at any 
subsequent time. But a motion to lay on the table, unconditionally, shall 
be taken without debate ; and if carried in the affirmative, it shall not be 
in order to take up the subject during the same meeting of the judicatory, 
without a vote of reconsideration. 

XXII. The previous question shall be put in this form, namely, Shall 
the main question be now put? It shall only be admitted when demand- 
ed by a majority of the members present; and the effect shall be to put 









OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 207 

an end to all debate, and bring the body to a direct vote : First, on a 
motion to commit the subject under consideration (if such motion shall 
have been made) ; Secondly, if the motion for commitment does not pre- 
vail, on pending amendments ; and lastly, on the main question. 

XXIII. A question shall not be again called up or reconsidered at the 
same sessions of the judicatory at which it has been decided, unless by the 
consent of two thirds of the members who were present at the decision, 
and unless the motion to reconsider be made and seconded by persons who 
voted with the majority. 

XXIV. A subject which has been indefinitely postponed, either by the 
operation of the previous question or by a motion for indefinite postpone- 
ment, shall not be again called up during the same sessions of the judica- 
tory, unless by the consent of three fourths of the members who were 
present at the decision. 

XXV. Members ought not, without weighty reasons, to decline voting, 
as this practice might leave the decision of very interesting questions to a 
small proportion of the judicatory. Silent members, unless excused from 
voting, must be considered as acquiescing with the majority. 

XXVI. When the moderator has commenced taking the vote, no further 
debate or remark shall be admitted, unless there has evidently been a 
mistake, in which case the mistake shall be rectified, and the moderator 
shall recommence taking the vote. 

XXVII. The yeas and nays on any question shall not be recorded, 
unless required by one third of the members present. 

XXVIII. No member, in the course of debate, shall be allowed to in- 
dulge in personal reflections. 

XXIX. If more than one member rise to speak at the same time, the 
member who is most distant from the moderator's chair shall speak first. 

XXX. When more than three members of the judicatory shall be 
standing at the same time, the moderator shall require all to take their 
seats, the person only excepted who may be speaking. 

XXXI. Every member, when speaking, shall address himself to the 
moderator, and shall treat his fellow-members, and especially the moder- 
ator, with decorum and respect. 

XXXII. No speaker shall be interrupted, unless he be out of order, or 
for the purpose of correcting mistakes or misrepresentations. 

XXXIII. Without express permission, no member of a judicatory, 
while business is going on, shall engage in private conversation, nor shall 
members address one another, nor any person present, but through the 
moderator. 

XXXIV. It is indispensable that members of ecclesiastical judicatories 
maintain great gravity and dignity while judicially convened; that they 
attend closely in their speeches to the subject under consideration, and 
avoid prolix and desultory harangues; and when they deviate from the 
subject, it is the privilege of any member, and the duty of the moderator, 
to call them to order. 

XXXV. If any member act, in any respect, in a disorderly manner, it 
shall be the privilege of any member, and the duty of the moderator, to 
call him to order. 

XXXVI. If any member consider himself aggrieved by a decision of 
the moderator, it shall be his privilege to appeal to the judicatory, and 
the question on the appeal shall be taken without debate. 

XXXVII. No member shall retire from any judicatory without the 
leave of the moderator, nor withdraw from it to return home without the 
consent of the judicatory. 



208 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

XXXVIII. All judicatories have a right to sit in private on business 
which in their judgment ought not to be matter of public speculation. 

XXXIX. Besides the right to sit judicially in private whenever they 
think proper to do so, all judicatories have a right to hold what are com- 
monly called "interlocutory meetings," in which members may freely con- 
verse together, without the formalities which are usually necessary in ju- 
dicial proceedings. 

XL. Whenever a judicatory is about to sit in a judicial capacity, it 
shall be the duty of the moderator solemnly to announce from the chair 
that the body is about to pass to the consideration of the business assigned 
for trial, and to enjoin on the members to recollect and regard their high 
character as judges of a court of Jesus Christ, and the solemn duty in 
which they are about to act. 

XLI. In all cases before a judicatory, where there is an accuser or 
prosecutor, it is expedient that there be a Committee of the judicatory 
appointed (provided the number of members be sufficient to admit it with- 
out inconvenience), who shall be called the " Judicial Committee," and 
whose duty it shall be to digest and arrange all the papers, and to pre- 
scribe, under the direction of the judicatory, the whole order of proceed- 
ings. The members of this Committee shall be entitled, notwithstanding 
their performance of this duty, to sit and vote in the cause, as members 
of the judicatory. 

XLII. But in case of process on the ground of general rumor, where 
there is, of course, no particular accuser, there may be a Committee 
appointed (if convenient), who shall be called the " Committee of Prose- 
cution," and who shall conduct the whole course on the part of the prose- 
cution. The members of this Committee shall not be permitted to sit in 
judgment in the case. 

XLIII. The moderator of every judicatory above the church session, in 
finally closing its sessions, in addition to prayer, may cause to be sung an 
appropriate psalm or hymn, and shall pronounce the apostolical benedic- 
tion. 

The report was accepted, and the rules unanimously adopted, for the use 
of the General Assembly. They were also recommended to all the lower 
judicatories of the Church for adoption ; and in accordance with the sug- 
gestion of the report, the Board of Publication was ordered to publish 
the rules, as thus arranged and modified, in the appendix to the constitu- 
tion.— 1871, pp. 491-495. 

X. OFFICERS OF THE ASSEMBLY. 

1. The Stated Clerk. 

Appointment. 

a. Ordered, that Dr. Duffield be appointed stated clerk of the Assem- 
bly, procure a proper book into which to transcribe their minutes, and lay 
the expense of the book and of transcribing the minutes before the Gen- 
eral Assembly at their next meeting. — 1789, p. 13. 

Duties of the Stated Clerk. 

b. The stated clerk shall transcribe for the press such parts as may be 
necessary of the minutes ordered to be published from year to year. He 
shall correct the press, and superintend the printing of all the minutes 
and papers which shall be ordered to be printed by the General Assembly. 
As soon as the extracts are printed from year to year, he shall send one 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 209 

copy by mail to each Presbytery, and apportion and send the rest by 
private conveyance to the Presbyteries and other bodies, as shall be pre- 
scribed by the Assembly, only reserving a sufficient number of copies for 
binding. He shall have the charge of all the books and papers of the 
General Assembly, shall cause their minutes to be fairly transcribed into 
the book or books provided for the purpose, and give attested copies of all 
minutes and other documents, when properly required so to do. — 1807, 
p. 377. 

To Notify Presbyteries ivhose Commissioners have left without Leave. 

c. Whereas, it has frequently happened that members of this Assem- 
bly, neglecting their duty and inattentive to the rules of decorum, have 
abruptly left the Assembly and returned home without leave of absence, 

Resolved, That in all similar cases which shall occur in future^ it shall 
be the duty of the clerk of this House to give notice thereof to the Pres- 
byteries to which such delinquent members may belong ; and that it be 
recommended to the said Presbyteries, in their settlements with such de- 
linquents, not to allow them any compensation for services as members of 
the Assembly.— 1801, p. .233. 

Resolved, That it be the duty of the stated clerk hereafter to report 
to the several Presbyteries the names of the commissioners who, at the 
calling of the roll at the close of the Assembly, may appear to have left 
the Assembly without permission. — 1820, p. 723. 

Resolved, That as the names of persons who have left the Assembly 
without leave are to be published in the printed journals, therefore the 
stated clerk is liberated from the duty, enjoined by a standing rule, of 
writing to the Presbyteries on the subject. — 1824, p. 125. 

a. Salary of the Stated Cleric. 

Fixed by the Assembly at $400 per annum. — 1870, p. 127. 

Stated Clerk to act as Treasurer of the Assembly. 

The Committee on Finance also recommend that the stated clerk have 
added to his duties that of treasurer of the General Assembly, and that 
his salary be increased one hundred dollars. — 1871, p. 512. 

The duties of the stated clerk as treasurer of the General Assembly 
may be seen from the following : 

ACCOUNT CURRENT OF THE TREASURER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 
OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, U. S. A. 

Dr. 

To balance from old Account, $62 27 

" Receipts of Mi leage Committee of 1871, . . . . 24,393 06 

" Miscellaneous Receipts for Minutes, etc., 530 80 

1871. Cr. 

May. By payments to Commissioners, Traveling Expenses, 
" " to the Clerks of the Assembly : 

Stated Clerk : 

Salary, 

Traveling Expenses, . 
" " Permanent Clerk : 

Salary, 

Traveling Expenses, . 

u " to the Janitor, Mr. Dvson, 

27 





$24,986 13 


• 


$16,447 37 


$500 00 
45 00 




300 00 
43 75 


$888 75 

100 00 





210 



FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 



Sept. 



By payments for printing: 



Sept. 



S. W. Green, Arrears of 1870, 
" " Minutes of 1871, 

Lakeside Co., Kolls of 1871, 

" the mailing of the Minutes of 1871, 
" Stationery : 

W. G. Holmes, .... 

Lambert & Benedict, 

W. C Martin, .... 

of Expenses, Com. on Sustentation, 

" ^ " " Manses, 
" Traveling Expenses of Committees: 
Kev. R. W. Patterson, D. D., 
" A. Eeed, D. D., . 
" H. Darling, D. D., . 
" S. J. Niccolls, D. D., . 
" G. C. Heckman, D.D., 
" H. Johnson, D. D., 
" J. T. Backus, D. D., . 

Traveling Expenses of Delegates : 
Rev. D. Tullv, 
" B. W. Chidlaw, 

Telegram and Express charges, 
Miscellaneous Postage, and Stationery, 
Balance to new Account, 



$525 90 

. 3541 76 

118 54 


$4,186 20 
486 15 




$8 80 

30 65 

4 50 


$43 95 

$696 87 
158 80 




$57 00 
30 00 
24 00 
30 00 
56 00 
15 00 
60 00 


$272 00 

$49 00 

12 50 

34 25 

1,610 29 


. $25 00 
24 00 






$24,986 13 



E.E., 

New York City, 

May 10, 1872. EDWIN F. HATFIELD, Treasurer. 

—1872, p. 174. 

2. Permanent Clerk. 

Appointment and Duties. 

a. Whereas, the business of former Assemblies has been impeded by the 
want of a recording clerk possessing that facility in the business which is 
acquired by experience; and whereas, it is not to be expected that any one 
person should perform this service permanently without receiving an ade- 
quate compensation for his labor ; and whereas, this Assembly are per- 
suaded that future Assemblies will see the reasonableness of the measure 
now contemplated, and co-operate on their part in giving it effect; 

Resolved, That a permanent recording clerk be chosen, whose duty it 
shall be from year to year to draught the minutes of the Assembly during 
their sessions, and afterward to perform such services respecting the tran- 
scribing, printing and distributing the extracts as shall be assigned to him 
from time to time, and that he be paid out of the funds of the Assembly 
three dollars per day for the time he shall be employed, as well during the 
sessions of the Assembly as after their dissolution. — 1802, p. 235. 

b. Resolved, That hereafter the permanent clerk shall receive for his 
services two dollars per day during the sessions of the Assembly, and one 
dollar and fifty cents per day while necessarily attending upon the busi- 
ness of the Assembly after their adjournment. — 1806, p. 372. 

c. The permanent clerk shall furnish all the stationery for the use of 
the Assembly and the several clerks. He shall make the original draught 
of all the minutes, and give certified copies, as occasion may require, of ail 
such as may be proper to be transmitted to the trustees of the General 
Assembly or any of their officers. After the Assembly rises from year to 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 211 

year he shall carefully revise the manuscript, render it correct and legible, 
and deliver it over to the stated clerk. He shall receive a reasonable 
compensation for the stationery supplied by him, and the pay (per diem) 
fixed by the last Assembly — that is, two dollars per day during the ses- 
sions of the Assembly, and one dollar and fifty cents per day while neces- 
sarily attending upon the business of the Assembly after adjournment. — 
1806, p. 372; 1807, p. 377. 

Printing the Roll. 

d. Resolved, That it be a standing rule of this body that the permanent 
clerk annually cause to be printed a number of copies of the roll, not ex- 
ceeding five hundred, for the use of the members, as soon as practicable 
after the appointment of the standing committees. — 1840, p. 283, O. S. 

e. Salary of the Permanent Cleric. 

That the salary of the permanent clerk be fixed at the rate of three 
hundred dollars per annum. — 1870, p. 127. 

3. The Temporary Clerk. 

a. Resolved also, That a temporary clerk be chosen by each Assembly 
as heretofore to read the minutes and communications to the Assembly, 
and otherwise aid the permanent clerk as occasion may require, and that 
he be paid one dollar per day for his services. — 1802, p. 235. 

b. The temporary clerk shall hereafter receive no pecuniary compensa- 
tion for his services. — 1806, p. 372. 

[From 1856 onward, in the New School Assembly, two temporary clerks 
were chosen. In the reunited Assembly three have been chosen. — 1870, 
pp. 12, 13; 1871, p. 490. Of those in the Assembly of 1870 two were 
ruling elders.] 

c. Choice of Clerks not Confined to Members of the Assembly. 

Resolved, That it be considered as the right of every member of the 
Assembly to vote for a clerk who is not a member of the body. — 1793, p. 
64. 

d. The moderator and clerk are ministerial officers of the judicatory. 
In respect to their offices they are servants merely, and not members, of 
the body. 

Of the clerk this would seem to be unquestionably true. The constitu- 
tion knows nothing of the temporary clerk as distinguished from the 
stated clerk. As far as any provision of the "Book" is involved, it is 
plain that a judicatory may select any convenient person, though not a 
member, to record its transactions, and discharge all other duties pertain- 
ing to a clerk. For the part of those duties usually devolved upon a tem- 
porary clerk, we believe it is no infrequent thing for a Presbytery to em- 
ploy a licentiate or other person not a member of the body. — i861,p. 457, 
N. S. [See chap, xii., sec. vii., above.] 

II. The General Assembly shall consist of an equal delegation of 
bishops and elders from each Presbytery in the following proportion, 
viz.: each Presbytery consisting of not more than twenty-four minis- 
ters, shall send one minister and one elder; and each Presbytery con- 
sisting of more than twenty-four ministers, shall send two ministers 



212 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

and two elders; and in the like proportion for every twenty-four 
ministers in each Presbytery ; and these delegates so appointed shall 
be styled Commissio-ners to the General Assembly. 

1. The Ratio of Delegation. 

That every Presbytery shall, at their last stated meeting preceding the 
meeting of the General Assembly, depute to the General Assembly com- 
missioners in the following proportion : each Presbytery consisting of not 
more than six ministers shall send one minister and one elder; each Pres- 
bytery consisting of more than six ministers and not more than twelve 
shall send two ministers and two elders, and so in the same proportion for 
every six ministers. — 1786, p. 524. 

[In 1819, p. 700, the ratio was altered by substituting the word nine for 
the word six, and the word eighteen in place of the word twelve. In 1826, 
p. 168, the ratio was increased from nine to twelve and from eighteen to 
twenty-four. In 1833, p. '401, the present ratio was adopted.] 

2. "Where a Presbytery sends more than its Proper Representa- 
tion, the Last Elected are Refused. 

The right of two persons to a seat in the Assembly from the Presbytery 
of Portage was questioned, whereupon their case was referred to the Com- 
mittee of Elections. After considering the subject, the Committee re- 
ported that the names of the minister and elder last appointed should be 
erased, because the Presbytery is entitled to no more than two commis- 
sioners. This report was adopted. — 1835, p. 466. 

3. Only such Commissioners should be Appointed as design to 
Remain throughout the Sessions. 

It is in the opinion of this General Assembly highly important that 
commissioners should not be appointed, unless it shall satisfactorily ap- 
pear to the several Presbyteries that they design to remain throughout 
the sessions. — 1827, p. 207. 

[See also chap. xxii. of Commissioners to the General Assembly.] 

4. Corresponding Members.— Ministers Casually Present not 

Invited. 

Upon motion, it was agreed that whereas this Assembly, copying the 
example of their predecessors, have admitted several ministers who are 
not commissioners to join in their deliberations and conclusions, but not 
to vote on any question, and although this Assembly has been much in- 
debted to the wise counsels and friendly assistance of these corresponding 
ministers, nevertheless, on mature deliberation, it was 

Resolved, As the opinion of this house, 

1 . That no delegated body has a right to transfer its powers, or any 
part thereof, unless express provision is in its constitution. 

2. That this Assembly is a delegated body, and no such provision is in 
its constitution. 

3. Although such admission has hitherto produced no bad consequences, 
it may, nevertheless, at some future day be applied to party purposes, and 
cause embarrassment and delay ; wherefore, 

Resolved 4, Lastly, that the practice of this Assembly in this case ought 
not to be used as a precedent in future. — 1791, p. 42. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 213 

5. Delegates from Corresponding Bodies. 

[At first these were not allowed to vote, but in 1794 the Assembly asked, 
and the General Association of Connecticut acceded to the request, that 
the delegates from these bodies respectively shall have a right not only to 
sit and deliberate, but also to vote, on all questions which may be deter- 
mined by either of them.— 1794, p. 80 ; 1795, p. 96. 

[The Assembly afterward (1827) asked that the right of voting be given 
up, and since 1830 corresponding members have the right only to sit and 
deliberate, but not to vote.] 

6. The Secretary of any of the Permanent Committees, the Stated 
and Temporary Clerks, have the Privileges of Corresponding 
Members. 

a. Resolved, That it be a standing rule of the Assembly that the secre- 
tary of any of the permanent Committees shall be entitled to the same 
privilege as the delegates from corresponding bodies, while the business 
entrusted to that Committee is under consideration in the house. 

The Assembly voted that the same privilege be extended to the stated 
and permanent clerks in reference to matters pertaining to their official 
duties.— 1858, p. 581, N. S. 

b. Resolved, That all the secretaries of the Boards of the Church have 
the privilege of corresponding members of the General Assembly, in dis- 
cussions bearing upon the interests of the Boards which they severally 
represent. — 1870, p. 85. 

7. Committees of the Assembly.— Those appointed at each Annual 
Meeting are called Standing Committees, and are as follows, 
viz. : 

I. The Committee of Bills and Overtures. 
Its Appo intment. 

a. A Committee, consisting of Mr. Henry, Mr. Anderson and Mr. 
Wade, appointed to prepare and bring in overtures to the Presbytery, and 
also take cognizance of whatever may be laid before them, to prepare it 
for the Presbytery.— 1710, p. 17. 

b. The General Assembly, at every meeting, shall appoint a Committee 
of Bills and Overtures, to prepare and digest business for the Assembly. 
Any person thinking himself aggrieved by this Committee may complain 
to the Assembly. — 1789, p. 8. 

c. Powers and Duties of this Committee. 

To the question concerning the business and powers of the Committee 
of Overtures, proposed last year, the Synod answer, that Committee is in- 
tended to introduce business into the Synod in an orderly manner, that 
they may give advice concerning either the matter or manner of overtures 
brought to them, but have not power to suppress anything that comes 
regularly before them from inferior judicatures according to our known 
rules, or such overtures and petitions as inferior judicatures or particular 
persons desire to have laid before this Synod. — 1769, p. 393. 

Petitions, questions relating either to doctrine or order, and usually all 
new propositions tending to general laws, should be laid before the Com- 
mittee of Bills and Overtures before they be offered to the Assembly. — • 
1822, p. 42. 



214 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 



II. The Judicial Committee. 

The Assembly shall also, at every meeting, appoint a committee to be 
styled the Judicial Committee, whose duty it shall be to take into considera- 
tion all appeals and references brought to the Assembly, to ascertain 
whether they are in order, to digest and arrange all the documents relating 
to the same, and to propose to the Assembly the best method of proceed- 
ing in each case. — 1819, p. 718. 

III. Committee on Polity of the Church. 

Resolved, That a Committee of seven members be appointed on the 
polity of the Church, and that it be referred to this Committee to exam- 
ine and settle the true roll of the Presbyteries and Synods connected 
with the Assembly ; and that they receive the reports of the several 
Presbyteries on amending the Constitution of the Church. — 1840, p. 7, 
X. S. 

IV. On Foreign Missions. 

V. On Home Missions. 

VI. On Education. 

VII. On Publication. 

VIII. On Church Erection. 

IX. On Theological Seminaries. 

X. On Sustentation. 

XL On Ministerial Eelief. 

XII. On Freedmen. 

To these Committees are referred the reports of the several Boards, etc., 
together with the whole subject to which they pertain, to report to the 
Assembly at as early a day during its sessions as is possible. 

XIII. On Correspondence. 

To this Committee is referred the matter of correspondence with other 
Churches; they also nominate to the Assembly delegates to corresponding 
bodies. 

XIV. On the Narrative. 

That the General Assembly take measures to bring into distinct view at 
its different sessions the situation of the Presbyterian Church under its 
jurisdiction in the United States of America, with respect to the state of 
religion in the different Presbyteries, and the most probable expedients for 
reviving and promoting the essential interests of Christ's kingdom in the 
world ; whereupon — 

Resolved, That it be recommended to each Synod to enjoin it upon the 
respective Presbyteries within their bounds, to specify the above particu- 
lars in the annual reports which they make of the state of their respective 
churches, to be laid before the General Assembly at its stated meetings. — 
1792, p. 59. 

Narrative to notice the Decease of Ministers. 

Resolved, That the narrative on the state of religion annually contain 
a notice of the decease of all the ministers of our Church who may have 
been removed by death during the preceding year ; and the several Pres- 
byteries are ordered to incorporate with their reports on the state of re- 
ligion, made to the Assembly, the case of every such removal within their 
bounds.— 1822, p. 38. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 215 



XV. On Leave of Absence. 

a. Resolved, That, as a standing rule of the Assembly, a committee of 
five be appointed, whose duty it shall be to consider all applications for 
leave of absence, with power to decide on the same, in place of the house, 
and with instructions to require in every case satisfactory reasons for the 
necessity of such absence, and report to the house, at the commencement 
of every session, the members so dismissed ; and that an appeal to the 
Assembly may be made in any instance of refusal on the part of the Com- 
mittee to grant the application. — 1833, p. 390. 

b. A memorial was received from the Presbytery of Sydney, requesting 
the Assembly to take order against granting its members leave of absence. 
Whereupon, 

Resolved, That the Committee on Leave of Absence be instructed to 
give leave to members of the Assembly to be absent from the sessions only 
for manifestly sufficient reasons ; and, in general, for such reasons as have 
arisen since the Assembly has convened. — 1843, p. 173, O. S. 

c. [The Committee] wish to be instructed as to the degree of strictness 
which they shall observe in refusing leave of absence to members. The 
Committee were instructed to apply the rule rigidly. — 1847, p. 394, O. S. 

d. Early Leave Forfeits Mileage. 

It is, in the opinion of this General Assembly, highly important that com- 
missioners should not be appointed unless it shall satisfactorily appear to 
the several Presbyteries that they design to remain throughout the sessions. 
That in order to procure as far as possible this desirable object, it be and 
it hereby is ordered that no commissioner who shall obtain leave of ab- 
sence within the first six days of the sessions shall be entitled to receive 
anything from the commissioners' fund, unless the General Assembly shall 
order otherwise, when the reasons of the application are given. — 1827, 
p. 207. 

e. Injunction on Presbyteries. 

The Committee would present to the consideration of the General As- 
sembly as a serious evil the frequent applications on the part of the com- 
missioners, especially of elders, for permission to return home within a 
few days after the coming together of the Assembly. We believe that, 
according to the constitution of our Church, the ruling elders are essential 
parts of our Church judicatories; and if so, it is as important that they 
be present during the whole sessions of the judicatory as at its opening. 
Many of them have their traveling expenses paid by their Presbyteries 
with a view to secure their attendance, and yet comparatively few are 
willing to remain till the Assembly is dissolved. The Committee have 
remarked that these applications for leave most commonly are made, not 
by those whose residence is far off from our place of meeting, but by those 
who can reach their homes in a few hours. Under these views, the Com- 
mittee are often embarrassed in regard to their proper course of duty. 
They would be kind and indulgent, but they desire too to be true to the 
trust committed to them ; and they respectfully suggest to the Assembly 
the adoption of the following resolution, viz.: 

Resolved, That the Presbyteries, in the appointment of commissioners to 
the General Assembly, be directed to use great care and diligence in the 
selection of such ministers and ruling elders as will be willing and able to 
remain during the entire sessions of this bod v. [Adopted.] — 1842, p. 21, 
O. S. 



216 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 



XVI. On Mileage. 

Resolved, That the members entitled to mileage shall give to the Com- 
mittee on the Commissioners' Fund, within three days after the appoint- 
ment of said Committee, in writing, their names, the names of their Pres- 
byteries and their distance from home to the Assembly; and if any 
member neglects to comply with this resolution, he shall forfeit his por- 
tion of said fund. And that no member may be ignorant of this resolu- 
tion, the moderator shall read it as soon as the Committee on said fund is 
appointed each year. — J 818, p. 687. 

The Committee on Mileage reported in part, when it was 

Resolved, That the commissioners from Newburyport, Clinton and Mad- 
ison be struck off from the list of applicants for a portion of the commis- 
sioners' fund, on the ground that their respective Presbyteries have paid 
nothing into this fund. — 1833, p. 404. 

See above, d; also under chap, xxii., sec. iii. 

XVII. On Finance. 

Resolved, That a standing Committee of Finance be appointed, to whom 
the treasurer's account (of the trustees) shall be referred. — 1842, p. 8, O. S. 

XVIII. On Devotional Exercises. 

Resolved, That it be hereafter a standing rule of the General Assembly 
to spend the first Wednesday of their sessions in religious exercises, as fol- 
lows, viz. : 

It is recommended that each member should spend from eight till nine 
o'clock A. m. of that day in secret devotion. At ten the Assembly shall 
meet -together, and spend a season in prayer, praise, reading the Scriptures 
and exhortation. In the afternoon there shall be a public meeting of the 
Assembly, with all who may choose to convene with them, to engage again 
in religious exercises. 

Each Assembly shall, at an early period of its sessions, appoint a Com- 
mittee to make arrangements for the observance of this day in conformity 
with the above general plan. 

Resolved, That it be recommended to the churches under the care of 
the General Assembly annually to observe this day, or such parts of it as 
they may respectively judge proper, as a season of special prayer in the 
closet and in social or public meetings ; to ask for the presence of God 
with the General Assembly, and for the special influences of his Spirit to 
descend upon the churches under their care and upon the world of man- 
kind, and that the earth may speedily be filled with his glory. 

Resolved, That it be recommended to Christians and to the churches, in 
the annual observance of this clay, as far as may be convenient, to fix upon 
the same time with the Assembly for secret devotion and for public wor- 
ship.— 1828, p. 239. 

[The usage now is to appoint ministers and elders of the churches in 
the place where the Assembly is next to meet as the Committee on Devo- 
tional Exercises and Arrangements ; their report is made at an early day 
during the session of the Assembly. The following are standing rules:] 

1. The Lord's Supper is to be celebrated by the Assembly on the even- 
ing of Thursday, the first day of their sessions. 

2. The evening of Friday, the second day of their sessions, is assigned 
to a popular meeting in behalf of the Sabbath-school interest of the 
Church. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 217 

3. The first Tuesday of the sessions is appropriated exclusively to the 
consideration of the home mission work of the Church, with a popular 
meeting in the evening of the same day. 

4. The first Wednesday of the sessions is appropriated in like manner 
to the foreign mission work of the Church, with a popular meeting in the 
evening of the same day. 

III. Any fourteen or more of these commissioners, one-half of 
whom shall be ministers, being met on the day and at the place ap- 
pointed, shall be a quorum for the transaction of business. 

IV. The General Assembly shall receive and issue all appeals and 
references which may be regularly brought before them from the in- 
ferior judicatories. They shall review the records of every Synod, 
and approve or censure them ; they shall give their advice and in- 
struction in all cases submitted to them in conformity with the con- 
stitution of the Church ; and they shall constitute the bond of union, 
peace, correspondence and mutual confidence among all our churches. 

1. The Assembly will not Ordinarily Decide Questions in Thesi. 

a. But while the General Assembly is invested with the power of de- 
ciding in all controversies respecting doctrine and discipline, of reprov- 
ing, warning or bearing testimony against error in doctrine in any church, 
Presbytery or Synod, or of suppressing schismatical contentions and dis- 
putations, all such matters ought to be brought before the Assembly in a 
regular and constitutional way. And it does not appear that the consti- 
tution ever designed that the General Assembly should take up abstract 
cases and decide on them, especially when the object appears to be to 
bring those decisions to bear on particular individuals not judicially be- 
fore the Assembly. Neither does it appear that the constitution of the 
Church intended that any person or persons should have the privilege of 
presenting for decision, remonstrances respecting points of doctrine, on the 
conduct of individuals, not brought up from the inferior judicatories by 
appeal, reference or complaint, and this especially when such remon- 
strances contain no evidence whatsoever of the facts alleged, but mere 
statements, of the truth or justness of which the Assembly have no means 
of judging, inasmuch as a contrary course would allow of counter and 
contradictory remonstrances without end. — 1822, p. 50. See 1870, p. 28. 
It is inexpedient to consider cases in thesi. 

b. It is ordinarily undesirable for the General Assembly to decide ques- 
tions in thesi which are liable to be brought before it in its judicial capa- 
city, as it may thus virtually prejudge cases of discipline; it appears bet- 
ter that it should ordinarily follow in this respect the uniform practice of 
civil courts to decide legal principles only on actual cases presented. — 
1856, p. 213, N. S. 

c. Overture No. 13, being a request of the Kev. Samuel C. McCune that 
the Assembly would answer various questions connected with judicial pro- 
cesses in the lower courts. 

The Committee recommend the following answer: These questions per- 
tain either to supposed or to actual judicial processes. In either case it 
is not deemed proper that the Assembly should give specific answers to 
them. Adopted.— 1866, p. 47, O. S. 

d. Overture No. 28, from the Presbytery of Santa Fe. (1.) Is it in 

28 



218 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

accordance with the spirit and Constitution of the Church for a Board or 
Committee of the Assembly to receive complaints against the character 
and conduct of a minister without giving him full information on the 
subject, or refuse to do so when asked? (2.) What course should the 
Committee on Missions of a Presbytery take when a missionary sent into 
its bounds by a Board of the Assembly refuses to occupy the field assigned 
him by said Committee? (3.) Is it the province of a Missionary Presby- 
tery to designate the field of labor of its members or of a missionary sent 
into its bounds by any Board of the Assembly? or does this right of desig- 
nation belong to the Board sustaining the missionary? 

The Committee recommend no action, inasmuch as it presents the case 
in thesi, and the questions involved will probably be settled ere long by 
the action of the Board of Foreign Missions. Adopted. — 1872, p. 73. 

[See at large under sec. v., below. Powers of the General Assembly 
and Book of Discipline, chap. vii. throughout.] 

V. To the General Assembly also belongs the power of deciding 
in all controversies respecting doctrine and discipline ; of reproving, 
warning or bearing testimony against error in doctrine or immorality 
in practice in any church, Presbytery or Synod; of erecting new Syn- 
ods when it may be judged necessary; of superintending the concerns 
of the whole Church; of corresponding with foreign churches on such 
terms as may be agreed upon by the Assembly and the corresponding 
body ; of suppressing schismatical contentions and disputations ; and 
in general, of recommending and attempting reformation of manners, 
and the promotion of charity, truth and holiness through all the 
churches under their care. 

I. DECISIONS AND DELIVERANCES ON DOCTRINE. 

1. Case of Samuel Harker. 

A reference was brought into the Synod from the New Brunswick Pres- 
bytery respecting Mr. Samuel Harker, one of their members, as having 
imbibed and vented certain erroneous doctrines. The further considera- 
tion of this affair is deferred till the next sederunt — 1758, p. 283. 

[The matter was continued from year to year, Synod endeavoring to 
remove the difficulty and bring Mr. Harker to a sense of his error. In 
1761, Mr. Harker printed and published his views, and the Synod (1762) 
appointed a Committee to examine the book, who reported next year.] 

The Synod proceeded to consider Mr. Harker's principles, collected 
from his book by the Committee, which are in substance as follows: 

1. That the covenant of grace is in such a sense conditional that fallen 
mankind in their unregenerate state, by the general assistance given to all 
under the gospel, have a sufficient ability to fulfill the conditions thereof, 
and so by their own endeavors to ensure to themselves regenerating grace 
and all saving blessings. 

2. That God has bound himself by promise to give them regenerating 
grace upon their fulfilling what he ('Mr. Harker) calls the direct condi- 
tions of obtaining it, and, upon the whole, makes a certain and an infalli- 
ble connection between their endeavors and the aforesaid blessings. 

3. That God's prescience of future events is previous to and not depend- 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 219 

ent on his decrees; that his decrees have no influence on his own conduct, 
and that the foresight of faith was the ground of the decree of election. 

It is further observed that he often uses inaccurate, unintelligible and 
dangerous modes of expression that tend to lead people into false notions 
in several important matters, as that Adam was the federal father of his 
posterity in the second covenant as well as in the first ; that the regene- 
rate are not in a state of probation for heaven, and several such like. 

The Synod judge that these principles are of a hurtful and a dangerous 
tendency, giving a false view of the covenant of grace, perverting it into 
a new modeled covenant of works, and misrepresent the doctrine of the 
divine decrees as held by the best reformed churches, and, in fine, are con- 
trary to the word of God and our approved standards of doctrine. — 1763, 
p. 329. 

2. Testimony against Universalism and Socinianism. 

a. Whereas, the doctrine of universal salvation and of the finite dura- 
tion of hell torments has been propagated by sundry persons who live in 
the United States of America, and the people under our care may possi- 
bly, from their occasional conversation with the propagators of such a 
dangerous opinion, be infected by the doctrine, the Synod take this oppor- 
tunity to declare their utter abhorrence of such doctrines as they appre- 
hend to be subversive of the fundamental principles of religion and mo- 
rality, and therefore earnestly recommend it to all their Presbyteries and 
members to be watchful upon this subject, and to guard against the intro- 
duction of such tenets amongst our people. — 1787, p. 540. 

b. If there is a religion revealed by God, it is as important to have cor- 
rect views of its principles to perform the duties which it enjoins in the 
various relations of life, as it is to have correct views of morality that our 
lives may be moral. Error in principle invariable produces error in 
practice. To be ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the 
truth is characteristic of none but those who assume for the human under- 
standing the prerogative of sitting in judgment upon the inspired truth 
of God, either condemning the whole as an imposition, or undertaking to 
correct its alleged mistakes by abridging and falsifying its contents. Of 
the former class, we rejoice that the number and influence are diminished. 
Not many years past they triumphed, to the regret and anguish of the 
followers of Christ. With brazen front, infidelity threatened the anni- 
hilation of the Church and the ruin of her Lord's authority. But the 
Church not merely survives its attacks: she has increased in numbers and 
in grace, whilst her adversaries are compelled, though unwillingly, to pay 
homage to the paramount claims of her God and her Saviour, who is 
King of kings and Lord of lords. Few are to be found who respect 
themselves openly opposing the truth of God as contained in the Scrip- 
tures. There are, however, some within our bounds, who, whilst they pro- 
fess to honor the authority of the Bible, with unhallowed hands would cut 
out of its pages those passages which command us to honor the Son as we 
honor the Father, and rob the trembling sinner of the only hope of ac- 
ceptance with God which his soul can cherish. The well-beloved and only 
begotten Son of God they reduce to the level of frail humanity, and his 
work of redemption to the mere fact of furnishing us a perfect example 
of conversation and conduct. By denying his character as a covenant- 
surety to bear our sins and carry our sorrows, they lower his example as 
a righteous and holy Man below that which his apostles and primitive fol- 
lowers afford us. And so far as we have had the opportunity of judging 
from facts which have fallen under our observation, their principles have 



220 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

introduced among all who have embraced them so great a conformity in 
their practice to the world which lieth in wickedness as to render it im- 
possible to discriminate them from the children of that world. 

In connection with these Anti-Trinitarians — for we reject the name which 
they have assumed of Unitarians, holding the unity of God as strictly as 
they do — are the Universalists, or the supporters of the doctrine of univer- 
sal salvation. It is a tribute, however, which we owe to truth to say that 
whilst the Anti-Trinitarians, for the sake of consistency, are compelled to 
maintain the ultimate and eternal salvation of all, the Universalists be- 
lieve in the doctrine of the Trinity and the atonement of the Lord Jesus. 
They, however, by assuring all that they will be in the end for ever happy, 
provide for the gratification of present desires and continuance in sin 
whilst they live. 

As these errors in principle do exist in some portion of our Church, 
though we have good reason to believe that they are not increasing, the 
Assembly trust that they will be opposed and their ruinous tendency un- 
folded with fidelity and success. — 1818, p. 677. 

c. In some parts of our land attempts are made to propagate the most 
pernicious errors. With a zeal worthy of a better cause, and under lofty 
pretensions to superior rationality and to deeper discoveries in religion, 
some are endeavoring to take away the crown from the Redeemer's head, 
to degrade Him who is the mighty God and the Prince of life to a level 
with mere men, and to rob us of all our hopes of redemption through his 
blood. Pretending, too, a more expanded benevolence to man, and more 
ennobled ideas of the goodness and mercy of God, they assiduously prop- 
agate the sentiment, that all men will ultimately obtain eternal happiness, 
however sinful their present temper and conduct may be, without any re- 
gard to the cleansing of the blood of atonement or the sanctifying influ- 
ences of the Spirit of God. Believing that these sentiments are utterly 
subversive of gospel truth and holiness, that they are alike dishonoring to 
God and destructive to the present and eternal welfare of men, we cannot 
but affectionately warn you against them. — 1822, p. 58. 

3. Case of Rev. Hezekiah Balch. 

The consideration of the references relative to Mr. Balch was resumed, 
and after some amendments made on the draught brought in by the Com- 
mittee, it was adopted, and is as follows, viz.: 

They remark upon the first article of the creed aforesaid that Mr. Balch 
is erroneous in making disinterested benevolence the only definition of ho- 
liness or true religion, because this may perplex the minds of those not 
accustomed to abstract speculations, is questionable in itself, and may 
convey the idea that an absolute God, or a God out of Christ, is the object 
of the highest affection to the renewed mind. 

On the second article they remark that he has confounded self-love 
with selfishness in an abstract speculation calculated to puzzle plain 
Christians and lead to unprofitable disputes. 

On the third article they remark that the transferring of personal sin 
or righteousness has never been held by Calvinistic divines, nor by any 
person in our Church, so far as is known to us, and therefore that Mr. 
Balch's observations on that subject appear to be either nugatory or cal- 
culated to mislead. With regard to his doctrine of original sin, it is to be 
observed that he is erroneous in representing personal corruption as not 
derived from Adam, making Adam's sin to be imputed to his posterity in 
consequence of a corrupt nature already possessed, and derived from we 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 221 

know not what; thus, in effect, setting aside the idea of Adam's being the 
federal head or representative of his descendants, and the whole doctrine 
of the covenant of works. 

It is also manifest that Mr. Balch is greatly erroneous in asserting that 
the formal cause of a believer's justification is the imputation of the fruits 
and effects of Christ's righteousness, and not that righteousness itself, be- 
cause righteousness, and that alone, is the formal demand of the Jaw, and 
consequently the sinner's violation of the divine law can be pardoned only 
in virtue of the Redeemer's perfect righteousness being imputed to him 
and reckoned as his. It is also not true that the benefits of Christ's right- 
eousness are, with strict propriety, said to be imputed at all, as these ben- 
efits flow to and are possessed by the believer as a consequence of his jus- 
tification and having an interest in the infinite merits of the Saviour. 

On the fourth article no remark is necessary. 

With regard to the fifth article it is to be remarked that Mr. Balch 
appears to confound sentiment with the mere perception of truth, whereas 
it always partakes of the disposition of the heart, and consequently in- 
volves in it either sin or holiness. The article as stated by him contra- 
dicts the principle laid down in the introduction to our Form of Govern- 
ment, and levels the important distinction between truth and falsehood so 
as to be liable to the construction that it is no matter what a man believes. 
And though Mr. Balch may not, and probably did not, intend to insinuate 
anything disrespectful to the holy Scriptures, where he asserts that "there 
are wrong sentiments in the Bible," yet, as his expression is liable to such 
a construction, we judge it highly censurable. 

With regard to the sixth and seventh articles no remarks seem to be 
necessary, except that the offence given by the reflection cast on his breth- 
ren, the Presbyterians, in the seventh, has been sufficiently removed by 
his candid acknowledgment before the Synod and General Assembly. 

The eighth, ninth and tenth articles require no remark, except that 
they appear to be unimportant. 

With regard to the twelfth article it is remarked that his observation 
upon love as exercised by the human race, so far as it may be applicable 
to a state of infancy, is unintelligible, and that though a distinction may 
be made between regeneration and conversion, yet the terms in which the 
article is expressed are exceptionable, as they seem to discourage the use 
of the means of grace. 

With regard to the thirteenth article it is remarked that in making re- 
pentance and faith to proceed wholly from love or charity, Mr. Balch has 
expressed an opinion unnecessary and improper. 

In regard to the subject of false doctrine, in discoursing from Psalm li. 
5 and Isaiah xlviii. 8, nothing seems necessary to be added to the remarks 
made on the subject of original sin as contained in Mr. Balch's creed, 
except that he charges Calvinistic divines with holding sentiments rela- 
tive to infants which they do not hold ; and that he makes positive decla- 
rations in regard to the state of infants, when it has pleased a wise and 
holy God to be silent on this subject in the revelation of his will. 

In regard to the subject of indecent language alleged to have been used 
in the pulpit by Mr. Balch, it is remarked, that if he was not misunder- 
stood by the witnesses, he has, notwithstanding, declared such a deep and 
suitable abhorrence of all such language in public discourse as renders it 
unnecessary to take any further notice of it. 

On the whole, your Committee recommend that Mr. Balch be required 
to acknowledge before the Assembly that he was wrong in the publication 
of his creed ; that in the particulars specified as above he renounce the 



222 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

errors therein pointed out; that he engage to teach nothing hereafter of a 
similar nature ; that the moderator admonish him of the divisions, disor- 
der, trouble and inconvenience which he has occasioned to the Church 
and its judicatories by his imprudent and unwarrantable conduct, and 
warn him against doing anything in time to come that may tend to pro- 
duce such serious and lamentable evils. That if Mr. Balch submit to this, 
he be considered as in good standing with the Church, and that the refer- 
ence and queries of the Synod of the Carol inas be considered as fully an- 
swered by the adoption of these measures. — 1798, pp. 155, 156. 

Mr. Balch appeared before the General Assembly and made the follow- 
ing declaration, viz. : 

I do fully acknowledge that I was wrong in publishing my creed. I 
do solemnly declare, however, as in the presence of my final Judge, that 
I never did entertain the ideas nor intend to teach the doctrines which 
are pointed out as errors in the statement of the Assembly ; but as I can- 
not so well judge as the Assembly what ideas my language actually con- 
veys, and the Assembly declares that my language has conveyed these 
ideas and doctrines to their minds, I do fully and cheerfully renounce 
them as wrong and improper ; and I do solemnly and sincerely engage, in 
a reliance on divine grace, never hereafter to teach or preach what the 
Assembly have stated as erroneous ; and I do finally and cheerfully sub- 
mit myself to the admonition which the Assembly may see meet to give 
for my irregularities, which I acknowledge to deserve censure, and for 
which I am sincerely sorry. 

Whereupon the moderator gave to Mr. Balch the solemn admonition 
agreed to ; and then the Assembly declared themselves fully satisfied in 
the case of Mr. Balch, and that he is, and ought to be, considered as in 
good standing with the Church. And the whole transaction was con- 
cluded with prayer. — 1798, p. 158. 

4. Case of Rev. William C. Davis. 

The overture from the Synod of the Carolinas, which had been laid on 
the table, referring to the Assembly an overture laid before that Synod, 
requesting their attention to a late publication of the Rev. W. C. Davis, 
denominated the "Gospel Plan," was read; Messrs. Robert G. Wilson, 
Calhoun and Anderson were appointed a Committee to examine said 
book and report to this Assembly the doctrines it contains, if any such 
they find, that are contrary to the standards of the Presbyterian Church. 

The report of the Committee was adopted, viz.: 

The Committee, presuming that a complete and perfect enumeration of 
all the objectionable parts of said book is not expected, called the atten- 
tion of the Assembly only to the following doctrines, supposed to be con- 
trary to the Confession of Faith of the Presbyterian Church : 

Doctrine I. That the active obedience of Christ constitutes no part of 
that righteousness by which a sinner is justified, pp. 257, 261, 264, 3d 
corollary. 

Doctrine II. That obedience to the moral law was not required as the 
condition of the covenant of works, pp. 178, 180. 

These pages being read, the Assembly resolved that they do consider 
these doctrines as contrary to the Confession of our Church. 

Doctrine III. God himself is as firmly bound in duty (not obedience) 
to his creatures as his creatures are bound in obedience or duty to him, 
pp. 164, 166. Also, that God's will is not the standard of right and 
wrong. If God's will is the primary rule of his own actions, he would 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 223 

be: 1st. Entirely void of holiness; 2d. There could be no justice in God; 
3d. It would be impossible for God to be unchangeable; 4th. If the will 
of God is the standard of right and wrong, then it would be no infringe- 
ment on the divine character to be unfaithful to his word and promise, 
—pp. 168-171. 

These pages being read, 

Resolved, That, without deciding on the question whether these senti- 
ments are contrary to our Confession of Faith, the Assembly consider the 
mode in which they are expressed as unhappy, and calculated to mislead 
the reader. 

Doctrine IV. God could not make Adam, or any other creature, either 
holy or unholy. Compare page 194 with 166. 

Doctrine V. Regeneration must be a consequence of faith. Faith pre- 
cedes regeneration, p. 352. 

Doctrine VI. Faith, in the first act of it, is not a holy act, p. 358, etc. 

These pages being read, 

Resolved, That the Assembly do consider the three last-mentioned doc- 
trines contrary to the Confession of Faith of our Church. 

Doctrine VII. Christians may sin willfully and habitually, pp. 532, 534. 

These pages being read, 

Resolved, That the Assembly consider the expressions in the pages re- 
ferred to as very unguarded ; and so far as they intimate it to be the au- 
thor's opinion that a person may live in an habitual and allowed sin, and 
yet be a Christian, the Assembly consider them contrary to the letter and 
spirit of the Confession of Faith of our Church, and in their tendency 
highly dangerous. 

Doctrine VIII. If God has to plant all the principal parts of salvation 
in a sinner's heart to enable him to believe, the "Gospel Plan" is quite 
out of his reach, and consequently does not suit his case ; and it must be 
impossible for God to condemn a man for unbelief, for no just law con- 
demns or criminates any person for not doing what he cannot do. — p. 413. 

This page, and several others on the same subject, being read, 

Resolved, That the Assembly do consider this last-mentioned doctrine 
contrary to the Confession of Faith of our Church. 

On the whole, 

Resolved, That this Assembly cannot but view with disapprobation 
various parts of the work entitled "The Gospel Plan," of which William 
C. Davis is stated in the title-page to be the author. In several instances 
in this work, modes of expression are adopted, so different from those 
which are sanctioned by use and by the best orthodox writers, that the 
Assembly consider them as calculated to produce useless or mischievous 
speculations. 

In several other instances there are doctrines asserted and advocated, 
as has been already decided, contrary to the Confession of Faith of our 
Church and the word of God ; which doctrines the Assembly feel con- 
strained to pronounce to be of very dangerous tendency ; and the Assem- 
bly do judge, and do hereby declare, that the preaching or publishing of 
them ought to subject the person or persons so doing to be dealt with by 
their respective Presbyteries, according to the discipline of the Church 
relative to the propagation of errors. — 1810, pp. 448-453. 

5. Case of Rev. Thomas B. Craighead. 

[On an appeal from the Synod of Kentucky. After speaking of cer- 
tain irregularities in the conduct both of the Synod and the appellant, 
they say,] 



224 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

But from matters of form the General Assembly will now pass to the 
merits of the case ; and for the sake of brevity, the first and second 
charges only shall be brought into view. 

" Charge 1. We charge him with denying and vilifying the real agency 
of the Spirit in regeneration, and in the production of faith and sanctifi- 
cation in general." 

And first they would observe that there can be no doubt that the de- 
nial of the real agency of the Spirit is a dangerous and fundamental 
error ; and if Mr. Craighead taught such an error, he ought to have been 
suspended. 

The question then is, Do the passages of Mr. Craighead's sermon re- 
ferred to in the charge prove that he did deny the reality of the operations 
of the Spirit? 

Here it will be important to remark that a man cannot fairly be con- 
victed of heresy for using expressions which may be so interpreted as to 
involve heretical doctrines if they may also admit of a more favorable 
construction, because no one can tell in what sense an ambiguous expres- 
sion is used but the speaker or writer, and he has a right to explain him- 
self; and in such cases candor requires that a court should favor the ac- 
cused, by putting on his words the more favorable, rather than the less 
favorable, construction. 

Another principle is that no man can rightly be convicted of heresy 
by inference or implication — that is, we must not charge an accused per- 
son with holding those consequences which may legitimately flow from his 
assertions. Many men are grossly inconsistent with themselves ; and 
while it is right in argument to overthrow false opinions by tracing them 
in their connections and consequences, it is not right to charge any man 
with an opinion which he disavows. 

With these principles in view, the General Assembly proceed to ob- 
serve that there is abundant evidence that Mr. Craighead did deny the 
immediate agency of the Spirit, but no clear evidence that he denied the 
real agency of the Spirit. These are very different things, and the proof 
of the one does by no means establish the other. Immediate agency or 
operation is opposed to mediate. This is a well-known distinction in the- 
ology, and a point which has been greatly controverted. The Reformed 
Church, of which ours is a part, in all their purest times, maintained the 
doctrine of the immediate operation of the Spirit, not without the word, 
but distinct from it, and in the order of nature preceding it. Other Prot- 
estant churches, never charged with fundamental error, have as uniformly 
maintained the doctrine of a mediate agency, and those commonly believe 
that this operation is not occasional, but uniform, and diversified in its 
effects by the difference of resistance with which it meets. Neither the 
Presbytery nor the Synod appear to have attended sufficiently to this dis- 
tinction. They appear to have thought that a denial of immediate agency 
was a denial of all real agency. It deserves special regard here that our 
confession takes no notice of these nice distinctions about the mode in 
which the Holy Spirit operates. It usually mentions the word and the 
Spirit together, and the former as the instrument of the latter. And they 
who believe in the immediate agency of the Spirit do not exclude the in- 
strumentality of the word ; they, however, explain it in a different way 
from those who hold that there is no agency of the Spirit distinct from 
the word. But this is the more favorable construction ; there is another 
which, if not more probable, is more obvious. Mr. Craighead may be un- 
derstood as teaching that the only real agency of the Spirit was in inspir- 
ing the Scriptures and confirming them by signs and miracles. There is 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 225 

much in his discourse that has this bearing, and undoubtedly this is the 
common impression among the people where it is best known. This was 
the idea of the Synod of Kentucky when they condemned him, and this 
is in fact denying* the reality of the operation of the Spirit in our days ; 
and whether his expressions have been fairly interpreted or not, they are 
dangerous, and ought to be condemned. In justice to Mr. Craighead, 
however, it ought to be remembered that he utterly disclaims this mean- 
ing in his defence set up to this Assembly ; and would it be fair to continue 
to charge upon him opinions which he solemnly disavows? Of the sin- 
cerity of his disavowal God is the judge. The conclusion is that the first 
charge, though supported by strong probabilities, is not so conclusively 
established as to remove all doubt, because the words adduced in proof 
will bear a different construction from that put on them by the Presby- 
tery and Synod. 

The evidence in support of the second charge is still less clear and con- 
clusive. The charge is : 

"We charge him with denying, vilifying and misrepresenting the doc- 
trine of divine foreordination and sovereignty and election." 

* It might, perhaps, be shown by argument that Mr. Craighead uses 
many expressions not consistent with these doctrines; but agreeably to the 
principle laid down above, he must not be charged with holding these con- 
sequences unless he has avowed them. These passages of his discourse, it 
is true, contain erroneous and offensive things, but they do not establish 
the charge of denying, vilifying, etc. In one single instance he seems to 
deny that everything should be referred to the sovereignty of God's will, 
but the words in their connection may have an innocent meaning. Here 
again it must be observed that Mr. Craighead solemnly declares his belief 
in the doctrine of decrees and election as expressed in our standards. 

But whilst the General Assembly are of opinion that the charges against 
Mr. Craighead are not clearly and fully supported by the references, they 
feel it to be their duty to say that the impression which they have received 
from hearing extracts from this discourse are very unfavorable, and they 
do believe that Mr. Craighead by preaching and printing this sermon did 
subject himself justly to censure. 

Moreover, the Assembly are of opinion that the doctrines of this ser- 
mon, in the most favorable construction, are different from those of the 
Reformed Churches and of our Church, and are erroneous, although the 
error is not of fundamental importance. They have observed, also, that 
this discourse contains many unjust and illiberal reflections on the doc- 
trines which have been the common and uniform belief of the great 
majority of the preachers and writers of the Reformed Churches. He 
mentions the names of a few persons as favoring the doctrine which he 
opposes; but he might have put into the list almost every standard writer 
of our own and sister Churches since the Reformation. 

The sermon also contains much declamation which confounds fanati- 
cism and piety, and representations of opinions which are true and import- 
ant, so associated with error and absurdity, as to exhibit them in a ridicu- 
lous and odious light. 

Finally, the General Assembly are deeply impressed with the evidences 
of an improper spirit and an evil tendency in this sermon, and are of 
opinion that Mr. Craighead ought so to retract or explain his sentiments 
as to afford reasonable satisfaction to his brethren. 

Whereupon, Resolved, That as the proceedings in the case of Mr. Craig- 
head have been, in many respects, irregular, and he has suffered much 
injury from the delay produced by these irregularities, and whereas, also, 
29 



226 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

the charges are not so conclusively established as to remove all doubt, the 
General Assembly cannot see their way clear finally to confirm the sen- 
tence of the Synod of Kentucky, although they are of opinion that Mr. 
Craighead has subjected himself, by preaching and printing this sermon, 
to just censure. But as Mr. Craighead has had no fair opportunity of 
vindicating himself, or of making satisfactory explanations or retractions, 
therefore, 

Resolved, That the whole cause be transmitted to the Presbytery of 
West Tennessee, in the bounds of which Mr. Craighead resides ; and that 
they be directed to give him an early opportunity of offering that satis- 
faction which the church expects, for the offence received ; and that upon 
receiving such explanation or retractions as to them shall be satisfactory, 
Mr. Craighead be restored to the gospel ministry, from which he had been 
suspended.— 1824, pp. 122-124. 

[Mr. Craighead was restored.] 

6. Case of Rev. Albert Barnes. 

[For a full statement and history of the case, see Baird's Revised 
Edition, pp. 694-700. On an appeal from the decision of the Synod of 
Philadelphia, it was] 

Resolved, That the decision of the Synod of Philadelphia, suspending 
Rev. Albert Barnes from all the functions proper to the gospel ministry, 
be and it is herebv reversed. [Yeas 145, nays 78, declined voting 11.] — 
1836, p. 269. 

[A resolution offered by Dr. Samuel Miller was rejected. Yeas 109, 
nays 122. Two protests which may be found in full, together with Dr. 
Miller's Resolution, in Baird, pp. 700-702, were entered. In reply the 
Assembly make the following statements as to the doctrines involved :] 

The correctness of the preceding positions is confirmed, in the opinion 
•of the Assembly, by a careful analysis of the real meaning of Mr. Barnes 
under each charge, as ascertained by the language of his book and the 
revisions, disclaimers, explanations and declarations which he has made. 

In respect to the first charge, that Mr. Barnes teaches that all sin is 
voluntary, the context and his own declarations show that he refers to 
all aeiucii sin merely, in which he affirms the sinner acts under no com- 
pulsion. 

The second charge implies neither heresy nor errors, but relates to the 
expression of an opinion on a matter concerning which no definite in- 
struction ; is contained either in the Bible or in the Confession of Faith. 

In respect to the third charge, Mr. Barnes has not taught that unregen- 
•erate 'men are able, in the sense alleged, to keep the commandments and 
convert themselves to God. It is an inference of the prosecutor from the 
doctrine of natural ability as taught by Edwards, and of the natural lib- 
-erty of the will as taught in the Confession of Faith, chap, ix., sec. i. On 
the contrary, he does teach, in accordance with our standards, that man, 
by the fall, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accom- 
panying salvation. 

In respect to the fourth charge, that faith is an act of the mind, Mr. 
Barnes does teach it, in accordance with the Confession of Faith and the 
Bible ; but he does not deny that faith is a fruit of the special influence 
of the Spirit, and a permanent holy habit of mind, in opposition to a cre- 
ated physical essence. That faith "is counted for righteousness" is the 
language of the Bible, and as used by Mr. Barnes means, not that faith 
is the meritorious ground of justification, but only the instrument by 
which the benefit of Christ's righteousness is appropriated. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 227 

In respect to the fifth charge, Mr. Barnes nowhere denies, much less 
"sneers" at, the idea that Adam was the covenant and federal head of 
his posterity: on the contrary, though he employs not these terms, he 
does, in other language, teach the same truths which are taught by this 
phraseology. 

In respect to the sixth and seventh charges, that the sin of Adam is not 
imputed to his posterity, and that mankind are not guilty or liable to 
punishment on account of the first sin of Adam, it is to be observed that 
it is not taught in the Confession of Faith that the sin of Adam is im- 
puted to his posterity. The imputation of the guilt of Adam's sin, Mr. 
Barnes affirms, though not as including personal identity and the transfer 
of moral qualities, both of which are disclaimed by our standard writers, 
and by the General Assembly. 

In respect to the eighth charge, that Christ did not suffer the penalty 
of the law, as the vicarious substitute of his people, Mr. Barnes only de- 
nies the literal infliction of the whole curse, as including remorse of con- 
science and eternal death, but admits and teaches that the sufferings of 
Christ, owing to the union of the divine and human natures in the person 
of the Mediator, were a full equivalent. 

In respect to the ninth charge, that the righteousness of Christ is not 
imputed to his people, Mr. Barnes teaches the imputation of the right- 
eousness of Christ, but not as importing a transfer of Christ's personal 
righteousness to believers, which is not the doctrine of our Church. And 
when he says that there is no sense in which the righteousness of Christ 
becomes ours, the context and his own declarations show that he simply 
means to deny a literal transfer of his obedience ; which, on the contrary, 
he teaches is so imputed or set to our account as to become the only mer- 
itorious cause or ground of our justification. 

In respect to the tenth charge, Mr. Barnes has not taught that justifica- 
tion consists in pardon only, but has taught clearly that it includes the 
reception of believers into favor, and their treatment as if they had not 
sinned.— 1836, p. 287. 

7. Testimony against Doctrinal Errors. 

The Assembly adopted that part of the report of the Committee on the 
memorial which relates to doctrinal errors, as follows, viz. : 

As one of the principal objects of the memorialists is to point out cer- 
tain errors more or less prevalent in our Church, and to bear testimony 
against them, your Committee are of opinion that as one great object of 
the institution of the Church was to be a depository and guardian of the 
truth, and as by the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States it is made the duty of the General Assembly to testify against error; 
therefore, resolved, that the testimony of the memorialists concerning doc- 
trine be adopted as the testimony of this General Assembly (with a few 
verbal alterations), which is as follows: 

1. That God would have prevented the existence of sin in our world, 
but was not able without destroying the moral agency of man, or that, for 
aught that appears in the Bible to the contrary, sin is incidental to any 
wise moral system. 

2. That election to eternal life is founded on a foresight of faith and 
obedience. 

3. That we have no more to do with the first sin of Adam than with the 
sins of any other parent. 

4. That infants come into the world as free from moral defilement as 
was Adam when he was created. 



228 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

5. That infants sustain the same relation to the moral government of 
God in this world as brute animals, and that their sufferings and death 
are to be accounted for on the same principles as those of brutes, and not 
by any means to be considered as penal. 

6. That there is no other original sin than the fact that all the posterity 
of Adam, though by nature innocent or possessed of no moral character, 
will always begin to sin when they begin to exercise moral agency ; that 
original sin does not include a sinful bias of the human mind and a just 
exposure to penal suffering; and that there is no evidence in Scripture 
that infants, in order to salvation, do need redemption by the blood of 
Christ and regeneration by the Holy Ghost. 

7. That the doctrine of imputation, whether of the guilt of Adam's sin 
or of the righteousness of Christ, has no foundation in the word of God, 
and is both unjust and absurd. 

8. That the sufferings and death of Christ were not truly vicarious and 
penal, but symbolical, governmental and instructive only. 

9. That the impenitent sinner is by nature, and independently of the 
renewing influence or almighty energy of the Holy Spirit, in full posses- 
sion of all the abilitv necessary to a full compliance with all the commands 
of God. 

10. That Christ does not intercede for the elect until after their regene- 
ration. 

11. That saving faith is not an effect of the special operation of the 
Holy Spirit, but a mere rational belief of the truth or assent to the word 
of God. 

12. That regeneration is the act of the sinner himself, and that it con- 
sists in a change of his governing purpose which he himself must pro- 
duce, and which is the result, not of any direct influence of the Holy 
Spirit on the heart, but chiefly of a persuasive exhibition of the truth 
analogous to the influence which one man exerts over the mind of an- 
other, or that regeneration is not an instantaneous act, but a progressive 
work. 

13. That God has done all that he can do for the salvation of all men, 
and that man himself must do the rest. 

14. That God cannot exert such influence on the minds of men as shall 
make it certain that they will choose and act in a particular manner with- 
out impairing their moral agency. 

15. That the righteousness of Christ is not the sole ground of the sin- 
ner's acceptance with God, and that in no sense does the righteousness of 
Christ become ours. 

16. That the reason why some differ from others in regard to their 
reception of the gospel is that they make themselves to differ. 

Against all these errors, whenever and wherever and by whomsoever 
taught, the Assembly would solemnly testify, and would warn all in con- 
nection with the Presbyterian Church against them. They would also 
enjoin it upon all the inferior judicatories to adopt all suitable measures 
to keep their members pure from opinions so dangerous. Especially 
does the Assembly earnestly enjoin on all the Presbyteries to guard with 
great care the door of entrance to the sacred office. Nor can the As- 
sembly regard as consistent with ministerial ordination vows an unwill- 
ingness to discipline according to the rules of the word of God and of 
our standards any person already a teacher who may give currency 
to the foregoing errors. Yeas 109; nays 6; von liquet 11. — 1837, pp. 
468-470. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 229 

8. An Explication of Doctrines. 

[The following final article of a protest on the general action of the 
Assembly in reference to the "Memorial" was ordered to be placed upon 
the minutes, viz. :] 

We protest finally, because, in view of all the circumstances of the case, we feel 
that while we were prevented from uniting in the final vote with the majority in their 
testimony against error, for the reasons above stated, we owe it to ourselves, to our 
brethren, to the Church and to the world to declare and protest that it is not because 
we do, directly or indirectly, hold or countenance the errors stated. We are willing 
to bear our testimony in. full against them, and now do so, when, without misappre- 
hension and liability to have our vote misconstrued, we avow our real sentiments, and 
contrast them with the errors condemned, styling them, as we believe, the true doc- 
trine, in opposition to the erroneous doctrine condemned, as follows, viz. : 

First Error. "That God would have prevented the existence of sin in our world, 
but was not able without destroying the moral agency of man ; or that, for aught that 
appears in the Bible to the contrary, sin is incidental to any wise moral system." 

True Doctrine. God permitted the introduction of sin, not because he was unable to 
prevent it, consistently with the moral freedom of his creatures, but for wise and be- 
nevolent reasons which he has not revealed. 

Second Error. " That election to eternal life is founded on a foresight of faith and 
obedience." 

True Doctrine. Election to eternal life is not founded on a foresight of faith and 
obedience, but is a sovereign act of God's mercy, whereby, according to the council 
of his own will, he hath chosen some to salvation ; "yet so as thereby neither is vio- 
lence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second 
causes taken away, but rather established ;" nor does this gracious purpose ever take 
effect independently of faith and a holy life. 

Third Error. " That we have no more to do with the first sin of Adam than with 
the sins of any other parent." 

Trv£ Doctrine. By a divine constitution, Adam was so the head and representative 
of the race that, as a consequence of his transgression, all mankind became morally 
corrupt and liable to death, temporal and eternal. 

Fourth Error. "That infants come into the world as free from moral defilement as 
was Adam when he was created." 

True Doctrine. Adam was created in the image of God, endowed with knowledge, 
righteousness and true holiness. Infants come into the world not only destitute of 
these, but with a nature inclined to evil, and only evil. 

Fifth Error. "That infants sustain the same relation to the moral government of 
God in this world as brute animals, and that their sufferings and death are to be 
accounted for on the same principles as those of brutes, and not by any means to be 
considered as penal." 

True Doctrine. Brute animals sustain no such relation to the moral government of 
God as does the human family. Infants are a part of the human family; and their 
sufferings and death are to be accounted for on the ground of their being involved in 
the general, moral ruin of the race induced by the apostasy. 

Sixth Error. "That there is no other original sin than the fact that all the posterity 
of Adam, though by nature innocent, will always begin to sin when they begin to 
exercise moral agency; that original sin does not include a sinful bias of the human 
mind and a just exposure to penal suffering; and that there is no evidence in Scrip- 
ture that infants, in order to salvation, do need redemption by the blood of Christ 
and regeneration by the Holy Ghost." 

True Doctrine. Original sin is a natural bias to evil, resulting from the first apos- 
tasy, leading invariably and certainly to actual transgression. And all infants, as 
well as adults, in order to be saved, need redemption by the blood of Christ and re- 
generation by the Holy Ghost. 

^ Seventh Error. "That the doctrine of imputation, whether of the guilt of Adam's 
sin or of the righteousness of Christ, has no foundation in the word of God, and is 
both unjust and absurd." 

True Doctrine. The sin of Adam is not imputed to his posterity in the sense of a 
literal transfer of personal qualities, acts and demerit; but by reason of the sin of 
Adam, in his peculiar relation, the race are treated as if they had sinned. Nor is 
the righteousness of Christ imputed to his people in the sense of a literal transfer of 
personal qualities, acts and merit; but by reason of his righteousness, in his peculiar 
relation, they are treated as if they were righteous. 



230 FOEM OP GOVERNMENT. 

Eighth Error. " That the sufferings and death of Christ were not truly vicarious 
and penal, but symbolical, governmental and instructive only." 

True Doctrine. The sufferings and death of Christ were not symbolical, govern- 
mental and instructive only, but were truly vicarious — i. e., a substitute for the pun- 
ishment due to transgressors. And while Christ did not suffer the literal penalty of 
the law, involving remorse of conscience and the pains of hell, he did offer a sacrifice 
which infinite wisdom saw to be a full equivalent. And by virtue of this atonement 
overtures of mercy are sincerely made to the race, and salvation secured to all who 
believe. 

Ninth Error. "That the impenitent sinner is by nature, and independently of the 
renewing influence or almighty energy of the Holy Spirit, in full possession of all the 
ability necessary to a full compliance with all the commands of God." 

True Doctrine. While sinners have all the faculties necessary to a perfect moral 
agency and a just accountability, such is their love of sin and opposition to God and 
his law that, independently of the renewing influence or almighty energy of the Holy 
Spirit, they never will comply with the commands of God. 

Tenth Error. " That Christ does not intercede for the elect until after their regene- 
ration." 

True Doctrine. The intercession of Christ for the elect is previous as well as subse- 
quent to their regeneration, as appears from the following Scripture, viz.: " I pray not 
for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. Neither 
pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their 
word." 

Eleventh Error. "That saving faith is not an effect of the operations of the Holy 
Spirit, but a mere rational belief of the truth or assent to the word of God." 

True Doctrine. Saving faith is an intelligent and cordial assent to the testimony of 
God concerning his Son, implying reliance on Christ alone for pardon and eternal 
life, and in all cases it is an effect of the special operation of the Holy Spirit. 

Twelfth Error. "That regeneration is the act of the sinner himself, and that it con- 
sists in a change of his governing purpose which he himself must produce, and which 
is the result, not of any direct influence of the Holy Spirit on the heart, but chiefly 
of a persuasive exhibition of the truth, analogous to the influence which one man 
exerts over the mind of another, or that regeneration is not an instantaneous act, but 
a progressive work." 

True Doctrine. Eegeneration is a radical change of heart, produced by the special 
operations of the Holy Spirit, " determining the sinner to that which is good," and is 
in all cases instantaneous. 

Thirteenth Error. " That God has done all that he can do for the salvation of all 
men, and that man himself must do the rest." 

True Doctrine. While repentance for sin and faith in Christ are indispensable to 
salvation, all who are saved are indebted from first to last to the grace and Spirit 
of God. And the reason that God does not save all is not that he wants the power to 
do it, but that in his wisdom he does not see fit to exert that power further than he 
actually does. 

Fourteenth Error. " That God cannot exert such influence on the minds of men as 
shall make it certain that they will choose and act in a particular manner without 
impairing their moral agency." 

True Doctrine. While the liberty of the will is not impaired, nor the established 
connection betwixt means and end broken by any action of God on the mind, he can 
influence it according to his pleasure, and does effectually determine it to good in all 
cases of true conversion. 

Fifteenth Error. " That the righteousness of Christ is not the sole ground of the 
sinners acceptance with God, and that in no sense does the righteousness of Christ 
become ours." 

True Doctrine. All believers are justified, not on the ground of personal merit, but 
solely on the ground of the obedience and death, or, in other words, the righteous- 
ness, of Christ. And while that righteousness does not become theirs in the sense of 
a literal transfer of personal qualities and merit, yet, from respect to it, God can and 
does treat them as if they were righteous. 

Sixteenth Error. "That the reason why some differ from others in regard to their 
reception of the gospel is that they make themselves to differ." 

True Doctrine. While all such as reject the gospel of Christ do it not by coercion, 
but freely, and all who embrace it do it not by coercion, but freely, the reason why 
some differ from others is because God has made them to differ. 

George Duffield, E. W. Gilbert, Thomas Brown, Bliss Burnap, N. S. S. Beman, E. 
Cheever, E. Seymour, George Painter, F. W. Graves, Obadiah Woodruff, N. C. Clark, 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 231 

Kobert Stuart, Nahum Gould, Absalom Peters, Alexander Campbell. — 1837, pp. 
484-486. 

9, Testimony against Certain Disorders and Irregularities. 

Whereas, it is represented to the Assembly that the following disorders 
and irregularities are practiced in some portions of the Presbyterian 
Church, the Assembly, without determining the extent of them, would 
solemnly warn all in our connection against them. They are as follows, 
viz. : 

1. The formation of Presbyteries without defined and reasonable limits, 
or Presbyteries covering the same territory, and especially such a forma- 
tion founded on doctrinal repulsions or affinities, thus introducing schism 
into the very vitals of the body. 

2. The licensing of persons to preach the gospel, and the ordaining to 
the office of the ministry such as not only accept of our standards merely 
for substance of doctrine, and others who are unfit and ought to be ex- 
cluded for want of qualification, but of many even who openly deny fun- 
damental principles of truth and preach and publish radical errors as 
already set forth. 

3. The formation of a great multitude and variety of creeds which are 
often incomplete, false and contradictory of each other and of our Confes- 
sion of Faith and the Bible, but which, even if true, are needless, seeing 
that the public and authorized standards of the Church are fully sufficient 
for the purposes for which such formularies were introduced — namely, as 
public testimonies of our faith and practice, as aids to the teaching of the 
people truth and righteousness, and as instruments for ascertaining and 
preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace, it being under- 
stood that we do not object to the use of a brief abstract of the doctrines 
of our Confession of Faith in the public reception of private members of 
the Church. 

4. The needless ordination of a multitude of men to the office of evan- 
gelist, and the consequent tendency to a general neglect of the pastoral 
office, frequent and hurtful changes of pastoral relations, to the multipli- 
cation of spurious excitements and the consequent spread of heresy and 
fanaticism, thus weakening and bringing into contempt the ordinary and 
stated agents and means for the conversion of sinners and the edification 
of the body of Christ. 

5. The disuse of the office of ruling elder in portions of the Church, and 
the consequent growth of practices and principles entirely foreign to our 
system, thus depriving the pastors of needful assistants in discipline, the 
people of proper guides in Christ, and the churches of suitable representa- 
tives in the ecclesiastical tribunals. 

6. The unlimited and irresponsible power assumed by several associa- 
tions of men under various names to exercise authority and influence, direct 
and indirect, over Presbyteries, as to their field of labor, place of residence 
and mode of action in the difficult circumstances of our Church, thus 
actually throwing the control of affairs in large portions of the Church, 
and sometimes in the General Assembly itself, out of the hands of the 
Presbyteries into those of single individuals or small committees located 
at a distance. 

The Assembly also considered that part of the report of the Committee 
on the Memorial which relates to church order, and the following specifica- 
tion of irregularity was referred to the Committee on Bills and Overtures, 
who were instructed to bring in an overture on the subject to be sent clown 
to the Presbyteries, viz. : 



232 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

8. A progressive change in the system of presbyterial representation in 
the General Assembly, which has been persisted in by those holding the 
ordinary majorities, and carried out into detail by those disposed to take 
undue advantage of existing opportunities, until the actual representation 
seldom exhibits the true state of the Church, and many questions of the 
deepest interest have been decided contrary to the fairly-ascertained wishes 
of the majority of the Church and people in our communion, thus virtually 
subverting the essential principles of freedom, justice and equality on 
which our whole system rests. — 1837, p. 471. 

[For testimonies of the Assembly against slavery, intemperance, vice 
and immorality, see under Book of Discipline, chap, i., sec. iii., at large.] 

10. Power of the Assembly in Discipline. — Definitions and Lim- 
itations. 

[The following paper is inserted here as containing a very clear and 
probably undisputed statement of the power of the Assembly in dealing 
with any great moral evil similar in character or circumstance to that 
which called it forth.] 

Report of the Committee on the Constitutional Power of the General 
Assembly over the Subject of Slave-holding in our Churches. 

The report of the Committee was adopted, and is as follows : 

The Committee appointed by the last General Assembly " to report to 
the next Assembly on the constitutional power of the Assembly over the 
subject of slave-holding in our churches," respectfully submit the follow- 
ing report : 

It should be observed at the outset that the Committee are instructed 
to report on but a single point — that of " power." The question before 
them is not what it may be wise for the Assembly to do, not what in a 
particular case or in general (authority being presupposed) would be for 
edification, but what is the " power of the Assembly in the matter of 
slave-holding?" This is a question which can be determined only by ref- 
erence to our form of government. The "power" on which we are to 
report is fitly designated as " constitutional." We are a constitutional 
body. No judicatory of our Church has any legitimate functions save 
those which, either expressly or by clear implication, the Constitution con- 
fers. Emphatically should this be said of our highest judicatory, in view 
of the tendency of human nature in ecclesiastical connections to a grasping 
and tyrannous centralism. The one-man power at Rome is hardly more 
abhorrent to the genius of Presbyterianism than would be a many-headed 
papacy under the name and form of a General Assembly. It should be 
remembered also that as a visible Church or particular denomination our 
Constitution is the sole bond of our union. We are united, externally 
and formally;, only as that unites us. That, of course, must measure and 
limit the responsibility for each other which grows out of our union. No 
one part of our body can be held answerable for the evils in another 
which, by the terms of our confederation, it has no power to reach. Their 
sole concern is with the relations of the Assembly to the matter. To de- 
termine this point, we have only to ascertain what are the constitutional 
powers of that body in respect to disciplinable offences generally. 

Its functions in this regard, we judge, are of two kinds — advisory and 
authoritative ; and between these there should be a careful discrimination. 
The advisory function of the Assembly is of very wide scope. Accord- 
ing to the Form of Government, chapter xii., section v., they have the 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 233 

power of " reproving, warning or bearing testimony against error in doc- 
trine or immorality in practice in any church, Presbytery or Synod," and 
" of recommending . . . reformation of manners . . . through all the 
churches under their care." This function of reproof may be exercised 
in reference to any evil grave enough to call for it. Nor is it an unim- 
portant function. The testimony of such a body as the General Assem- 
bly, especially if unanimously given, must needs have great weight. It 
has indeed only a moral influence. It is not authoritative. It binds no 
other body, not even a succeeding Assembly. It binds no individual, yet 
cases are not unfrequent in which a moral influence of this sort, if not 
the only one that could be employed, is the most efficacious. It has 
greater power over the conscience often than the most stringent exercise 
of bare authority. 

As respects the authoritative function of the Assembly, or its power 
of discipline, that, we judge, can only be exercised in the forms and 
methods marked out in the constitution. It is by no means coextensive 
with its testifying power. As counsel or testimony has only a moral force, 
the manner in which it shall be put forth is wisely left to the discretion 
of the Assembly. Not so with discipline. Concerning, as it does, the 
dearest rights and interests, it is of the highest importance that the mode 
of its exercise should be particularly prescribed. So we find it in our 
Form of Government, Every step is distinctly set forth, and the greatest 
care taken to guard all concerned against mistake and abuse. Nor is any 
exception made as to any particular class of offences. If slave-holding 
is in any case to be dealt with as a disciplinable matter, it must be in some 
one of the ways explicitly authorized in the Constitution. 

The methods in which the authoritative action of the Assembly may be 
invoked, as appears from the seventh chapter of the Book of Discipline, 
are four: By reference, by appeal, by complaint, and — to state the last, 
which, in the Book of Discipline, comes first — by general review and con- 
trol. The three processes first named do not, of course, originate in the 
Assembly. Their inception is in a lower judicatory. In one or another 
of them, it is presumed, most of the matters which call for disciplinary 
action on the part of the highest judicatory will in due time come before 
it. There is, however, a possibility of neglect in this regard, and for such 
a contingency our Constitution — framed with a wisdom best appreciated 
by those who have most thoroughly studied it — has made a specific pro- 
vision. This provision is found in the section on " General Review and 
Control." See Book of Discipline, chap, vii., sec. i. 

Under this section there are two methods in which any disciplinable 
offence — and slaveholding, of course, when it assumes that character — ■ 
may be reached authoritatively by the Assembly. (1.) It may appear 
from the records of a Synod, as submitted for inspection, that there has 
been some wrong-doing or culpable omission in the matter. A case may 
have been incorrectly decided or refused a hearing. Or it may be obvi- 
ous that the records of some Presbytery have not, according to articles ii. 
and iii. of this section, been properly disposed of. Or it may appear that 
the duty enjoined in article vi., that of citing a lower judicatory in a 
given contingency, has been entirely neglected. In cases of this sort 
there may be " animadversion or censure," or, according to article iii., the 
Synod " may be required to review and correct its proceedings." (2.) "Any 
important delinquency or grossly unconstitutional proceedings," not ap- 
parent from the records, may yet be charged against a Synod " by com- 
mon fame." It may be reported, for example, that, through some neglect 
of the Synod, "heretical opinions or corrupt practices" are "allowed to 
30 



234 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 

gain ground," or that " offenders of a very gross character" are " suffered 
to escape." See articles v. and vi., of this same section. In such case, 
provided the rumor is of the character specified in the Book of Discipline, 
chap, iii., sec. v. — for a process against a Synod should certainly not be 
commenced on slighter grounds than against an individual — the Assembly 
"is to cite the judicatory alleged to have offended to appear at a specified 
time and place, and to show what it has done, or failed to do, in the case 
in question ; after which the judicatory thus issuing the citation shall re- 
mit the whole matter to the delinquent judicatory, with a direction to 
"take it up and dispose of it in a constitutional manner, or stay all fur- 
ther proceedings in the case, as circumstances may require." See Book of 
Discipline, chap, vii., sec. i., art. vi. 

In view of the aforenamed and other provisions of our Form of Gov- 
ernment touching the authority of the Assembly, two things are to be 
carefully noted : 

1. It has no power to commence a process of discipline with an individ- 
ual offender. That, by a just and wise arrangement, belongs to the Ses- 
sion in the case of a layman, to the Presbytery in the case of a minister. 
The disciplinary function of the Assembly as to individuals is simply ap- 
pellate and revisionary. It is not the court of first, but of last, resort. 

2. In the way of "general review and control," it can reach directly 
only the judicatory next below — that is, the Synod. (See Book of Dis- 
cipline, chap, vii., sec. i., art. vi.) Indirectly, indeed, the doings of other 
bodies may be involved. A session may grossly neglect discipline, for ex- 
ample, and the recorded indication or the common fame thereof may not 
be properly heeded by the Presbytery. The fruit of this heedlessness, or 
the evidence of it in the Presbyterial records, may call forth no appropri- 
ate action on the part of the Synod ; and this may be brought by the 
Synodical records or by general rumor to the knowledge of the Assembly. 
On the ground of either the record or the rumor, the Assembly may cite 
the Synod before them. Thus mediately may even a Session be reached, 
but not directly. 

Such are the metes and bounds which our Form of Government has 
prescribed, and which the Assembly may not overpass. It is quite possi- 
ble that in connection with them offenders of various sorts may sometimes 
escape. To a human administration, of however divine a system, imper- 
fection always pertains. Our Book of Discipline, indeed (chap, iii., sec. iii.), 
distinctly recognizes a class of cases in which, " however grievous it may 
be to the pious to see an unworthy member in the church, it is proper to 
wait until God in his righteous providence shall give further light." 
Waiting may be rendered necessary by a lack of fidelity on the part of 
the lower judicatories, as well as by a lack of evidence. We speak of it, 
of course, not as an actual, but only as a supposable, case. And it may 
seem to some a great evil that the General Assembly is not invested with 
larger powers. Yet it would be a greater evil to allow any departure from 
the carefully devised process of discipline set forth in the Constitution. 
To permit the Assembly to adopt at its pleasure new processes, to suit its 
own powers to real or fanciful exigencies, would not only invest it with 
legislative functions, but would virtually annul the Constitution, and. 
transform the highest judicatory of the Church into an overshadowing 
ecclesiastical despotism. 

It has indeed been urged, though we see not with what reason, that the 
advisory function of the Assembly, or its power of bearing testimony, im- 
plies the authority necessary to enforce that testimony. Is there, then, no 
just and salutary distinction between persuasion and compulsion ? Must 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 235 

the two be ever conjoined ? Are there no cases in which a simple moral 
power may, in the nature of things, be most potent ? Must the Assembly 
utter no counsels which are not to be interpreted as mandatory and co- 
ercive ? If they may enforce all their counsels, how are they to do it ? 
By processes which they themselves devise — extra constitutional processes? 
Or are they to be held to the provisions of the Book of Discipline ? They 
have, it is true, the right according to the Form of Government, chap, 
xii., sec v., of " attempting " as well as " recommending reformation of 
manners." But the attempt must be made, if discipline is to be involved, 
only in the method prescribed in the Constitution. To all desirable ends 
the Committee believe that method will be found adequate, especially as 
connected with that testifying and reproving function so often exercised 
in time past, and which, by a body like the Assembly, can never be wisely 
exercised but with salutary results. — 1856, pp. 197-201, N. S. 

11. On the Outbreak of the Civil War— Testimony of the 

Assembly. 

The Assembly resumed the consideration of the report of the Special 
Committee on the State of the Country. The report was amended, adopted, 
and is as follows: 

Whereas^ A portion of the people of the United States of America have 
risen up against the rightful authority of the government, have instituted 
what they call the " Confederate States of America," in the name and de- 
fence of which they have made war against the United States, have seized 
the property of the Federal Government, have assailed and overpowered 
its troops engaged in the discharge of their duty, and are now in armed 
rebellion against it, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of 
the United States of America cannot forbear to express their amazement 
at the wickedness of such proceedings, and at the bold advocacy and de- 
fence thereof not only in those States in which ordinances of "secession" 
have been passed, but in several others ; and 

Whereas, The General Assembly, in the language of the Synod of New 
York and Philadelphia on the occasion of the Revolutionary war, "being 
met at a time when public affairs wear so threatening an aspect, and when 
(unless God in his sovereign providence speedily prevent it) all the hor- 
rors of civil war are to be apprehended, are of opinion that they cannot 
discharge their duty to the numerous congregations under their care with- 
out addressing them at this important crisis; and as a firm belief and 
habitual recollection of the power and presence of the living God ought 
at all times to possess the minds of real Christians, so in seasons of public 
calamity, when the Lord is known by the judgments which he executeth, 
it would be an ignorance or indifference highly criminal not to look up to 
him with reverence, to implore his mercy by humble and fervent prayer, 
and if possible, to prevent his vengeance by unfeigned repentance ;" there- 
fore, 

Resolved, 1. That inasmuch as the Presbyterian Church in her past his- 
tory has frequently lifted up her voice against oppression, and has shown 
herself a champion of constitutional liberty, as against both despotism and 
anarchy throughout the civilized world, we should be recreant to our high 
trust were we to withhold our earnest protest against all such unlawful 
and treasonable acts. 

Resolved, 2. That this Ass3iubly and the churches which it represents 
cherish an undiminished attachment to the great principles of civil and 
religious freedom on which our National Government is based, under the 



236 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

influence of winch our fathers prayed and fought and bled, which issued 
in the establishment of our independence, and by the preservation of 
which we believe that the common interests of evangelical religion and 
civil liberty will be most effectively sustained. 

Resolved, 3. That inasmuch as we believe, according to our Form of 
Government, that "God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, 
hath ordained civil magistrates to be, under him, over the people for his 
own glory and the public good, and to this end hath armed them with the 
power of the sword for the defence and encouragement of them that are 
good and for the punishment of evil-doers," there is, in the judgment of 
this Assembly, no blood or treasure too precious to be devoted to the de- 
fence and perpetuity of the government in all its constitutional authority. 

Resolved, 4. That all those who are endeavoring to uphold the Constitu- 
tion and maintain the government of these United States in the exercise 
of its lawful prerogatives, are entitled to the sympatiiy and support of all 
Christian and law-abiding citizens. 

Resolved, 5. That it be recommended to all our pastors and churches to 
be instant and fervent in prayer for the President of the United States 
and all in authority under him, that wisdom and strength may be given 
them in the discharge of their arduous duties ; for the Congress of the 
United States ; for the Lieutenant-General commanding the Army-in- 
Chief, and all our soldiers, that God may shield them from danger in the 
hour of peril, and by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the army 
and navy renew and sanctify them, so that whether living or dying they 
may be the servants of the Most High. 

Resolved, 6. That in the countenance which many ministers of the gos- 
pel and other professing Christians are now giving to treason and rebel- 
lion against the government, we have great occasion to mourn for the in- 
jury thus done to the kingdom of the Redeemer, and that, though we 
have nothing to add to our former significant and explicit testimonials on 
the subject of slavery, we yet recommend our people to pray more fer- 
vently than ever for the removal of this evil and all others, both social and 
political, which lie at the foundation of our present national difficulties. 

Resolved, 7. That a copy of these resolutions, signed by the officers of 
the General Assembly, be forwarded to his Excellency, Abraham Lincoln, 
President of the United States. 

Immediately upon the adoption of this report the Assembly united in 
fervent prayer for the country and its rulers. — 1861, p. 446, N. S. 

12. Resolutions on the State of the Country, and Letter to the 
President of the United States. 

The Special Committee on the State of the Country presented their 
report, which was adopted, and is as follows: 

a. The Special Committee on the State of the Country submit the fol- 
lowing preamble and resolutions: 

Whereas, This General Assembly is called, in the providence of God, 
to hold its deliberations at a time when a wicked and fearful rebellion is 
threatening to destroy the fair fabric of our government, to lay waste our 
beloved country, and to blight and ruin, so far as the present life is con- 
cerned, all that is most dear to us as Christians ; and 

Whereas, As a branch of the Christian Church Presbyterians have ever 
been found loyal and the friends of good order, believing as they do that 
civil government is "ordained of God," that "the magistrate is the minis- 
ter of God for good," that " he beareth not the sword in vain," and they 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 237 

are therefore "subject" to this ordinance of God, "not only for wrath," 
or under the influence of fear, " but also for conscience' sake," or under 
the influence of moral and Christian principle ; and 

Whereas, The particular Church whose representatives we are, and in 
whose behalf we are now and here called to act, have inscribed upon our 
banner " The Constitutional Presbyterian Church," having never 
favored secession or nullification, either in Church or State, deem it quite 
becoming and proper in us to express ourselves, with great Christian sin- 
cerity and frankness, on those matters which now agitate our country. 
Therefore, 

Resolved, 1. That Ave deem the government of these United States the 
most benign that has ever blessed our imperfect world ; and should it be 
destroyed after its brief career of good, another such in the ordinary 
course of human events can hardly be anticipated for a long time to 
come, and for these reasons we revere and love it as one of the great 
sources of hope, under God, for a lost world ; and it is doubly dear to 
our hearts, because it was procured and established by the toil and sacri- 
fices and blood of our fathers. 

Resolved, 2. That rebellion against such a government as ours, and espe- 
cially by those who have ever enjoyed their full share of its protection, 
honors and rich blessings of every name, can have no excuse or pallia- 
tion, and can be inspired by no other motives than those of ambition 
and avarice, and can find no parallel, except in the first two great 
rebellions — that which assailed the throne of heaven directly, and that 
which peopled our world with miserable apostates. 

Resolved, 3. That whatever diversity of sentiment may exist among us 
respecting international wars or an appeal to the sword for the settlement 
of points of honor or interest between independent nations, we are all of 
one mind on the subject of rebellion, and especially against the best gov- 
ernment which God has yet given to the world ; that our vast army now 
in the field is to be looked upon as one great police force, organized to 
carry into effect the constitution and laws which the insurgents, in com- 
mon with other citizens, have ordained by their own voluntary acts, and 
which they are bound by honor and oath and conscience to respect and 
obey, so that the strictest advocates of peace may bear an active part in 
this deadly struggle for the life of the government. 

Resolved, 4. That while we have been utterly shocked at the deep 
depravity of the men who have planned and matured this rebellion, and 
who are now clad in arms, manifested in words and deeds, there is another 
class found in the loyal States who have excited a still deeper loathing — 
some in Congress, some high in civil life, and some in the ordinary walks 
of business, who never utter a manly thought or opinion in favor of the 
government, but they follow it, by way of comment, with two or three 
smooth apologies for Southern insurrectionists, presenting the difference 
between an open and avowed enemy in the field and a secret and insidious 
foe in the bosom of our own family. 

Resolved, 5. That, in our opinion, this whole insurrectionary movement 
can be traced to one primordial root, and to one only, African slavery 
and the love of it and a determination to make it perpetual, and while 
we look upon this war as having one grand end in view, the restoration 
of the Union by crushing out the last living and manifested fibre of 
rebellion, w T e hold that everything, the institution of slavery, if need be, 
must be made to bend to tins one great purpose, and while under the influ- 
ence of humanity and Christian benevolence we may commiserate the con- 
dition of the ruined rebels, once in fraternity with ourselves, but now, 



238 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

should the case occur, despoiled of all that makes the world dear to them, 
we must be at the same time constrained to feel that the retribution has 
been self-inflicted, and must add, " Fiat justitia ruat cozlum" 

Resolved, 6. That we have great confidence in Abraham Lincoln, Presi- 
dent of the United States, and in his Cabinet, and in the commanders 
of our armies and our navy, and the valiant men of this Republic, prose- 
cuting a holy warfare under their banners ; and while w T e bless God that 
he has stood by them and cheered them on in what we trust will ever 
stand as the darkest days of our country's humiliation, and crowned them 
with many signal victories, and knowing that ultimate success is with 
God alone, we will ever pray that the last sad note of anarchy and mis- 
rule may soon die away, and the old flag of our country, radiant with 
stripes and brilliant with stars, may again wave over a great and undi- 
vided and happy people. 

Resolved, 7. That we here, in deep humiliation for our sins and the sins 
of the nation, and in heartfelt devotion, lay ourselves, with all that we are 
and have, on the altar of God and our country ; and we hesitate not to 
pledge the churches and Christian people under our care as ready to join 
with us in the same fervent sympathies and united prayers that our rulers 
in the Cabinet, and our commanders in the field and on the waters, and the 
brave men under their leadership, may take courage under the assurance 
that "The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America" are 
with them, in heart and hand, in life and effort, in this fearful existing 
conflict. 

Resolved, finally, That a copy of these Resolutions, signed by the officers 
of the General Assembly, be forwarded to his Excellency, Abraham 
Lincoln, President of the United States, accompanied by the following 
respectful letter : 

To the President of the United States : 

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, holding its annual 
sessions in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, in transmitting the accompanying 
resolutions, beg leave most respectfully to express to your Excellency, in 
a more personal manner, the sentiments of our Church, in reference to 
yourself and the great issues with which you are called to deal. 

It is with no desire to bring a tribute of flattery when we assure you, 
honored sir, of the affection and the confidence of our Church. Since the 
day of your inauguration, the thousands of our membership have followed 
you with unceasing prayer, besieging the Throne of heaven in your behalf. 
In our great church courts, in our lesser judicatories, in our weekly assem- 
blages in the house of God, at our family altars, in the inner place of 
prayer, you have been the burden of our hourly petitioning. 

When we look at the history of your administration hitherto, and at the 
wonderful way in which this people have been led under your guidance, 
we glorify God in you. We give praise, not to man, but to God. In your 
firmness, your integrity, challenging the admiration of even our enemies, 
your moderation, your wisdom, the timeliness of your acts, exhibited at 
critical junctures, your paternal words, so eminently fitting the chosen 
head of a great people, we recognize the hand and the power of God ; we 
devoutly and humbly accept it as from him, an answer to the innumerable 
prayers which have gone up from our hearts. 

We desire, as a Church, to express to you our reverence, our love, our 
deep sympathy with you in the greatness of your trust, and in the depth of 
your personal bereavements ; and to pledge you, as in the past, so in all 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 239 

the future, our perpetual remembrance of you before God, aud all tlie 
support that loyal hearts can offer. 

We have given our sons to the army and navy ; some of our ministers 
and many of our church-members have died in hospital and field ; we are 
glad that we gave them, and we exult in that they were true even to 
death. We gladly pledge as many more as the cause of our country may 
demand. 

We believe that there is but one path before this people : this gigantic 
and inexpressibly wicked rebellion must be destroyed; the interests of hu- 
manity, the cause of God and his Church, demand it at our hands. May 
God give to you his great support, preserve you, impart to you more than 
human wisdom, and permit you ere long to rejoice in the deliverance of 
our beloved country in its peace and unity. 

Immediately upon the adoption of this report the Assembly united in 
fervent prayer for the country, the President and all the officers of the 
government, and for the success of our arms in suppressing the rebellion 
and restoring the blessings of peace. 

The following preamble and resolutions were adopted : 

In view of the great demand that is laid upon the practical beneficence 
of the country, in behalf especially of the sick and wounded soldiers of 
our army, by the present rebellion, it is thought to be not inappropriate — 
nay, peculiarly in keeping with the spirit and example of the great Head 
of the Church — that such action should be taken by this Assembly as 
shall awaken an increased interest in this good cause throughout all the 
churches and communities which we represent. 

Much, doubtless, has been done for the soldier in every loyal portion of 
the country, but facts here brought immediately before our eyes show that 
those sections farther removed from the seats of war do not yet appreciate 
the importance and the vastness of this work, as it is felt and nobly borne 
by this and other cities of the West. And yet even here, where the terri- 
ble fruits of Fort Donelson and Pittsburg Landing have been so abun- 
dantly seen, it is believed that only a mere beginning has been made, in 
comparison with the sanitary relief that will be demanded during the 
months to come. The warm weather of summer is now approaching, and 
the thousands of brave men who will be prostrated by sickness will doubt- 
less lay a claim upon the sympathy and effort of the churches and the 
country such as we have never known before. 

In consideration of these facts, and the whole subject before us, 

Be it resolved by this Assembly, 1. That the present struggle for the 
preservation of our common country is one in which it is the privilege, as 
well as the duty, of all patriotic men of whatever section to bear as nearly 
as may be an equal part ; and that, especially in the work of caring for 
the sick and wounded, the vast degrees of local interest should be extended 
and made universal ; and that the efforts which are put forth at points 
nearer the actual scenes of suffering should be fully emulated by every 
community over which the flag of our Union is permitted to float. 

2. That no form of beneficence in this eventful time can be more needed, 
and more fruitful of sure and perceptible relief, than that which provides 
for the health and comfort of the soldiers who crowd our hospitals, and 
still more those whom it is impossible to remove from the distant battle- 
fields. 

3. That the Assembly earnestly recommend to all our Presbyteries and 
churches the United States Sanitary Commission, an efficient branch of 
which exists in this city, as the very best channel through which to reach 
the sick and wounded of the army. It is thoroughly organized, possessed 



240 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

of all needful facts, and now acting with that system and economy which 
only an enlarged experience can secure. — 1862, pp. 23-27, N. S. 

b. [The following was adopted by yeas 206, nays 20 :] The paper is as 
follows : 

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States 
of America, now in session at Columbus, in the State of Ohio : 

Considering the unhappy condition of the country in the midst of a 
bloody civil war, and of the Church agitated everywhere, divided in sen- 
timent in many places and openly assailed by schism in a large section of 
it ; considering, also, the duty which this chief tribunal, met in the name 
and by the authority of the glorified Saviour of sinners, who is also the 
sovereign Ruler of all things, owes to him, our Head and Lord, and to his 
flock committed to our charge, and to the people whom we are commis- 
sioned to evangelize, and to the civil authorities who exist by his appoint- 
ment, do hereby in this deliverance give utterance to our solemn convic- 
tions and our deliberate judgment touching the matters herein set forth, 
that they may serve for the guidance of all over whom the Lord Christ 
has given us any office of instruction or any power of government. 

I. Peace is amongst the very highest temporal blessings of the Church, 
as well as of all mankind, and public order is one of the first necessities 
of the spiritual as well as the civil commonwealth. Peace has been wick- 
edly superseded by war in its worst form throughout the whole land, and 
public order has been wickedly superseded by rebellion, anarchy and vio- 
lence in the whole Southern portion of the Union. All this has been 
brought to pass in a disloyal and traitorous attempt to overthrow the 
national government by military force, and to divide the nation contrary 
to the wishes of the immense majority of the people of the nation, and 
without satisfactory evidence that the majority of the people in whom the 
local sovereignty resided, even in the States which revolted, ever author- 
ized any such proceeding, or ever approved the fraud and violence by 
which this horrible treason has achieved whatever success it has had. 
This whole treason, rebellion, anarchy, fraud and violence is utterly con- 
trary to the dictates of natural religion and morality, and is plainly con- 
demned by the revealed will of God. It is the clear and solemn duty of 
the national government to preserve, at whatever cost, the national Union 
and Constitution, to maintain the laws in their supremacy, to crush force 
by force, and to restore the reign of public order and peace to the entire 
nation, by whatever lawful means that are necessary thereunto. And it is 
the bounden duty of the people who compose this great nation, each one 
in his several place and degree, to uphold the Federal government, and 
every State government, and all persons in authority, whether civil or 
military, in all their lawful and proper acts, unto the end hereinbefore set 
forth. 

II. The Church of Christ has no authority from him to make rebellion, 
or to counsel treason, or to favor anarchy, in any case whatever. On the 
contrary, every follower of Christ has the personal liberty bestowed on 
him by Christ to submit for the sake of Christ, according to his own con- 
scientious sense of duty, to whatever government, however bad, under 
which his lot may be cast. But while patient suffering for Christ's sake 
can never be sinful, treason, rebellion and anarchy may be sinful — most 
generally, perhaps, are sinful — and probably are always and necessarily 
sinful in all free countries where the power to change the government by 
voting in the place of force, which exists as a common right, constitution- 
ally secured to the people who are sovereign. If in any case treason, 
rebellion and anarchy can possibly be sinful, they are so in the case now 



OF THE GENEEAL ASSEMBLY. 241 

desolating large portions of this nation, and laying waste great numbers of 
Christian congregations, and fatally obstructing every good word and work 
in those regions. To the Christian people scattered throughout those 
unfortunate regions, and who have been left of God to have any hand in 
bringing on these terrible calamities, we earnestly address words of exhor- 
tation and rebuke, as unto brethren who have sinned exceedingly, and 
whom God calls to repentance by fearful judgments. To those in like 
circumstances who are not chargeable with the sins which have brought 
such calamities upon the land, but who have chosen, in the exercise of 
their Christian liberty, to stand in their lot and suffer, we address words 
of affectionate sympathy, praying God to bring them off conquerors. To 
those in like circumstances who have taken their lives in their hands and 
risked all for their country and for conscience' sake, we say we love such 
with all our heart, and bless God such witnesses were found in the time 
of thick darkness. We fear, and we record it with great grief, that the 
Church of God and the Christian people, to a great extent, and through- 
out all the revolted States, have done many things that ought not to have 
been done and have left undone much that ought to have been done in 
this time of trial, rebuke and blasphemy; but concerning the wide schism 
which is reported to have occurred in many Southern Synods this Assem- 
bly will take no action at this time. It declares, however, its fixed pur- 
pose, under all possible circumstances, to labor for the extension and the 
permanent maintenance of the Church under its care in every part of the 
United States. Schism, so far as it may exist, we hope to see healed. If 
that cannot be, it will be disregarded. 

III. We record our gratitude to God for the prevailing unity of senti- 
ment and general internal peace which have characterised the Church in 
the States that have not revolted, embracing a great majority of the minis- 
ters, congregations and people under our care. It may still be called with 
emphasis a loyal, orthodox and pious Church, and all its acts and works 
indicate its right to a title so noble. Let it strive for divine grace to 
maintain that good report. In some respects the interests of the Church 
of God are very different from those of all civil institutions. Whatever 
may befall this or any other nation, the Church of Christ must abide on 
earth, triumphant even over the gates of hell. It is, therefore, of supreme 
importance that the Church should guard itself from internal alienations 
and divisions founded upon questions and interests that are external as to 
her, and which ought not by their necessary workings to cause her fate to 
depend on the fate of things less important and less enduring than herself. 
Disturbers of the Church ought not to be allowed, especially disturbers of 
the Church in States that never revolted or that have been cleared of armed 
rebels — disturbers who, under many false pretexts, may promote discontent, 
disloyalty and general alienation, tending to the unsettling of ministers, 
to local schisms and to manifold trouble. Let a spirit of quietness, of 
mutual forbearance and of ready obedience to authority, both civil and 
ecclesiastical, illustrate the loyalty, the orthodoxy and the piety of the 
Church. It is more especially to ministers of the gospel, and amongst 
them, particularly to any whose first impressions had been on any account 
favorable to the terrible military revolution which has been attempted, 
and which God's providence has hitherto so singularly rebuked, that these 
decisive considerations ought to be addressed. And in the name and by 
the authority of the Lord Jesus we earnestly exhort all who love God or 
fear his wrath to turn a deaf ear to all counsels and suggestions that tend 
toward a reaction favorable to disloyalty, schism or disturbance either in 
the Church or in the country. There is hardly anything more inexcusable 
31 



242 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

connected with the frightful conspiracy against which we testify than the 
conduct of those office-bearers and members of the Church who, although 
citizens of loyal States and subject to the control of loyal Presbyteries and 
Synods, have been faithless to all authority, human and divine, to which 
they owed subjection. Nor should any to whom this deliverance may come 
fail to bear in mind that it is not oniy their outward conduct concerning 
which they ought to take heed, but it is also and especially their heart, 
their temper and their motives in the sight of God, and toward the free 
and beneficent civil government which he has blessed us withal, and to- 
ward the spiritual commonwealth to which they are subject in the Lord. 
In all these respects we must all give account to God in the great day. 
And it is in view of our own dread responsibility to the Judge of quick 
and dead that we now make this deliverance. — 1862, pp. 624, 625. O. S. 

c. The General Assembly of 1861 adopted a minute on the state of the 
Church and the country. The Assembly of 1862 uttered a more formal 
and comprehensive deliverance. In the mean time, a certain number, per- 
haps the larger portion, of the Presbyteries and Synods, have expressed 
their judgment on the same subject. This General Assembly is per- 
suaded that the office-bearers and members of this Church within the 
Presbyteries represented here are in a remarkable degree united in a 
strict and true allegiance to the Constitution and government of the 
United States, and that they are, as a body, loyal both to the Church and 
the civil government as ordinances of God. 

This General Assembly contents itself on that part of the subject by 
enjoining upon all the people of God who acknowledge this Church as 
their Church to uphold, according as God shall give them strength, the 
authority of the Constitution and laws of the land in this time of supreme 
national peril. But this Assembly would most distinctly and solemnly 
inculcate upon all its people the duty of humbly confessing before God 
the great amworthiness and the many sins of the people of this land, and 
of acknowledging the holiness and justice of the Almighty in the present 
visitation. He is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works. We 
•exhort our brethren to seek the gift of the Holy Ghost by prayer and 
confession and repentance, so that the anger of the Lord may be turned 
away from us,, and that the spirit of piety may become not less predomi- 
nant and vital in the churches than the spirit of an awakened patriotism. 

And this Assembly, connecting the experience of our present trials 
with the remembrance of those through which the Church has passed, 
does now recall and adopt the sentiments of our fathers in the Church of 
Scotland, as these are expressed in substance in the Solemn League and 
Covenant of 1643.: "And because the people of this land are guilty of 
many sins and provocations against God and his Son Jesus Christ, as is 
manifest by our present distresses and dangers, the fruits thereof, we pro- 
fess and declare before God and the world our unfeigned desire to be 
humbled for our own sins and the sins of the people, especially that we have 
not as we ought valued the inestimable benefit of the gospel, nor labored 
for the purity and power thereof; and that we have not as we ought en- 
deavored to receive Christ in our hearts, nor to walk worthy of him in 
our lives, which are the cause of other sins and transgressions so much 
abounding among us ; and our true and unfeigned purpose, desire and 
endeavor for ourselves, and all others under our charge, both in public and 
private, in all duties we owe to God and man, to amend our lives, and 
each one to go before another in the example of a real reformation, that 
the Lord may turn away his wrath and heavy indignation, and establish 
the Church and the land in truth and peace." — 1863, p. 60, O. S. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 243 

13. Duty of Citizens to Support "the Federal Administration," as 
being quoad hoc "the Government." 

[Referring to its previous action the Assembly affirms its continuance 
in the views there expressed, and inter alia declares :] 

First, That civil government is ordained of God, and that submission 
to a lawful government and to its acts in its proper sphere is a duty bind- 
ing on the conscience, and required by all the principles of our religion 
as a part of our allegiance to God. 

Second, That while there is in certain respects a ground of distinction 
between a government, considered as referring to the constitution of a coun- 
try, and an administration, considered as referring to the existing agencies, 
through which the principles and provisions of the Constitution are ad- 
ministered, yet the government of a country, to which direct allegiance 
and loyalty are due at any time, is the administration duly placed in 
power. Such an administration is the government of a nation, having a 
right to execute the laws and to demand the entire, unqualified and prompt 
obedience of all who are under its authority, and resistance to such a gov- 
ernment is rebellion and treason. 

Third, That the present administration of the United States, duly 
elected under the Constitution, is the government in the land, to which 
alone, under God, all the citizens of this nation owe allegiance ; who, as 
such, are to be honored and obeyed, whose efforts to defend the govern- 
ment against rebellion are to be sustained, and that all attempts to resist 
or set "aside the action of the lawfully-constituted authorities of the gov- 
ernment in any way, by speech or action, to oppose or embarrass the 
measures which it may adopt to assert its lawful authority, except in 
accordance with the forms prescribed by the Constitution, are to be re- 
garded as treason against the nation, as giving aid and comfort to its 
enemies and as rebellion against God. 

Fourth, That in the execution of the laws it is the religious duty of all 
good, citizens promptly and cheerfully to sustain the government by every 
means in their power, to stand by it in its peril, and to afford all needful 
aid in suppressing insurrection and rebellion, and restoring obedience to 
lawful authority in every part of the land. — See in full, 1863, pp. 242- 
245, N. S. 

14. Resolutions Upholding the Civil Authority. 

Whereas, The iniquitous rebellion, prompted by reckless ambition, in the 
defence and furtherance of human slavery, continues to lift itself against 
the liberal and legitimate government of the United States; and, 

< Whereas, Such rebellion not only violates the sacred principle of obe- 
dience to the authorities ordained of God, but also directly advocates 
the hindrance of the free progress of God's holy word, and thus, as anti- 
Christ, opposes itself to the truth ; and, 

Whereas, Its aiders and abettors are responsible for the sea of blood 
that has been shed through their resistance to the righteous efforts of the 
government to save the life and integrity of the nation ; and, 

Whereas, It becomes the Church of Christ to utter no uncertain voice 
in regard to a grand public fact so intimately and essentially associated 
with its interests ; therefore, 

Resolved, 1. That this General Assembly heartily reaffirms the princi- 
ples and renews the declarations of previous General Assemblies, so far as 
applicable to the present aspect of public affairs. 

Resolved, 2. That we recognize clearly the good hand of our God in all 



244 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

the victories of the national arms whereby the limits of the rebellion have 
been contracted and its vitality impaired, and we look humbly and confi- 
dently to the same divine source for further success, until the cause of the 
nation shall be vindicated and peace established on the grave of treason. 

Resolved, 3. That we also recognize the same good hand of our God in 
the disappointments and delays of the war, by which he has made more 
sure the complete destruction of the vile system of human bondage, and 
rendered less self-confident and more religious the heart of the nation. 

Resolved, 4. That in such recognition and hope we do by no means lose 
sight of our national and individual sins which render us so utterly 
unworthy of the divine favor, but confess them with penitent hearts, and 
trust to a covenant God in Christ Jesus that this unworthiness will not 
hinder the might of God's grace in behalf of the cause of right and order. 

Resolved, 5. That we exhort all our churches to renewed zeal and faith- 
fulness in supplication to God for the deliverance of the land, and the 
prosperity of Christ's kingdom, through the blessings of national peace 
and fraternity. 

Resolved, 6. That we cordially uphold the government with our sym- 
pathies and prayers in its energetic efforts for the suppression of this most 
causeless and cruel rebellion, and urge all Christians to refrain from weak- 
ening the authority of the administration by ill-timed complaints and 
unnecessary criticisms, fully believing that in such a crisis all speech and 
action which tend to difference should be studiously avoided for the sake 
of the common weal. 

Resolved, 7. That a copy of these resolutions, duly authenticated, be 
transmitted to the President of the United States.— 1864, p. 466, N. S. 

15. Upon the Assassination of President Lincoln. 

The following report was adopted unanimously: 

a. This General Assembly, recognizing the special providence of Al- 
mighty God, the Ruler of nations and Redeemer of men, in all the events 
connected with the terrible civil war which for four years has desolated 
our land, would here record our devout thanksgiving and gratitude to 
Him by whom "kings reign and princes decree justice" for his divine 
favor to us as a nation, in filling the hearts of the loyal people of these 
United States with an inextinguishable love for our national Union and 
an unconquerable resolution to preserve it; in raising up a mighty host 
of valiant men, ready to give their lives in defence of our national gov- 
ernment; in blessing the various departments of that government in their 
work of organizing, equipping and maintaining, throughout the entire 
conflict, our vast army and navy ; in providing leaders of wisdom, cour- 
age and skill suited for every emergency; in calling forth such unwonted 
benevolence in promoting the physical comfort and spiritual welfare of 
our soldiers and sailors and in bringing so many of them to a saving 
knowledge, as we trust, of the plan of salvation through a crucified Re- 
deemer; in bringing to confusion the counsels and overwhelming the 
power of our enemies ; and in crowning our arms with triumphant success. 

We would also render hearty thanks to almighty God that in this 
crisis of our nation's history he gave us, in Abraham Lincoln, a Chief 
Magistrate who acknowledged his dependence on him for wisdom and 
strength, and who eminently illustrated, in his life and character, the 
virtues of fidelity to official duty, integrity and uprightness, firmness of 
purpose, patient endurance, courage and hope in disaster, moderation in 
victory, sympathy with the suffering, and kindness to foes ; one who ex- 
hibited that wisdom, sagacity and mercy in administering the affairs of 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 245 

the nation, which secured for him the confidence and esteem of friends, 
silenced the calumnies of enemies, and constrained from malignant op- 
posers and rebels expressions of respect and admiration, and which will 
cause his name and memory to be honored and revered by the pure and 
good in all time to come. 

While we deeply deplore the loss of such a Chief Magistrate, and bow T 
in humble submission to that mysterious providence which permitted trea- 
son, as its culminating act of atrocity and wickedness, to terminate his 
life by the hand of an assassin, we would render devout thanksgiving to 
God that he was protected from all the machinations of his relentless 
enemies' until he was permitted to see the power of the rebellion crushed, 
its strongholds repossessed, its conquered armies forced to surrender, the 
national honor, untarnished by acts of barbarism or cruelty, vindicated, 
the integrity of the Union preserved, that scheme of emancipation, 
which he had the wisdom to devise, and the courage to execute, made 
effective to the deliverance from bondage of four millions of slaves, for 
whose perpetual enslavement the rebellion was inaugurated, and peace, 
upon principles of righteousness and universal freedom, already dawning 
upon the land. 

In closing this record, we would invoke the divine blessing upon our 
present Chief Magistrate, and would ask for him the prayers of all Chris- 
tian people, that he may be endowed with the fear Of God, and with the 
spirit of wisdom and of a sound mind, and be enabled, through wise coun- 
sels and by just and prudent measures, to secure to this nation the full 
enjoyment of that peace which has been obtained at the price of so much 
blood ; and we commend all our rulers and all the people to the gracious 
favor of Him who, by his recent providences, has given renewed assurance 
that, though "clouds and darkness are round about him, righteousness and 
judgment are the habitation of his throne." — 1865, p. 566, O. S. 

b. In the Assembly, N. S., the following was adopted : 

In the sad event which has clothed the nation in mourning, which has 
stricken down in the full maturity of his powers and the height of his 
usefulness one of the noblest of men, to whom it was given of God to ac- 
complish a work for this nation and the cause of humanity unsurpassed 
in the grandeur of its character and the magnitude of its issues by that 
of any of his most illustrious predecessors, we recognize the same wise 
providence which, looking far above our feeble vision, permitted the ex- 
istence of slavery and the rise of this rebellion, and which, in this last 
act of baffled and defeated despotism, has illustrated its debased and ma- 
lignant spirit so as to excite the loathing, horror and abhorrence of the 
world. In his life he struck the chains from the trembling limbs of 
millions, vindicated the rights of humanity, and illustrated the glory of 
a patriotism made strong and pure by devout confidence in God. In his 
death he touched the chords of sympathy deep in the heart of universal 
man, and won over to our holy cause every true lover of his race, every 
soul in which dwells the hope of freedom. 

To his bereaved widow and family this body would express our sympa- 
thy in this great affliction common to us all, but resting most heavily upon 
those so nearly allied to him, assuring them of our prayers that to them 
may be granted the consolations of the Comforter, and in them these 
trials may bring forth " the peaceable fruits of righteousness." — 1865, p. 
37, N. S. [See the deliverance in full, pp. 36-41.] 



246 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 



16. Powers of the Assembly in Defining- and Determining which are 
True and Lawful Judicatories. 

The report thus adopted is as follows : 

The Committee to whom were referred sundry papers relating to the 
divisions of the Synods of Kentucky and Missouri, and of the Presbyter- 
ies under their care, which has resulted in two sets of commissioners 
claiming seats in this General Assembly from several of these Presbyter- 
ies, and also sundry papers concerning the signers of a paper entitled a 
" Declaration and Testimony," etc., together with the citation of the said 
signers, who were summoned by the last General Assembly to appear be- 
fore this present Assembly, beg leave to report : 

That they have had the matters committed to them under consideration, 
and have had full personal conference with the several claimants for seats, 
and recommend to the General Assembly for adoption the following pro- 
positions : 

I. The ecclesiastical judicatories hereinafter named are the true and 
lawful judicatories in connection with and under the care and authority 
of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States of America, namely : 

The Synod of Kentucky, which met at Henderson, Kentucky, in Octo- 
ber, 1866, and adjourned to meet, and did meet, in Lexington, Kentucky, 
in November, 1866, of which Synod the Rev. J. T. Lapsley is now the 
moderator and the Rev. S. S. McRoberts is the stated clerk, this Synod 
having under its care and authority, and within its ecclesiastical boundaries, 
the following Presbyteries — viz., the Presbytery of Louisville, of which 
the Rev. J. P. McMillan is now the moderator and the Rev. R. Valentine 
is the stated clerk ; the Presbytery of Ebenezer, of which the Rev. J. F. 
Hendy is now the moderator and the Rev. R. F. Caldwell is the stated 
clerk ; the Presbytery of West Lexington, of which the Rev. Stephen 
Yerkes, D. D., is now the moderator and the Rev. J. K. Lyle is the 
stated clerk ; the Presbytery of Transylvania, of which the Rev. G. J. 
Read is now the moderator and the Rev. S. S. McRoberts is the stated 
clerk ; the Presbytery of Muhlenburg, of which the Rev. A. D. Metcalf 
is now the moderator and the Rev. S. Y. Garrison is the stated clerk ; 
and the Presbytery of Paducah, of which the Rev. J. P. Riddle is now 
the moderator and the Rev. James Hawthorn is the stated clerk ; and 
these several Presbyteries having in their connection and under their care 
and authority and within their ecclesiastical boundaries respectively the 
ministers, churches, licentiates and candidates belonging to, and claiming 
to belong to, the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. 
The foregoing described judicatories — namely, the Synod, Presbyteries 
and church sessions within their respective jurisdictions, are to be respected 
and obeyed as the true and only lawful judicatories possessing the names 
above recited within the State of Kentucky, which are in connection with 
and under the care and authority of the General Assembly of the Pres- 
byterian Church in the United States of America ; and the commissioners 
sent to and enrolled in this General Assembly from the above described 
Presbyteries are true and lawful commissioners. 

The Synod of Missouri, which met at Boonville, Missouri, October 10, 
1866, of which Synod the Rev. J. P. Finley was elected moderator and 
the Rev. J. A. Paige was elected the stated clerk, and which adjourned to 
meet in Kansas City on the second AVednesday in October, 1867, this 
Synod having under its care and authority, and within its ecclesiastical 
boundaries, the following Presbyteries, viz. — the Presbytery of St. Louis, 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 247 

of which the Rev. J. F. Fenton is now the moderator and the Rev. H. C. 
McCook is the stated clerk ; the Presbytery of Palmyra, of which the 
Rev. A. Steed is now the moderator and the Rev. J. P. Finley is the stated 
clerk ; the Presbytery of Potosi, of which the Rev. G. W. Harland is now 
the moderator and the Rev. A. Munsen is the stated clerk ; the Presby- 
tery of Lafayette, of which the Rev. Charles Sturdevant is now the modera- 
tor and the Rev. George Fraser is the stated clerk ; the Presbytery of South- 
west Missouri, of which the Rev. Wm. R. Fulton is now the moderator 
and the Rev. James A. Paige is the stated clerk ; and the Presbytery of 
Upper Missouri, of which the Rev. Mr. Pinkerton is now the moderator 
and the Rev. W. C. McPheeters is the stated clerk ; and these several 
Presbyteries, having in their connection and under their care and author- 
ity and within their ecclesiastical boundaries respectively the ministers, 
churches, licentiates and candidates belonging to, and claiming to belong 
to, the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. The above 
described judicatories — namely, the Synod, Presbyteries and church ses- 
sions within their respective jurisdictions — are to be respected and obeyed 
as the true and only lawful judicatories possessing the names above 
recited within the State of Missouri, which are in connection with and 
under the care and authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyter- 
ian Church in the United States of America ; and the commissioners sent 
to and enrolled in this General Assembly from the above described Pres- 
byteries are true and lawful commissioners. — 1867, p. 335. The re- 
mainder of the deliverance is omitted, in conformity with the action of 
the Assembly of 1873. 

17. Case of the Walnut Street Church, Louisville, Ky- The Assem- 
bly Passes upon the Validity of the Election of Ruling Elders. 

a. The Committee on Bills and Overtures, to whom were referred the 
petition and memorial of Benjamin F. Avery, D. McISTaughton, James A. 
Linch and Thomas J. Hackney, ruling elders in the Walnut Street Church 
in Louisville, praying for such redress as in the wisdom of the General 
Assembly may seem just and necessary to redress the grievances of said 
church, as set forth in said memorial and petition, report that they have 
considered the matter referred, and recommend the adoption of the fol- 
lowing : 

Whereas, On the second day of January last, D. McNaughton, Benja- 
min F. Avery and James A. Leech were elected ruling elders by the con- 
gregation of said church, and on the ninth day of January the said D. 
McNaughton was installed and Benjamin F. Avery and James A. Linch 
were duly ordained and installed ruling elder« in said church ; 

And whereas, The Presbytery of Louisville, after the election of said 
ruling elders, with the apparent design of discrediting said election, de- 
nied to one of their number a seat in said Presbytery, notwithstanding he 
had been duly elected to represent said church at a meeting of said Pres- 
bytery ; 

And whereas, It is evident that the peace of said church and their con- 
gregational rights are in great danger unless this Assembly shall interpose 
its authority, therefore this General Assembly, by virtue of its authority 
and obligation to give advice and instruction in all cases submitted to 
them, does truly declare that the said D. McNaughton, Benjamin F. 
Avery and James A. Leech are to be recognized and acknowledged as 
ruling elders in the said church, and all church courts and sessions, sub- 
ject to or under the care of this Assembly, are solemnly enjoined to respect 
and sustain their authority as such. 



248 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

The report on this overture was adopted. — 1866, p. 54, O. S. 

A protest was entered against this, to which the Assembly reply : 

In answer to the protest of Mr. Bracken and others, in the case of the 
Walnut Street Church of Louisville, the Assembly declare that the election 
of new ruling elders in that church was ordered by the Synod of Ken- 
tucky, on a review of the whole case, upon memorial from the congrega- 
tion, and was conducted and consummated by the Committee appointed 
by the Synod with plenary powers, all of which is established by the 
attested records of the Synod of Kentucky, and of the Committee ap- 
pointed by that Synod, the premises meeting all the circumstances and 
requirements of the case. — 1866, p. 68, O. S. 

b. The General Assembly of 1866 adjudged that B. F. Avery, D. 
McNaughton and J. A. Leech had been duly elected and ordained as 
ruling elders in the Walnut Street Presbyterian Church, Louisville, Ky. 
It has now come to the knowledge of the Assembly that the court of 
appeals of Kentucky has uttered a judicial opinion in these words: 
" That the said order of the Synod directing said election of additional' 
ruling elders in said church was contrary to the Constitution of the Pres- 
byterian Church, and not obligatory upon the session and congregation 
of said Walnut Street Church, and said Avery, McNaughton and Leech, 
not having been elected as ruling elders according to the laws and regu- 
lations of the Church, were not thereby constituted ruling elders, nor 
were they so constituted by said declaration of the General Assembly." 

Whereupon the Presbytery of Louisville adopted and published a pro- 
test against this decision of the judges. The Presbytery denies that it is 
competent for the secular tribunals to look into or to set aside the election 
of office-bearers in the Church ; or to revise the decisions of the spiritual 
courts in regard to such elections; or to define the jurisdiction of our 
church courts in matters purely spiritual ; or to go behind the judgments 
of the General Assembly upon questions of church government or disci- 
pline. The Presbytery, still further, in its said protest, declares this par- 
ticular decision of the secular tribunal to be an encroachment on religious 
liberty, and a violation of the principle which determines the independ- 
ence of the Church upon the State. Finally, the Presbytery declares that 
the ruling elders so attempted to be deprived of office are, before the law 
of this Church, still ruling elders therein, by a perfect ecclesiastical tenure. 

And now the General Assembly declares its full approval of the fidelity 
of the Presbytery of Louisville in this whole matter. We unite with the 
Presbytery in protesting against this encroachment on the liberties of a 
free Church. We approve the judgment of the Presbytery declaring their 
brethren to be ruling elders of the Walnut street congregation, the de- 
cision of the secular court to the contrary notwithstanding ; and we ex- 
press our satisfaction in recognizing among the commissioners now sitting 
in this Assembly the person of one of these ruling elders. 

The Assembly of 1867 carefully described and identified the Synod and 
the six Presbyteries in Kentucky which are in connection with the Gen- 
eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of Amer- 
ica. The present General Assembly deems it proper to reaffirm and 
declare anew at this time that the ecclesiastical position of this Synod 
and its Presbyteries remains as it was denned and settled by the last As- 
sembly (see Minutes of 1867, etc.), and thus are declared to be the true 
and only Synod and Presbyteries in connection with the Geueral Assem- 
bly of this Church in the State of Kentucky. 

Still further, this Assembly expresses its sympathy with the churches in 
the Synod of Kentucky in the difficulties and trials into which they have 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 249 

been brought by their adherence to the Presbyterian Church. We will 
aid them to the full extent of our ability in defending and protecting their 
church property. And we will encourage the people of God everywhere, 
under our charge, to contribute liberally to repair the pecuniary losses 
which may be sustained by their churches and schools of learning. 

We counsel these brethren also, on the one hand, to yield a cheerful 
obedience to the laws of the land, even to the extent of taking "joyfully 
the spoiling of their goods." But, on the other hand, we counsel the 
courts of the Church to continue to administer the spiritual government 
of Christ's house which is in their hands, always disregarding the judg- 
ments of the secular tribunals on questions which belong to the spiritual 
jurisdiction alone. It is the constant faith of this Church that civil 
magistrates may not assume to themselves " the powers of the keys of the 
kingdom of heaven, or in the least interfere in matters of faith ;" " and 
as Jesus Christ hath appointed a regular government and discipline in his 
Church, no law of any commonwealth should interfere with, let or hinder 
the due exercise thereof, among the voluntary members of any denomina- 
tion of Christians, according to their own profession and belief." (Con- 
fession of Faith, chap, xxiii.) 

The report was unanimously adopted. — 1868, p. 652, O. S. 

c. The report of the Committee on Bills and Overtures was amended 
and adopted, and is as follows : 

The various Presbyteries of the Synod of Kentucky respectfully call 
the attention of the General Assembly to the judicial decisions accom- 
panying this memorial, as follows : 

The first is a decision of the court of appeals in the State of Ken- 
tucky, in which the right of the civil courts to review and reverse the pro- 
ceedings and decisions of ecclesiastical courts on purely ecclesiastical mat- 
ters is directly maintained, and in pursuance of which it is adjudged that 
three ruling elders, whose election and ordination was ordered by the 
Synod of Kentucky and confirmed by the General Assembly, were not 
ruling elders in the Presbyterian Church. 

The second is a decision of the same court, in which the same superior- 
ity of the civil tribunals over the ecclesiastical is maintained, and in pur- 
suance of which the deliverances of the General Assembly during the 
late war on loyalty, freedom, etc., are adjudged to be unconstitutional, in 
w T hich its condemnation of the Declaration and Testimony is adjudged to 
be erroneous, and its dealings with the signers of that paper to be null 
and void. 

The third is a decision of the circuit court of the United States, in 
which, in opposition to the decisions mentioned, it is decided that the civil 
courts are bound to respect and enforce the decisions of all ecclesiastical 
courts, particularly the General Assembly, on all purely ecclesiastical 
matters whatsoever. 

From this last decision an appeal has been taken to the supreme court 
of the United States, and thus the rights and prerogatives of the General 
Assembly are placed in a posture where they must be determined by that 
court of last resort. 

A case so directly involving the rights of the General Assembly, and 
so essentially determining the extent to which we shall be permitted to 
enjoy our religious liberties, ought not, in our judgment, to be left to the 
management of, nor should the expense fall solely upon, a single church. 

We, therefore, respectfully request the General Assembly to take such 
action and to make such provision as will be necessary in order to a 
thorough vindication of its rights and prerogatives before that tribunal. 
32 



250 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

As an answer to this memorial the Committee on Bills and Overtures 
recommends the adoption of the following resolutions : 

Resolved, 1. This General Assembly expresses its deepest sympathy for 
those churches in the bounds of the Synod of Kentucky which have 
become involved in expensive and harassing litigation while faithfully 
complying with the orders of the superior judicatories of the Church, and 
directs the Board of Domestic Missions and the Board of Church Exten- 
sion to afford them all such assistance as it may be in their power to give. 

Resolved, 2. While the General Assembly fully recognizes its obliga- 
tion to be in subjection to the powers that be, yet, so long as anything can 
legally be done, it must not and will not remain silent and inactive when 
its own rights and liberties and the rights and liberties of the whole Church 
are put in peril by injurious decisions in the civil courts; it expresses 
gratification at the decision that has been rendered by the circuit court 
of the United States in the case referred to in the memorial, and it hereby 
appoints E. P. Humphrey, D. D., Edgar Needham and General John M. 
Harlan, of Louisville, Kentucky, a Committee to counsel and co-operate 
with the proper parties in the appeal which has been taken in this case to 
the supreme court of the United States, and for the necessary expenses 
of said case in the court from which and in the court to which it has been 
appealed, said Committee is authorized to draw on the Board of Publica- 
tion for a sum not exceeding five thousand dollars. — 1869, p. 942, O. S. 

d. The report of the Committee was adopted, viz. : 

Your Committee, therefore, ask the General Assembly to allow us to use 
the unexpended balance of the $5000 appropriation, that balance being 
$3000, for the purpose of amicably adjusting the Walnut street case; 
provided, 

1. That the sum of $2000 shall be contributed by our brethren for this 
purpose ; and, 

2. That all the cases pending in any of the courts, involving the title 
to houses of worship or parsonages in Kentucky, shall be also amicably 
adjusted and settled. Such an adjustment would, we trust, exert a most 
salutary influence upon the cause of Christ and the welfare of the Pres- 
byterian Church.— 1870, p. 127. 

e. Final Report — The Position of the General Assembly Sustained by the 
Supreme Court of the United States. 

The Rev. George W. Musgrave, D. D., LL.D., in behalf of a Commit- 
tee appointed by the General Assembly (O. S.) of 1868, on the case of 
the Walnut Street Church, Louisville, Ky., presented the following re- 
port, which was adopted, as follows : 

The General Assembly of the O. S. branch of this Church, met in 1869, 
appropriated the sum of $5000 to aid the Walnut Street Church of Louis- 
ville, Ky., in asserting its property rights in the courts of the United 
States. One of the questions involved in that litigation was the question 
whether it is competent for the courts of law in this country to set aside or 
to revise the decisions of our church courts in matters that are purely 
ecclesiastical. 

This grave issue led the General Assembly to take part in the case of 
the Walnut Street Church. A Committee was appointed to superintend 
the litigation. The Committee employed the Hon. John M. Harlan and 
the Hon. B. H. Bristow, both distinguished lawyers, to conduct the cause 
in our behalf. They have discharged their duty with great ability and 
fidelity. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 251 

The supreme court at "Washington has, in a judgment lately rendered, 
upheld all the rights of property asserted by the Walnut Street Church ; 
and what is of far more importance, that high court has fully sustained 
the doctrine for which the General Assembly has contended. In an elab- 
orate written opinion the judges have held, for substance, that the courts 
of law must accept as final and conclusive the decisions of the General 
Assembly on questions purely ecclesiastical, and must give full effect to 
these decisions in settling the property rights of parties litigant. 

The General Assembly will not be slow to appreciate the value of this 
opinion, in the protection which it affords to the liberties of a free church, 
and to the funds which may be entrusted to the Assembly and to its con- 
gregations for pious uses. 

For this reason the Assembly is respectfully overtured to publish the 
opinion of the court at length, in the appendix to its minutes, and to order 
a faithful abstract thereof to be prepared and inserted in the forthcoming 
Digest. 

The Board of Publication have promptly honored the drafts of the 
Committee to the full amount appropriated by the Assembly of 1869. A 
large part of this money has been expended in the payment of expenses 
incident to the litigation, leaving a moderate compensation for the labors 
of our legal counsel. 

The Assembly are respectfully asked to accept this as our final report, 
and to discharge the Committee. 

George Junkin, Esq., and W. J. McElroy, Esq., were appointed a Com- 
mittee to prepare for publication in the new Digest an abstract of the de- 
cision of the supreme court of the United States referred to in the above 
report.— 1872, p. 52. 

[In accordance with the recommendation of the Committee (see 1873, 
p. 480), the entire report is given here as follows, viz. :] 

X^ATW" CASE. 

DECISION OF THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT IN THE CASE OF THE 
WALNUT STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. LOUISVILLE, KY. 

[printed by order op the assembly, 1873, p. 480.] 

John Watson et al. v. William A. Jones et al. 

[I. Where the pendency of prior suit is set up to defeat another, the case must be the 
same; there must be the same parties, or at least such as represent the same inte- 
rest; there must he the same rights asserted and the same relief prayed for. 

2. Where the subject-matter of dispute is strictly and purely ecclesiastical in its cha- 
racter, a matter which concerns theological controversy, church discipline, ecclesi- 
astical government, or the conformity of the members of the church to the standard 
of morals required of them, and the ecclesiastical courts claim jurisdiction, the civil 
courts will not assume jurisdiction ; they will not even inquire into the right of juris- 
diction of the ecclesiastical court. 

3. A spiritual court is the exclusive judge of its own jurisdiction ; its decision of that 
question is binding on the secular courts.] 

Appeal from the Circuit Court of the Tinted States for District of Kentucky. 

Opinion by Miller, J. 

This case belongs to a class, happily rare in our courts, in which one of the parties 
to a controversy, essentially ecclesiastical, resorts to the judicial tribunals of the State 
for the maintenance of the rights which the Church has refused to acknowledge, or 
found itself unable to protect. Much as such dissensions among the members of a 
religious society should be regretted — a regret which is increased when, passing from 
the control of the judicial and legislative bodies of the entire organization to which 
the society belongs, an appeal is made to the secular authority — the courts when so 
called on must perform their functions as in other cases. 



252 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Religious organizations come before us in the same attitude as other voluntary- 
associations for benevolent or charitable purposes, and their rights of property, or 
of contract, are equally under the protection of the law, and the actions of their 
members subject to its restraints. Conscious as we may be of the excited feeling 
engendered by this controversy, and of the extent to which it has agitated the intel- 
ligent and pious body of Christians in whose bosom it originated, we enter upon its 
consideration with the satisfaction of knowing that the principles on which we are to 
decide so much of it as is proper for our decision are those applicable alike to all of 
its class, and that our duty is the simple one of applying those principles to the facts 
before us. 

It is a bill in chancery in the circuit court of the United States for the District of 
Kentucky, brought by William A. Jones, Mary J. Jones and Ellenor Lee, citizens of 
Indiana, against John Watson and others named, citizens of Kentucky, and against the 
trustees of the Third or Walnut Street Presbyterian Church, in Louisville, a corpo- 
ration created by an act of the Legislature of that State. The trustees, McDougall, 
McPherson and Ashcraft, are also sued as citizens of Kentucky. Plaintiffs allege in 
their bill that they are members in good and regular standing of said church, attend- 
ing its religious exercises under the pastorship of the Rev. John S. Hays, and that the 
defendants, George Fulton and Henry Farley, who claim without right to be trustees 
of the chureh, supported and recognized as such by the defendants, John Watson 
and Joseph Gault, who also without right claim to be ruling elders, are threatening, 
preparing and about to take unlawful possession of the house of worship and grounds 
belonging to the church, and to prevent Hays, who is the rightful pastor, from min- 
istering therein, refusing to recognize him as pastor, and to recognize as ruling elder 
Thomas J. Hackney, who is the sole lawful ruling elder ; and that, when they obtain 
such possession, they will oust Hays and Hackney and those who attend their min- 
istrations, among whom are complainants. 

And they further allege that Hackney, whose duty it is as elder, and McDougall, 
McPherson and Ashcraft, whose duty as trustees it is to protect the rights thus threat- 
ened, by such proceeding in the courts as will prevent the execution of the threats 
and designs of the other defendants, refuse to take any steps to. that end. 

They further allege that the Walnut Street Church, of which they are members, 
now forms, and has, ever since its organization in the year 1842, formed, a part of the 
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, known as the Old School, which 
is governed by a written constitution that includes the Confession of Faith, Form of 
Government, Book of Discipline and Directory for Worship, and that the governing 
bodies of the general Church, above the Walnut Street Church, are, in successive order, 
the Presbytery of Louisville, the Synod of Kentucky and the General Assembly of 
the Presbyterian Church in the United States. That while plaintiffs and about one 
hundred and fifteen members who worship with them, and Mr. Hays, the pastor, 
Hackney, the ruling elder, and the trustees, McDougall, McPherson and Ashcraft, are 
now in full membership and relation with the lawful general Presbyterian Church 
aforesaid, the defendants named, with about thirty persons formerly members of said 
church, worshiping under one Dr. Yandell as pastor, have seceded and withdrawn 
themselves from said Walnut Street Church and from the general Presbyterian 
Church in the United States, and have voluntarily connected themselves with, and are 
now members of, another religious society, and that they have repudiated, and do now 
repudiate and renounce, the authority and jurisdiction of the various judicatories of 
the Presbyterian Church in the United States, and acknowledge and recognize the 
authority of other church judicatories which are disconnected from the Presbyterian 
Church in the United States and from the Walnut Street Church. And they allege 
that Watson and Gault have been, by order of the General Assembly of said church, 
dropped from the roll of elders of said church for having so withdrawn and renounced 
its jurisdiction, and the Assembly has declared the organization to which plaintiffs 
adhere to be the true and only Walnut Street Presbyterian Church of Louisville. 

They pray for an injunction and for general relief. 

The defendants, Hackney, McDougall, McPherson and Ashcraft, answer, admitting 
the allegations of the bill, and that, though requested, they had refused to prosecute 
legal proceedings in the matter. 

The other defendants answer and deny almost every r allegation in the bill. They 
claim to be lawful officers of the W T alnut Street Presbyterian Church, and that they 
and those whom they represent are the true members of the church. They deny having 
withdrawn from the local or the general church, and deny that the action of the Gene- 
ral Assembly cutting them off was within its constitutional anthority. They say the 
plaintiffs are not, and never have been, lawfully admitted to membership in the Wal- 
nut Street Church, and have no such interest in it as will sustain this suit, and they 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 253 

set up and rely upon a suit still pending in the chancery court of Louisville, which 
they say involves the same subject-matter, and is between the same parties in interest 
as the present suit. They allege that in that suit they have been decreed to be the 
only true and lawful trustees and elders of the Walnut Street Church, and an order lias 
been made to place them in possession of the church property, which order remains 
unexecuted, and the property is still in the possession of the marshal of that court as 
its receiver. These facts are relied on in bar to the present suit. 

This statement of the pleadings is indispensable to an understanding of the points 
arising in the case. So far as an examination of the evidence may be necessary, it 
will be made as it is required in the consideration of these points. 

The first of these concerns the jurisdiction of the circuit court, which is denied ; 
first, on the ground that the plaintiffs have no such interest in the subject of litigation 
as will enable them to maintain the suit, and, secondly, on matters arising out of the 
alleged proceedings in the suit in the chancery court of Louisville. 

The allegation that plaintiffs are not lawful members of the Walnut Street Church 
is based upon the assumption that their admission as members was by a pastor and 
elders who had no lawful authority to act as such. As the claim of those elders to be 
such is one of the matters which this bill is brought to establish, and the denial of 
which makes an issue to be tried, it is obvious that the objection to the interest of plain- 
tiffs must stand or fall with the decision on the merits, and cannot be decided as a 
preliminary question. Their right to have this question decided, if there is no other 
objection to the jurisdiction, cannot be doubted. Some attempt is made, in the answer, 
to question the good faith of their citizenship, but this seems to have been abandoned 
in the argument. 

In regard to the suit in the chancery court of Louisville which the defendants 
allege to be pending, there can be no doubt but that court is one competent to enter- 
tain jurisdiction of all the matters set up in the present suit. As to those matters, 
and to the parties, it is a court of concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit court of 
the United States, and as between those courts the rule is applicable that the one 
which has first obtained jurisdiction in a given case must retain it exclusively until 
it disposes of it by a final judgment or decree. 

But when the pendency of such a suit is set up to defeat another, the case must be 
the same. There must be the same parties, or at least such as represent the same in- 
terest, there must be the same rights asserted and the same relief prayed for. This 
relief must be founded on the same facts, and the title or essential basis of the relief 
sought must be the same. 

The identity in these particulars should be such that, if the pending case had 
already been disposed of, it could be pleaded in bar as a former adjudication of the 
same matter between the same parties. 

In the case of Barrow v. Kindred, 4 Wallace, 397, which was an action of eject- 
ment, the plaintiff showed a good title to the land, and defendant relied on a former 
judgment in his favor, between the same parties for the same land, the statute of Illi- 
nois making a judgment in such an action as conclusive as in other personal actions, 
except by way of new trial. But this court held that, as in the second suit, plaintiff 
introduced and relied upon a new and different title, acquired since the first trial, that 
judgement could be no bar, because that title had not been passed upon by the court in 
the first suit. 

But the principles which should^ govern in regard to the identity of the matters in 
issue in the two suits, to make the pendency of the one to defeat the other, are as fully 
discussed in the case of Buck v. Colbath, 3 Wallace, 334, where that was the main 
question, as in any case we have been able to find. It was an action of trespass, 
brought in a State court, against the marshal of the circuit court of the United 
States for seizing property of plaintiff, under a writ of attachment from the circuit 
court. And it was brought while the suit in the Federal court was still pending, and 
while the marshal held the property subject to its judgment. So far as the lis pen- 
dens and possession of the property in one court, and a suit brought for the taking by 
its officer in another, the analogy to the present case is very strong. In that case the 
court said: "It is not true that a court, having obtained jurisdiction of a subject- 
matter of suit, and of parties before it, thereby excludes all other courts from' the 
right to adjudicate upon other matters having a very close connection with those 
before the first court, and in some instances requiring the decision of the same ques- 
tion exactly. In examining into the exclusive character of the jurisdiction in such 
cases, we must have regard to the nature of the remedies, the character of the relief 
sought, and the identity of the parties in the different suits." And it might have 
been added, to the facts on which the claim for relief is founded. 

"A party," says the court, by way of example, "having notes secured by a mo.t- 



254 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. . 

gage on real estate, may, unless restrained by statute, sue in a court of chancery to 
foreclose his mortgage, and in a court of law to recover a judgment on his note, and 
in another court of law in an action of ejectment for possession of the land. Here, 
in all the suits, the only question at issue may be the existence of the debt secured 
by the mortgage. But as the relief sought is different, and the mode of proceeding 
different, the jurisdiction of neither court is affected by the proceedings in the other." 
This opinion contains a critical review of the cases in this court of Hagan v. Lucas, 
10 Peters, 402; Peck v. Jenness, 7 How., 624; Taylor v. Carry, 20 How., 594; and 
Freeman v. Howe, 24 How., 450, cited and relied on by counsel for appellants; and 
we are satisfied it states the doctrine correctly. 

The limits which necessity assigns to this opinion forbid our giving at length the 
pleadings in the case in the Louisville chancery court. But we cannot better state 
what is and what is not the subject-matter of that suit or controversy, as thus pre- 
sented and as shown throughout its course, than by adopting the language of the 
court of appeals of Kentucky, in its opinion delivered at the decision of that suit in- 
favor of the present appellants. "As suggested in argument," says the court, "and 
apparently conceded on both sides, this is not a case of division or schism in a 
church, nor is there any question as to which of two bodies should be recognized as 
the Third or Walnut Street Presbyterian Church. Neither is there any controversy 
as to the authority of Watson and Gault to act as ruling elders, but the sole inquiry 
to which we are restricted in our opinion is whether Avery, McNaughton and Leech 
are also ruling elders, and therefore members of the session of the church." 

The summary which we have already given of the pleadings in the present suit 
shows conclusively a different state of facts, different issues and a different relief 
sought. This is a case of division or schism in the church. It is a question as to 
which of two bodies shall be recognized as the Third or Walnut Street Presbyterian 
Church. There is a controversy as to the authority of Watson and Gault to act as 
ruling elders, that authority being denied in the bill of complainants, and so far from 
the claim of Avery, McNaughton and Leech to be ruling elders being the sole inquiry 
in this case, it is a very subordinate matter, and it depends upon facts and circum- 
stances altogether different from those set up and relied on in the other suit, and 
which did not exist when it was brought. The issue here is no longer a mere question 
of eldership, but it is a separation of the original church members and officers into two 
distinct bodies, with distinct members and officers, each claiming to be the true Wal- 
nut Street Presbyterian Church, and denying the right of the other to any such claim. 

This brief statement of the issues in the two suits leaves no room for argument to 
show that the pendency of the first cannot be pleaded either in bar or in abatement 
of the second. 

The supplementary petition filed by plaintiffs in that case, after the decree of the 
chancery court had been reversed on appeal, and which did contain very much the 
same matter found in the present bill, was, on motion of plaintiff's counsel, and by 
order of the court, dismissed, without prejudice, before this suit was brought, and of 
course was not a lis pendens at that time. 

It is contended, however, that the delivery, to the trustees and elders of the body 
of which plaintiffs are members, of the possession of the church building, cannot be 
granted in this suit, nor can the defendants be enjoined from taking possession as 
prayed in the bill, because the property is in the actual possession of the marshal of 
the Louisville chancery court as its receiver, and because there is an unexecuted 
decree of that court ordering the marshal to deliver the possession to defendants. 

In this the counsel for appellants are, in our opinion, sustained, both by the law 
and the state of the record of the suit in that court. 

The court, in the progress of that suit, made several orders concerning the use of 
the church, and finally placed it in the possession of the marshal as a receiver, and 
there is no order discharging his receivership; nor does it seem to us that there is any 
valid order finally disposing of the case so that it can be said to be no longer in that 
court. For though the chancery court did, on the 20th of March, 1867, after the re- 
versal of the case in the court of appeals, enter an order reversing its former decree 
and dismissing the bill, with costs, in favor of the defendants, the latter, on application 
to the appellate court, obtained another order dated June 26th. By this order or man- 
date to the chancery court it was directed to render a judgment in conformity to the 
opinion and mandate of the court, restoring possession, use and control of the church 
property to the parties entitled thereto according to said opinion, and so far as they 
were deprived thereof by the marshal of the chancery court under its order. 

In obedience to this mandate the chancery court, on the 18th of September, three 
months after the commencement of this suit, made an order that the marshal restore 
the possession, use and control of the church building to Henry Farley, George Ful- 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 255 

ton, B. F. Avery, or a majority of them, as trustees, and to John Watson, Joseph 
Gaalt and Thomas J. Hackney, or a majority of them, as ruling elders, and to report 
how he had executed the order, and reserving the case for such further order as might 
be necessary to enforce full obedience. 

It is argued here by counsel for appellees that the case was, in effect, disposed of 
by the order of the chancery court, and nothing remained to be done which could 
have any practical operation on the rights of the parties. 

But if the court of appeals, in reversing the decree of the chancellor in favor of 
plaintiffs, was of opinion that the defendants should be restored to the position they 
occupied in regard to the possession and control of the property before that suit began, 
we have no doubt of their right to make such order as was necessary to effect that 
object; and as the proper mode of doing this was by directing the chancellor to make 
the necessary order and have it enforced as chancery decrees are enforced in his court, 
we are of opinion that the order of the court of appeals above recited was, in essence 
and effect, a decree in that cause for such restoration, and that the last order of the 
chancery court, made in accordance with it, is a valid subsisting decree, which, though 
final, is unexecuted. 

The decisions of this court in the cases of Taylor v. Carryl, 20 How., 594, and Free- 
man v. Howe, 24 How., 450, and Burk v. Colbath, 5 Wallace, are conclusive that the 
marshal of the chancery court cannot be displaced as to the mere actual possession of 
the property, because that might lead to a personal conflict between the officers of the 
two courts for that possession. And the act of Congress of March 2d, 1793, 1 U. S. 
Statute, 334, $ 5, as construed in the cases of Diggs v. Walcott, 4 Cranch, 129, and 
Peck v. Jenness, 7 How., 625, are equally conclusive against any injunction from the 
circuit court forbidding the defendants to take the possession which the unexecuted 
decree of the chancery court requires the marshal to deliver to them. 

But though the prayer of the bill in this suit does ask for an injunction to restrain 
Watson, Gault, Fulton and Farley from taking possession, it also prays such other 
and further relief as the nature of the case requires, and especially that said defend- 
ants be restrained from interfering with Hays, as pastor, and plaintiffs in worshiping 
in said church. Under this prayer for general relief, if there was any decree which 
the circuit court could render for the protection of the right of plaintiffs, and which 
did not enjoin the defendants from taking possession of the church property, and 
which did not disturb the possession of the marshal of the Louisville chancery, that 
court had a right to hear the case and grant that relief. This leads us to inquire 
what is the nature and character of the possession to which those parties are to be 
restored. 

One or two propositions, which seem to admit of no controversy, are proper to be 
noticed in this connection. 1. Both by the act of the Kentucky Legislature creating 
the trustees of the church a body corporate, and by the acknowledged rules of the 
Presbyterian Church, the trustees were the mere nominal title-holders and custodians 
of the church property, and other trustees were or could be elected by the congrega- 
tion to supply their places once in every two years. 2. That in the use of the prop- 
erty for all religious services or ecclesiastical purposes, the trustees were under the 
control of the church session. 3. That by the constitution of all Presbyterian churches, 
the session, which is the governing body in each, is composed of the ruling elders and 
pastor, and in all business of the session a majority of its members govern, the number 
of elders for each congregation being variable. 

The trustees obviously hold possession for the use of the persons who, by the consti- 
tution, usages and laws of the Presbyterian body, are entitled to that use. They are 
liable to removal by the congregation for whom they hold this trust, and others may 
be substituted in their places. They have no personal ownership or right beyond 
this, and are subject, in their official relations to the property, to the control of the 
session of the church. 

The possession of the elders, though accompanied with larger and more efficient 
powers of control, is still a fiduciary possession. It is as a session of the church alone 
that they could exercise power. Except by an order of the session in regular meet- 
ing, they have no right to make any order concerning the use of the building, and any 
action of the session is necessarily in the character of representatives of the church 
body by whose members it was elected. 

if, then, this true body of the church — the members of that congregation — having 
rights of userin the building, have, in a mode which is authorized by the canons of 
the general Church in this country, elected and installed other elders, it does not seem 
to us inconsistent or at variance with the nature of the possession which we have tie- 
scribed, and which the chancery court orders to be restored to the defendants, that they 
should be compelled to recognize these rights, and permit those who are the real ben- 



256 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

eficiaries of the trust held by them, to enjoy the uses, to protect which that trust was 
created. Undoubtedly, if the order of the chancery court had been executed, and the 
marshal had delivered the key of the church to defendants, and. placed them in the 
same position they were before that suit was commenced, they could in any court 
having jurisdiction, and in a case properly made out, be compelled to respect the rights 
we have stated, and be controlled in their use of the possession by the court, so far as 
to secure those rights. 

All that we have said, in regard to the possession which the marshal is directed to 
deliver to defendants, is equally applicable to the possession held by him pending the 
execution of that order. His possession is a substitute for theirs, and the order under 
which he receives that possession, which we have recited, shows this very clearly. 

The decree which we are now reviewing seems to us to be carefully framed on this 
view of the matter. While the rights of plaintiffs and those whom they sue for are 
admitted and established, the defendants are still recognized as entitled to the posses- 
sion which we have described ; and while they are not enjoined from receiving that 
possession from the marshal, and he is not restrained from obeying the chancery court 
by delivering it, and while there is no order made on the marshal at all to interfere 
with his possession, the defendants are required by the decree to respect the rights of 
plaintiffs, and to so use the possession and control to which they may be restored as 
not to hinder or obstruct the true uses of the trust which that possession is intended to 
protect. 

We are next to inquire whether the decree thus rendered is based upon an equally 
just view of the law as applied to the facts of this controversy. These, though making 
up a copious record of matter by no means pleasant reading to the sincere and thought- 
ful Christian philanthropist, may be stated with a reasonable brevity, so far as they 
bear upon the principles which must decide the case. 

From the commencement of the late war of the insurrection to its close the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church at its annual meetings expressed, in declaratory 
statements or resolutions, its sense of the obligation of all good citizens to support the 
Federal government in that struggle; and when, by the proclamation of President 
Lincoln, emancipation of the slaves of the States in insurrection was announced, that 
body also expressed views favorable to emancipation and adverse to the institution of 
slavery. And at its meeting in Pittsburg in May, 1865, instructions were given to 
the Presbyteries, the Board of Missions, and to the sessions of the churches, that when 
any persons from the Southern States should make application for employment as 
missionaries, or for admission as members or ministers of churches, inquiry should be 
made as to their sentiments in regard to loyalty to the government and on the subject 
of slavery ; and if it was found that they had been guilty of voluntarily aiding the 
war of the rebellion, or held the doctrine announced by the large body of the churches 
in the insurrectionary States which had organized a new General Assembly that "the 
system of negro slavery in the South is a divine institution, and that it is the peculiar 
mission of the Southern Church to conserve that institution," they should be required 
to repent and forsake these sins before they could be received. 

In the month of September thereafter, the Presbytery of Louisville, under whose 
immediate jurisdiction was the Walnut Street Church, adopted and published in 
pamphlet form what it called a " Declaration and Testimony against the - erroneous 
and heretical doctrines and practices which have obtained and been propagated in 
the Presbyterian Church of the United States during the last five years/' This decla- 
ration denounced, in the severest terms, the action of the General Assembly in the 
matters we have just mentioned, declared their intention to refuse to be governed by 
that action, and invited the co-operation of all members of the Presbyterian Church 
who shared the sentiments of the declaration in a concerted resistance to what they 
called the usurpation of authority by the Assembly. 

It is useless to pursue the history of this controversy further with minuteness. 
The General Assembly of 1866 denounced the Declaration and Testimony, and 
declared that every Presbytery which refused to obey its order should be ipso facto dis- 
solved, and called to answer before the next General Assembly, giving the Louisville 
Presbytery an opportunity for repentance and conformity. The Louisville Presby- 
tery divided, and the adherents of the Declaration and Testimony sought and obtained 
admission, in 1868, into "the Presbyterian Church of the Confederate States," of which 
we have already spoken as havimg several years previously withdrawn from the Gene- 
ral Assembly of the United States and set up a new organization. 

We cannot better state the results of these proceedings upon the relations of the 
church organizations and members, to each other and to this controversy, than in the 
language of the brief of appellants' counsel in this court. 

in January, 1866, the congregation of the Walnut Street Church became divided 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 257 

in the manner stated above, each claiming to constitute the church, although the issue 
as to membership was not distinctly made in the chancery suit of Avery v. Watson. 
Both parties at this time recognized the same superior church judicatories. 

On the 19th of June, 1866, the Synod of Kentucky became divided, the opposing par- 
ties in each claiming to constitute respectively the true Presbytery and the true Synod, 
each meanwhile recognizing and claiming to adhere to the same General Assembly. 
Of these contesting bodies the appellants adhered to one, the appellees to the other. 

On the 1st of June, 1867, the Presbytery and Synod recognized by the appellants 
were declared by the General Assembly to be "in no sense a true and lawful Synod 
and Presbytery in connection with and under the care and authority of the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America," and were 
permanently excluded from connection with or representation in the Assembly. By 
the same resolution the Synod and Presbytery adhered to by appellees were declared 
to be the true and lawful Presbytery of Louisville and Synod of Kentucky. 

The Synod of Kentucky, thus excluded, by a resolution adopted the 28th of June, 
1867. declared "that in its future action it will be governed by this recognized sun- 
dering of all its relations to the aforesaid revolutionary body (the General Assembly) 
by the acts of that body itself." The Presbytery took substantially the same action. 

In this final severance of Presbytery and Synod from the General Assembly, the 
appellants and appellees continued to adhere to those bodies at first recognized by 
them respectively. 

In the earliest stages of this controversy it was found that a majority of the mem- 
bers of the Walnut Street Church concurred with the action of the General Assem- 
bly, while Watson and Gault as ruling elders, and Fulton and Farley as trustees, 
constituting, in each case, a majority of the session and of the trustees, witli Mr. 
McElroy, the pastor, sympathized with the party of the declaration and testi- 
mony of the Louisville Presbytery. This led to efforts by each party to exclude the 
other from participation in the session of the church and the use of the property. 
This condition of affairs being brought before the Synod of Kentucky before any 
separation, that body appointed a commission to hold an election, by the members of 
the Walnut Street Church, of three additional ruling elders. Watson and Gault 
refused to open the church for the meeting to hold its election, but the majority of 
the members of the congregation, meeting on the sidewalk in front of the church, 
organized and elected Avery, Leech and McNaughton additional ruling elders, who, 
if lawful elders, constituted, with Mr. Hackney, a majority of the session. Gault and 
Watson, Farley and Fulton refused to recognize them as such, and hence the suit in 
the chancery court of Louisville, which turned exclusively on that question. 

The newly-elected elders and the majority of the congregation have adhered to, and 
been recognized by, the General Assembly as the regular and lawful Walnut Street 
Church and officers, and Gault and Watson, Fulton, Farley and a minority of the 
members, have cast their fortunes with those who adhered to the declaration and 
testimony party. 

The division and separation finally extended to the Presbytery of Louisville and 
the Synod of Kentucky. It is now complete and apparently irreconcilable, and we 
are called upon to declare the beneficial uses of the church property, in this condition 
of total separation between the members of what was once a united and harmonious 
congregation of the Presbyterian Church. 

The questions which have come before the civil courts concerning the rights to 
property held by ecclesiastical bodies may, so far as we have been able to examine 
them, be profitably classified under three general heads, which, of course, do not 
include cases governed by considerations applicable to a Church established and sup- 
ported by law as the religion of the State: 

1. The first of these is when the property which is the subject of controversy has 
been, by the deed or will of the donor, or other instrument by which the property is held 
by the express terms of the instrument, devoted to the teaching, support or spread of 
some specific form of religious doctrine or belief. 

2. The second is when the property is held by a religious congregation which, by 
the nature of its organization, is strictly independent of other ecclesiastical associa- 
tions^ and so far as church government is concerned owes no fealty or obligation to 
any higher authority. 

3. The third is where the religious congregation or ecclesiastical body holding 
the property is but a subordinate member of some general Church organization, in 
which there are superior ecclesiastical tribunals, with a general and ultimate power 
of control, more or less complete, in some supreme judicatory, over the whole mem- 
bership of that general organization. 

In regard to the first of these classes, it seems hardly to admit of a rational doubt 
33 



258 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

that an individual or an association of individuals may dedicate property by way of 
trust to the purpose of sustaining, supporting and propagating definite religious doc- 
trines or principles, provided that in doing so they violate no law of morality, and 
give to the instrument by which their purpose is evidenced the formalities which the 
laws require. And it would seem also to be the obvious duty of the court, in a case 
properly made, to see that the property so dedicated is not diverted from the trust 
which is thus attached to its use. So long as there are persons qualified within the 
meaning of the original dedication, and who are also willing to teach the doctrines 
or principles prescribed in the act of dedication, and so long as there is any one so 
interested in the execution of the trust as to have a standing in court, it must be that 
they can prevent the diversion of the property or fund to other and different uses. This 
is the general doctrine of courts of equity as to charities, and it seems equally appli- 
cable to ecclesiastical matters. 

In such case, if the trust is confided to a religious congregation of the Independent 
or Congregational form of church government, it is not in the power of the majority 
of that congregation, however preponderant, by reason of a change of views on relig- 
ious subjects, to carry the property so confided to them to the support of new and con- 
flicting doctrine. A pious man, building and dedicating a house of worship to the 
sole and exclusive use of those who believe in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, and 
placing it under the control of a congregation which at the time holds the same be- 
lief, has a right to expect that the law will prevent that property from being used as 
a means of support and dissemination of the Unitarian doctrine and as a place of 
Unitarian worship. Nor is the principle varied when the organization to which 
the trust is confided is of the second or associated form of church government. The 
protection which the law throws around the trust is the same. 

And though the task may be a delicate one and a difficult one, it will be the duty 
of the court in such cases, when the doctrine to be taught or the form of worship to 
be used is definitely and clearly laid down, to inquire whether the party accused of 
^violating the trust is holding or teaching a different doctrine or using a form of wor- 
ship which is so far variant as to defeat the declared objects of the trust. In the lead- 
ing case on this subject in the English courts, of the Attorney General v. Pearson, 3 
Merrivale, 353, Lord Eldon said, " I agree with the defendants that the religious be- 
lief of the parties is irrelevant to the matters in dispute, except so far as the king's 
court is called upon to execute the trust." This was a case in which the trust deed 
declared the house which was erected under it was for the worship and service of 
God. And though we may not be satisfied with the very artificial and elaborate 
argument by which the chancellor arrives at the conclusion — that because any other 
view of the natu're of the Godhead than the Trinitarian view was heresy by the laws 
of England, and any one giving expression to the Unitarian view was liable to be 
• severely punished for heresy by the secular courts, at the time the deed was made, 
that the trust was, therefore, for Trinitarian worship — we may still accept the statement 
that the court has the right to enforce a trust clearly defined on such a subject.' 

The case -of Miller v. Gable, 2 Denio, 492, appears to have been decided in the 
court of errors of New York on this principle, so far as any ground of decision can 
■be gathered from the opinions of the majority of the court as reported. 

The second class of cases which we have described has reference to the case of a 
church of a strictly congregational or independent organization, governed solely 
within itself, either by a majority of its members or by such other local organism as 
it may have instituted for the purpose of ecclesiastical government; and to property 
held by such a church, either by way of purchase or donation, with no other specific 
trust attached to it in the hands of the church, than that it is for the use of that con- 
gregation as a religious society. 

In such cases, where there is a schism which leads to a separation into distinct and 
conflicting bodies, the rights of such bodies to the use of the property must be deter- 
mined by the ordinary principles which govern voluntary associations. If the prin- 
ciple of government in such cases is that the majority rules, then the numerical ma- 
jority of members must control the right to the use of the property. If there be 
within the congregation officers in whom are vested the powers of such control, then 
those who adhere to the acknowledged organism by which the body is governed are 
entitled to the use of the property. 

The minority, in choosing to separate themselves into a distinct body, and refusing 
to recognize the authority of the governing body, can claim no rights in the property 
from the fact that they had once been members of the church or congregation. 

This ruling admits of no inquiry into the existing religious opinions of those who 
comprise the legal or regular organization ; for if such was permitted, a very small 
minority, without any officers of the church among them, might be found to be the 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 259 

only faithful supporters of the religious dogmas of the founders of the church. 
There being no such trust imposed upon the property when purchased or given, the 
court will not imply' one for the purpose of expelling from its use those who, by reg- 
ular succession and order, constitute the church, because they may have changed in 
some respect their views of religious truth. 

Of the cases in which this doctrine is applied, no better representative can be 
found than that of Shannon v. Frost, 3 B. Monro, 253, where the principle is ably 
supported by the learned chief justice of the court of appeals of Kentucky. 

The case of Smith v. Nelson, 18 Verm., 511, asserts this doctrine in a case where a 
legacy was left to the associate congregation of Ryegate, the interest whereof was to 
be annually paid to their minister for ever. In that case, though the Ryegate congre- 
gation was one of a number of Presbyterian churches connected with the general 
Presbyterian body at large, the court held that the only inquiry was whether the 
society still exists, and whether they have a minister chosen and appointed by the 
majority and regularly ordained over the society, agreeably to the usage of that de- 
nomination. 

And though we may be of opinion that the doctrine of that case needs modifica- 
tion so far as it discusses the relation of the Ryegate congregation to the other judica- 
tories of the body to which it belongs, it certainly lays down the principle correctly 
if that congregation was to be treated as an independent one. 

But the third of these classes of cases is the one which is oftenest found in the courts, 
and which, with reference to the number and difficulty of the questions involved and 
to other considerations, is every way the most important. 

It is the case of property acquired in any of the usual modes for the general use 
of a religious congregation which is itself part of a large and general organization 
of some religious denomination, with which it is more or less intimately connected by 
religious views and ecclesiastical government. 

The case before us is one of this class, growing out of a schism which has divided 
the congregation and its officers and the Presbytery and Synod, and which appeals to 
the courts to determine the right to the use of the property so acquired. Here is no 
case of property devoted for ever by the instrument which conveyed it, or by any 
specific declaration of its owner, to the support of any special religious dogmas or 
any peculiar form of Avorship, but of property purchased for the use of a religious 
congregation ; and so long as any existing religious congregation can be ascertained to 
be that, congregation or its regular and legitimate successor, it is entitled to the use 
of the property. In the case of an independent congregation, we have pointed out 
how this identity or succession is to be ascertained, but in cases of this character we 
are bound to look at the fact that the local congregation is itself but a member of a 
much larger and more important religious organization, and is under its government 
and control, and is bound by its orders and judgments. There are in the Presbyte- 
rian system of ecclesiastical government, in regular succession, the Presbytery over 
the session or local church, the Synod over the Presbytery, and the General Assembly 
over all. These are called, in the language of the Church organs, judicatories, and 
they entertain appeals from the decisions of those below, and prescribe corrective 
measures in other cases. 

In this class of cases we think the rule of action which should govern the civil 
courls, founded in a broad and sound view of the relations of Church and State under 
our system of laws, and supported by a preponderating weight of judicial authority, 
is that, whenever the questions of discipline or of faith or ecclesiastical rule, custom 
or law, have been decided by the highest of these church judicatories to which the 
matter has been carried, the legal tribunals must accept such decisions as final, and 
as binding on them in their application to the case before them. 

We concede at the outset that the doctrine of the English courts is otherwise. In 
the case of the attorney general against Pearson, cited before, the proposition is laid 
down by Lord Eldon and sustained by the peers that it is the duty of the court in 
such cases to inquire and decide for itself not only what was the nature and power of 
these church judicatories, but what is the true standard of faith in the church organ- 
ization, and which of the contending parties before the court holds to this standard. 
And in the subsequent case of Craigdallie v. Aikman, 2 Bligh, 529, the same learned 
judge expresses in strong terms his chagrin that the court of sessions of Scotland, 
from which the case had been appealed, had failed to find on this latter subject; so 
that he could rest the case on religious belief, but had declared that in this matter 
there was no difference between the parties. 

And we can very well understand how the lord chancellor of England, who is, in 
his office, in a large sense, the head and representative of the Established Church, who 
controls very largely the Church patronage, and whose judicial decision may be, and 



260 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

not infrequently is, invoked in cases of heresy and ecclesiastical contumacy, should 
feel, even in dealing with a dissenting church, but little delicacy in grappling with the 
most abstruse problems of theological controversy, or in construing the instruments 
which those churches have adopted as their rules of government, or inquiring into 
their customs and usages. The dissenting church in England is not a free church, in 
the sense in which we apply the term in this country ; and it was much less free in 
Lord Eldon's time than now. Laws then existed upon the statute-book hampering 
the free exercise of religious belief and worship in many most oppressive forms; and 
though Protestant dissenters were less burdened than Catholics and Jews, there did 
not exist that full, entire and practical freedom for all forms of religious belief and 
practice which lies at the foundation of our political principles. And it is quite ob- 
vious, from an examination of the series of cases growing out of the organization of 
the Free Church of Scotland, found in Shaw's reports of cases in the court of sessions, 
that it was only under the pressure of Lord Eldon's ruling, established in the House 
of Lords, to which final appeal lay in such cases, that the doctrine was established in 
the court of sessions after no little struggle and resistance. 

The full history of the case of Craigdallie v. Aikman in the Scottish court, which 
we cannot further pursue, and the able opinion of Lord Meadowbank in Galbraith v. 
Smith, 15 Shaw, 808, show this conclusively. 

In this country the full and free right to entertain any religious belief, to practice 
any religious principle, and to teach any religious doctrine which does not violate the 
laws of morality and property, and which does not infringe personal rights, is con- 
ceded to all. The law knows no heresy, and is committed to the support of no dogma, 
the establishment of no sect. The right to organize voluntary religious associations, 
to assist in the expression and dissemination of any religious doctrine, and to create 
tribunals for the decision of controverted questions of faith within the association, and 
for the ecclesiastical government of all the individual members, congregations and 
officers within the general association, is unquestioned. All who unite themselves to 
such a body do so with an implied consent to this government, and are bound to sub- 
mit to it. But it would be a vain consent, and would lead to the total subversion of 
such religious bodies, if any one aggrieved by one of their decisions could appeal to 
the secular courts and have them reversed. It is of the essence of these religious 
unions, and of their right to establish tribunals for the decision of questions arising 
among themselves, that those decisions should be binding in all cases of ecclesiastical 
cognizance, subject only to such appeals as the organism itself provides for. 

Nor do we see that justice would be likely to be promoted by submitting those de- 
cisions to review in the ordinary judicial tribunal. Each of these large and influen- 
tial bodies (to mention no others, let reference be had to the Protestant Episcopal, the 
Methodist Episcopal and the Presbyterian Churches) has a body of constitutional and 
ecclesiastical law of its own, to be found in their written organic laws, their books of 
discipline, in their collections of precedents, in their usage and customs, which as to 
each constitute a system of ecclesiastical law and religious faith that tasks the ablest 
minds to become familiar with. It is not to be supposed that the judges of the civil 
courts can be as competent in the ecclesiastical law and religious faith of all these 
bodies as the ablest men in each are in reference to their own. It would, therefore, 
be an appeal from the more learned tribunal in the law which should decide the case 
to one which is less so. 

We have said that these views are supported by the preponderant weight of author- 
ity in this country; and for the reasons which we have given, we do not think the 
doctrines of the English chancery court on this subject should have with us the influ- 
ence which we would cheerfully accord to it on others. 

We have already cited the case of Shannon v. Frost, 3 Ben. Monro, in which the 
appellate court of the State, where this controversy originated, sustains the propo- 
sition clearly and fully. ''This court," says the chief justice, "having no ecclesias- 
tical jurisdiction, cannot revise or question ordinary acts of church discipline. Our 
only judicial power in the case arises from the conflicting claims of the parties to the 
church property and the use of it. We cannot decide who ought to be members of 
the church, nor whether the excommunicated have been justly or unjustly, regularly 
or irregularly, cut off' from the body of the church." 

In the subsequent case of Gibson v. Armstrong, 7 B. Monro, 481, which arose out 
of the general division of the Methodist Episcopal Church, we understand the same 
principles to be laid down as governing that case; and in the case of Watson v. Avery, 
2 Bush., 332, the case relied on by appellants as a bar, and considered in the former 
part of this opinion, the doctrine of Shannon v. Frost is in general terms conceded, 
while a distinction is attempted which we shall consider hereafter. 

One of the most careful and well-considered judgments on the subject is that of the 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 261 

court of appeals of South Carolina, delivered by Chancellor Johnson, in the case cf 
Harmon v. Dreher, 2 Speer's Eq., 87. The case turned upon certain rights in the use 
of the church property claimed by the minister, notwithstanding his expulsion from 
the synod as one of its members. 

"He stands," says the chancellor, "convicted of the offences alleged against him, 
by the sentence of the spiritual body of which he was a voluntary member, and by 
whose proceedings he had bound himself to abide. It belongs not to the civil power 
to enter into or review the proceedings of a spiritual court. The structure of our gov- 
ernment has, for the preservation of civil liberty, rescued the temporal institutions 
from religious interference. On the other hand, it has secured religious liberty from 
the invasion of the civil authority. The judgments, therefore, of religious associa- 
tions bearing on their own members are not examinable here, and I am not to inquire 
whether the doctrines attributed to Mr. Dreher were held by him, or whether if held 
were anti-Lutheran, or whether his conduct was or was not in accordance with the 
duty he owed to the Synod or to his denomination. . . . When a civil right depends 
upon an ecclesiastical matter, it is the civil court, and not the ecclesiastical, which is to 
decide. But the civil tribunal tries the civil right and no more, taking the ecclesias- 
tical decisions out of which the civil right arises as it finds them." The principle is 
reaffirmed by the same court in the John's Island Church case, 2 Richardson Eq., 215. 

In Den v. Bolton, 7 Halstead, 206, the supreme court of New Jersey asserts the 
same principles; and though founding its decision mainly on a statute, it is said to 
be true on general principles. 

The supreme court of Illinois in the case of Ferraria v, Vaucancelles, 25 111., 456, 
refers to the case of Shannon v. Frost, 3 B. Monro, with approval, and adopts the 
language of the court, that "the judicial eye cannot penetrate the veil of the Church 
for the forbidden purpose of vindicating the alleged wrongs of excised members; 
when they became members, they did so upon the condition of continuing or not as 
they and their churches might determine, and they thereby submit to the ecclesiasti- 
cal power, and cannot now invoke the supervisory power of the civil tribunals." 

In the very important case of Chase v. Cheny, recently decided in the same court, 
Judge Lawrence, who dissented, says, we understand the opinion as implying that in 
the administration of ecclesiastical discipline, and where no other right of property is 
involved than loss of the clerical office or salary incident to such discipline, a spirit- 
ual court is the exclusive judge of its own jurisdiction, and that its decision of that 
question is binding on the secular courts. And he dissents with Judge Sheldon from 
the opinion because it so holds. 

In the case of Watson ?>. Farris, 45 Missouri, 183, which was a case growing out of 
the schism in the Presbyterian Church in Missouri in regard to this same declaration 
and testimony and the action of the General Assembly, that court held that whether 
a case was regularly or irregularly before the Assembly was a question which the 
Assembly had the right to determine for itself, and no civil court could reverse, mod- 
ify or impair its action in a matter of merely ecclesiastical concern. 

We cannot better close this review of the authorities than in the language of the 
supreme court of Pennsylvania in the case of the German Reformed Church v. Siebert, 
5 Barr, 291: "The decisions of ecclesiastical courts, like every other judicial tribunal, 
are final, as they are the best judges of what constitutes an offence against the word of 
God and the discipline of the Church. Any other than those courts must be incompe- 
tent judges of matters of faith, discipline and doctrine; and civil courts, if they should 
be so unwise as to attempt to supervise their judgments on matters which come within 
their jurisdiction, would only involve themselves in a sea of uncertainty and doubt 
which would do anything but improve either religion or good morals." 

In the subsequent case of McGinnis v. Watson, 41 Penn. Stat., 21, this principle is 
again applied and supported by a more elaborate argument. 

The court of appeals of Kentucky, in the case of Watson v. Avery, before referred 
to, while admitting the general principle here laid down, maintains that when a de- 
cision of an ecclesiastical tribunal is set up in the civil courts it is always open to in- 
quiry whether the tribunal acted within its jurisdiction; and if it did not, its decisions 
could not be conclusive. 

There is, perhaps, no word in legal terminology so frequently used as the word 
jurisdiction, so capable of use in a general and vague sense, and which is used so 
often by men learned in the law without a due regard to precision in its application. 
As regards its use in the matters we have been discussing, it may very well be eon- 
ceded that if the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church should undertake to 
try one of its members for murder, and punish him with death or imprisonment, its 
sentence would be of no validity in a civil court or anywhere else. Or if it should, 
at the instance of one of its members, entertain jurisdiction as between him and another; 



262 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

member as to their individual right to property, real or personal, the right in no sense 
depending on ecclesiastical questions, its decisions would be utterly disregarded by 
any civil court where it might be set up, and it might be said, in a certain general 
sense very justly, that it was because the General Assembly had no jurisdiction in the 
case. Illustrations of this character could be multiplied in which the proposition of 
the Kentucky court would be strictly applicable. 

But it is a very different thing where a subject-matter of dispute strictly and purely 
ecclesiastical in its character — a matter over which the civil courts exercise no juris- 
diction — a matter which concerns theological controversy, church discipline, ecclesi- 
astical government or the conformity of the members of the church to the standard 
of morals required of them — becomes the subject of its action. It may be said here, 
also, that no jurisdiction has been conferred on the tribunal to try the particular case 
before it, or that in its judgment it exceeds the powers conferred upon it, or that the 
laws of the Church do not authorize the particular form of proceeding adopted ; and 
in a sense often used in the courts, all of those may be said to be questions of juris- 
diction. But it is easy to see that if the civil courts are to inquire into all these mat- 
ters, the whole subject of the doctrinal theology, the usages and customs, the written 
laws and fundamental organization of every religious denomination, may and must be 
examined into with minuteness and care, for they would become in almost every case 
the criteria by which the validity of the ecclesiastical decree would be determined in 
the civil court. This principle would deprive these bodies of the right of construing 
their own church laws, would open the way to all the evils which we have depicted 
as attendant upon the doctrine of Lord Eldon, and would, in effect, transfer to the 
civil courts, where property rights were concerned, the decision of all ecclesiastical 
questions. 

And this is precisely what the court of appeals of Kentucky did in the case of Wat- 
son v. Avery. Under cover of inquiries into the jurisdiction of the Synod and Pres- 
bytery over the congregation, and of the General Assembly over all, it went into an 
elaborate examination of the principles of Presbyterian Church government, and 
ended by overruling the decision of the highest judicatory of that Church in the 
United States both on the jurisdiction and the merits, and substituting its own judg- 
ment for that of the ecclesiastical court, decides that ruling elders, declared to be such 
by that tribunal, are not such, and must not be recognized by the congregation, 
though four-fifths of its members believe in the judgment of the Assembly and desire 
to conform to its decree. 

But we need pursue this subject no further. Whatever may have been the case 
before the Kentucky court, the appellants, in the case presented to us, have separated 
themselves wholly from the church organization to which they belonged when this 
controversy commenced. They now deny its authority, denounce its action and re- 
fuse to abide by its judgments. They have first erected themselves into a new organ- 
ization, and have since joined themselves to another totally different, if not hostile, to 
the one to which they belonged when the difficulty first began. Under any of the de- 
cisions which we have examined, the appellants in their present position have no 
right to the property, or to the use of it, which is the subject of this suit. 

The novelty of the questions presented to this court for the first time, their intrin- 
sic importance and far-reaching influence, and the knowledge that the schism in 
which the case originated has divided the Presbyterian churches throughout Ken- 
tucky and Missouri, have seemed to us to justify the careful and laborious examina- 
tion and discussion which we have made of the principles which should govern the 
case. 

For the same reasons we have held it under advisement for a year, not uninfluenced 
by the hope that, since the civil commotion which evidently lay at the foundation of 
the trouble has passed away, that charity which is so large an element in the faith 
of both parties, and which, by one of the apostles of that religion, is said to be the 
greatest of all the Christian virtues, would have brought about a reconciliation. 

But we have been disappointed. It is not for us to determine or apportion the 
moral responsibility which attaches to the parties for this result. We can only pro- 
nounce the judgment of the law as applicable to the case presented to us, and that 
requires us to affirm the decree of the circuit court as it stands. 

The chief justice did not sit on the argument of this case, and took no 
part in its decision. — 1872, pp. 177-190. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 263 



II. OF ERECTING NEW SYNODS, ALTERING THEIR BOUNDS, ETC. 

a. [See minutes passim, and especially 1870, pp. 86-88 (supra, xi., 1), 
where the Assembly exercised the power to "consolidate, adjust and de- 
fine the boundaries of the Synods." Synod of Colorado erected. — 1871, 
p. 547. 

b. Boundaries changed.— 1871, pp. 540, 541, 545, 546 ; 1872, pp. 86, 88 
(supra, xi., sec. i. 3). 

c. Churches transferred. — 1803, p. 279; 1810, p. 440, and passim.'] 

d. To dissolve a Synod and transfer its Presbyteries. 

[The Synod of Chesapeake was formed on petition. — 1833, p. 395.] 
Resolved, 1. That the Synod of the Chesapeake be and the same is 
hereby dissolved. 

2. That the Presbytery of East Hanover be and the same is hereby 
restored to the Synod of Virginia. 

3. That the Presbyteries of Baltimore and of the District of Columbia 
be and the same are hereby restored to the Synod of Philadelphia. — 1834, 
p.- 451. 

e. The Synod of Delaware [Erected. — 1834, p. 451.] Dissolved. 
Resolved, That at and after the meeting of the Synod of Philadelphia 

in October next the Synod of Delaware shall be dissolved, and the Pres- 
byteries constituting the same shall be then and thereafter annexed to the 
Synod of Philadelphia, and that the Synod of Philadelphia thus consti- 
tuted by the union aforesaid shall take such order concerning the organi- 
zation of its several Presbyteries as may be deemed expedient and consti- 
tutional, and that said Synod, if it shall deem it desirable, make applica- 
tion to the next General Assembly for such a division of the Synod as 
may best suit the convenience of all its Presbyteries and promote the glory 
of God.— 1835, p. 486. 

III. OF ERECTING, MODIFYING, CHANGING, DISSOLVING PRESBY- 

TERIES. 

a. [See the act of the General Synod (supra, chap, i., 1786, p. 522). 
It assumed jurisdiction over the whole matter of dividing, erecting, etc. 
The Presbytery of Carlisle was divided, and the Presbytery of Hunting- 
don formed on "an overture through the Synod of Philadelphia." — 1794, 
p. 89.] 

b. On petition of the Presbytery of Albany, that Presbytery was divided, 
and the Presbyteries of Columbia, Oneida and Albany formed. At the 
same time the following was adopted, viz. : 

Whereas, The Assembly have this day determined, upon an application 
from the Presbytery of Albany, that the said Presbytery may be divided 
into three, ana in the investigation of this subject circumstances were 
stated to exist which led the Assembly to judge such division proper, and 
perhaps necessary, at this time ; 

And whereas, Doubts arose whether it was proper for the Assembly to 
interfere for the purpose of making such division, the proposal not having 
been first laid before the Synod, as it would establish a precedent which 
might tend to confusion and in the end to schism ; the Assembly think it 
expedient to declare that their decision in this case has been particularly 
influenced by the pressure of circumstances, and is not to be considered 
as forming a precedent for future conduct. — 1802, p. 252. 

c. On petition of the Presbytery of Oneida it was divided, and the 
Presbytery of Geneva formed.' — 1805, p. 324. On 'application of cer- 



264 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 

tain ministers and churches in the Territory of Michigan, the Presbytery 
of Detroit was formed.— 1827, p. 206. Chenango.— 1826, p. 176. 

d. Philadelphia Second (Assembly's). The Synod of Philadelphia 
having merged the two Presbyteries of Philadelphia, and divided them 
by a line, an appeal was taken. 

Resolved, 1. That the appeal and complaint of the Second Presbytery 
of Philadelphia against the Synod of Philadelphia be and the same are 
hereby sustained, and the act of said Synod, so far as it was intended to 
unite the said Second Presbytery with the Presbytery of Philadelphia, is 
hereby declared void. 

2. That this resolution shall not be so construed as to aifect the integrity 
of the Presbytery which was constituted under the order of the Synod of 
Philadelphia by the name of the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia in 
November last, but the same is hereby recognized as a constituent part of 
the Synod of Philadelphia. The Assembly, however, recommend to the 
Synod to change the name of said Presbytery. — 1834, p. 432. 

[Against the action of the Assembly a protest was entered, viz. :] 

We believe the power exercised by the General Assembly of 1832, and now re- 
exercised by this Assembly, to form a Presbytery within the bounds of the Synod and 
against her decision, is without foundation in our Form of Church Government. 

In the constitutional distribution of powers and checks and designation of rights 
and duties among the several judicatories of the Church, the power to "erect new 
Presbyteries, and unite or divide those which were before erected" (Form of Govern- 
ment, chap, xi., sec. iv.), is distinctly and exclusively secured to Synods. And the 
practice of the General Assembly, from the establishment of this body til! the present, 
has been, we believe, in accordance with these views. The principle assumed by the 
majority in this body and recognized by the Assembly in the above decision, and on 
which the appellants rest their plea, that the duty "of superintending the concerns of 
the whole Church" (Form of Government, chap, xii., sec. v.) invests the Assembly 
Avith all powers necessary to accomplish that object, at her own discretion, tends to 
abolish the constitutional rights of Synods, Presbyteries and church sessions, to con- 
found and contravene those original and essential principles of ecclesiastical govern- 
ment and order which constitute and characterize the Presbyterian Church. — 1834, 
p. 446. 

[To this the Assembly replies :] 

1. That the Form of Government vests in the General Assembly the 
power of " deciding in all controversies respecting doctrine and discipline," 
and to " issue all appeals and references brought before them from the infe- 
rior judicatories." — See Form of Government, chap, xii., sec. v. Now, as 
the question as to the erection and existence of the Second Presbytery of 
Philadelphia came regularly before the Assemblies of 1832 and 1834, by 
appeal and complaint from the lower judicatories, the said Assemblies not 
only had a right to "decide" finally, but were imperiously called upon to 
" issue" the case. 

2. The minutes of the General Assembly for 1794, 1802, 1805 and 
1826 show that the Assembly has in extraordinary cases claimed and exer- 
cised the right of organizing new Presbyteries, and such Presbyteries have 
always been regarded as regularly and constitutionally organized. 

3. The Form of Government vests the right of deciding questions of 
constitutional law, not in the Synods, but in the General Assembly ; conse- 
quently, if it be proved, which is not the fact, that the General Assembly 
has exceeded their powers in organizing the Second Presbytery of Phila- 
delphia, it would by no means follow that the Synod of Philadelphia had 
authority to rejudge and disannul the solemn acts of the highest judica- 
tory of the Church., In this view of the subject, the General Assembly 
were bound to sustain the appeal and complaint of the Second Presbytery, 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 265 

from respect to the grave decision of former Assemblies, as well as from 
regard- to the rights of the complainants. — 1834, p. 451. 

e. The Third Presbytery of Philadelphia. — 1 836, p. 278. 

f. The Presbytery of Luzerne was formed by the Assembly. — 1843, p. 
195, O. S. 

g. The Presbytery of Wisconsin. — 1846, p. 194, O. S. In this case the 
Assembly directed " that upon their organization the ministers aforesaid 
be ipso facto detached from the Presbyteries to which now they respect- 
ively belong." 

h. Resolved, That the Rev. Messrs. M. S. Culbertson, of the Presbytery 
of Carlisle, A. W. Loomis, of the Presbytery of Albany, R. Q, Way, of 
the Presbytery of Charleston, and J. W. Quarterman, of the Presbytery 
of Georgia, be and they hereby are detached from their respective Pres- 
byteries and constituted a Presbytery, to be called the Presbytery of 
Ningpo. 

That the Rev. A. P. Plapper and William Speer, of the Presbytery of 
Ohio, and the Rev. John B. French, of the Presbytery of Baltimore, be 
and they hereby are detached from their respective Presbyteries and con- 
stituted a Presbytery to be called by such name as those brethren may 
choose. 

And that the Rev. John Loyd, of the Presbytery of Huntingdon, and 
Hugh S. Brown, of the Presbytery of Logansport, so soon as a third minis- 
ter of our Church shall be associated with them, be authorized to form them- 
selves into a Presbytery, to be called the Presbytery of Amoy, and shall 
ipso facto be detached from the respective Presbyteries with which until 
then they shall be connected. 

Resolved, That the foregoing new Presbyteries shall meet for the pur- 
pose of being organized at such times and places as the members thereof 
shall respectively agree on, and that the eldest minister of each who may 
be present shall preside until a moderator be chosen. 

Resolved, That the aforesaid Presbyteries be rated for the present as 
component parts of the Synod of New York, but that as soon as the Pres- 
bytery of Amoy shall be organized, the three Presbyteries in China shall 
be authorized to form themselves into a Synod, to be called the Synod of 
China; that they meet for the purpose of being organized at such time and 
place as they shall mutually agree upon, and that the eldest minister who 
may be present shall preside until a moderator be chosen. 

Resolved, That the Rev. James M. Connelly, of the Presbytery of West 
Tennessee, James M. Priest, of the Presbytery of New York, and the Rev. 
H. W. Ellis, of the Presbytery of Tuscaloosa, be and they hereby are de- 
tached from their respective Presbyteries and constituted a Presbytery, to 
be called the Presbytery of Western Africa ; that they shall meet for the 
purpose of being organized at such time and place as they shall mutually 
agree upon, and that the eldest minister present shall preside until a mod- 
erator be choien. And farther, that the Presbytery of Western Africa 
shall be attached for the present to the Synod of Alabama. 

Resolved, That the Rev. R. M. Loughridge, of the Presbytery of Tusca- 
loosa, H. Ballentine, of the Presbytery of New Brunswick, and D. W. 
Eakins, of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, be and they hereby are de- 
tached from their respective Presbyteries and constituted a Presbytery, to 
be called the Presbytery of the Creek Nation ; that they shall meet for 
the purpose of being organized at such time and place as they shall mu- 
tually agree upon, and that the eldest minister present shall preside until 
a moderator be chosen. And further, that the Presbytery of the Creek 

34 



266 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Nation be attached for the present to the Synod of Mississippi. — 1848, 
pp. 20, 21, O. S. 

i. Presbytery of California. — 1849, p. 264, O. S. Presbytery of San 
Francisco. — 1849, p. 176, N. S. The persons named are hereby detached 
from their respective Presbyteries and constituted a Presbytery. 

Resolved, That the Assembly do hereby order and constitute a Presby- 
tery in Oregon, consisting of Messrs. Thompson, Geary and Robe ; and 
that they be empowered to assemble and constitute themselves a Presby- 
tery, at such time and place during the ensuing summer or autumn as 
may be found most convenient to them, and report to the next General 
Assembly, and for this purpose these brethren be detached from the Pres- 
bytery to which they belong, and when formed, the said Presbytery be 
attached to the Synod of New York ; and the Presbytery to be called the 
Presbytery of Oregon. — 1851, p. 35, 0. S. 

Presbyteries of Sierra Nevada and San Jose. — 1857, p. 383, N. S., and 
passim,. 

j. Sinee the Reunion. The Presbytery of Yedo — 1870, p. 71 ; of Wyo- 
ming — 1871, p. 546; Montana— -1872, p. 88. 

2. To Transfer Churches from one Presbytery and Synod to 

Another. 

A petition from the congregation of Solesbury, under the care of the 
Presbytery of Philadelphia, referred to the Assembly by said Presbytery, 
was overtured and read. This petition requested that the congregation 
of Solesbury be separated from the Presbytery of Philadelphia and at- 
tached to the Presbytery of New Brunswick. This request having pre- 
viously been before the Synod of Philadelphia, and having been referred 
to the Presbytery by the Synod, and the Presbytery having given their 
consent, it was resolved that the request be granted, and it hereby is 
granted, and the congregation of Solesbury is detached from the Presby- 
tery of Philadelphia, and connected with the Presbytery of New Bruns- 
wick.— 1824, p. 105. 

See also 1827, p. 201, 202, 205; 1829, p. 260; 1831, p. 324; 1868, p. 
633, O. S., et passim. See also under chap, xi., sec. i., 4, for changes 
since the Reunion.— 1871, p. 540, 541, 545, 546 ; 1872, p. 86, 88 ; 1873, p. 
525. 

3. To Transfer Ministers from one Presbytery to Another, or to a 

New one. 
See a, above, also /and h. 

a. There being no quorum of Presbytery. — 1858, p. 268, 280, O. S. 

b. In forming new Presbyteries or Synods, see above, h. Also The Ena- 
bling Act of 1870, chap, ix., sec. ii., 8.— 1872, p. 94. 

4. To Receive other Ecclesiastical Bodies. 

a. The Presbytery of Suffolk— 1749, p. 238; of Dutchess County— 1763, 
p. 330. See Baird's Revised Edition, p. 562. 

b. The Presbytery of Charleston. 

Resolved, That the prayer of the petition be granted, and that said 
Presbytery, retaining their name and their character of incorporation, be 
and they hereby are taken into connection with the General Assembly ; 
provided, however, that the members of said Presbytery shall have 
adopted the Confession of Faith and the Constitution of the Presbyterian 
Church in the United States of America, and shall also effect a compro- 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 267 

mise or union with the Presbytery of Harmony, which transaction shall 
be subject to the review and control of the Synod of the Carolinas. — 1811, 
p. 475. 

c. The Associate Reformed Synod. — 1822, pp. 39-42. See Baird, p. 565- 
569. 

d. Presbytery of Pittsburg of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. 

The same Committee also reported an application from the Presbytery 
of Pittsburg, of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, to unite as a Presby- 
tery with the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, and to be- 
come subject to the jurisdiction of this body, on the simple condition of 
being allowed to remain, as they are still attached to the great principles 
of the Reformation, without being disturbed in their time-honored modes 
of worship and economical usages generally. 

On the recommendation of the Committee the request was granted. 

The Committee also recommended that the Presbytery of Pittsburg be 
attached to the Synod of Allegheny, and that Rev. John McMillan be 
enrolled as a member of this General Assembly as a delegate from that 
Presbytery. 

Which was adopted.— 1870, p. 30. 

5. To Define the Succession of Presbyteries. 

Overture No. 7, from the Presbytery of Chester, respecting the succes- 
sion to the late Presbytery of New Castle: The Committee report that the 
Synod of Philadelphia, in its reconstruction of Presbyteries, declared that 
the Presbytery of Chester was the legal successor of the late Presbytery 
of New Castle, and that the Synod of Baltimore also declared that its 
present Presbytery of New Castle was the legal successor of the old organ- 
ization. It appears, however, that the ministers and churches of the old 
Presbytery are equally divided between the present Presbyteries of New 
Castle and Chester, and so neither is entitled to the succession. The Com- 
mittee think that as the present Presbytery of New Castle has the name 
of the late organization, the town where the first organization was made, 
the chief part of the original territory, early history and associations and 
a valuable charter from the State of Delaware, under which some property 
is now held, it should, also, have the succession, and the following resolu- 
tion is, therefore, recommended : 

Resolved, That the Presbytery of New Castle, in the Synod of Balti- 
more, be and the same is hereby declared to be the legal successor of the 
late Presbytery of New Castle, and as such is entitled to the possession 
and enjoyment of all the rights and franchises, and liable to the perform- 
ance of all the duties, of that Presbytery. 

It is also recommended that the candidates and licentiates -who were 
under the care of the former Presbytery of New Castle, at the date of the 
Reconstruction Act of 1870, but who resided in the territory embraced in 
the present Presbytery of Chester, be attached to the latter Presbytery. — 
1871, p. 539. 

IV. OF CORRESPONDING WITH FOREIGN CHURCHES. 

1. The Assembly alone may Open Correspondence. 

The Committee appointed to examine the records of the Synod of Ten- 
nessee reported, and the records were approved, with the exception of a 
proposal to establish a plan of intercourse between said Synod and the 
Cumberland Presbyterians, of which proposal the Assembly disapprove, 
on the ground that it belongs to the Assembly to correspond with foreign 



268 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

churches on such terms as may be agreed upon by the Assembly and the 
corresponding body. — 1827, p. 219. 

Reaffirmed.— 1866, p. 80, O. S. 

[For local correspondence of the inferior judicatories, see under Form 
of Government, chap, x., sec. xii.] 

2. Proposals for Correspondence with the New England Churches. 

[In 1766 the General Synod adopted an overture "to endeavor to obtain 
some correspondence between this Synod and the Consociated churches of 
Connecticut. A Committee was appointed to meet the delegates from 
Connecticut. — Minutes, 1766, p. 364. A convention of the delegates was 
held at Elizabethtown, November 5, 1766. Its minutes were laid before 
the Synod, " seriously considered and amended." Delegates were appointed 
to attend at New Haven September 10, " there finally, on the part of this 
body, to complete the plan of union." — Minutes, 1767, p. 374. Under this 
plan the Convention met alternately in New Jersey and Connecticut until 
1776, when the war interrupted it. In 1790 the General Assembly invited 
a renewal of the intercourse : " Resolved, That the ministers of the Con- 
gregational churches of New England be invited to renew their annual 
Convention with the clergy of the Presbyterian Church." — 1790, p. 29. 
A Committee was appointed under the above resolution, and on their 
report, the next year, another Committee was appointed to meet at New 
Haven "such ministers of the New England churches as may be there 
present."— 1791, p. 33.] 

3. Plan of Correspondence with the General Association of Con- 

necticut. 

The minutes of the Convention of the Committee of the General Assem- 
bly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, and of the General 
Association of the State of Connecticut, were taken into consideration, an 
extract of which is as follows, viz. : 

Considering the importance of union and harmony in the Christian 
Church, and the duty incumbent on all its pastors and members to assist 
each other in promoting, as far as possible, the general interest of the 
Redeemer's kingdom, and considering further that divine Providence 
appears to be now opening the door for pursuing these valuable objects 
with a happy prospect of success, this Convention are ^f the opinion that 
it will be conducive to these important purposes that a Standing Commit- 
tee of Correspondence be appointed in each body, whose duty it shall be, 
by frequent letters, to communicate to each other whatever may be mutu- 
ally useful to the churches under their care and to the general interest 
of the Redeemer's kingdom ; that each body should from time to time 
appoint a Committee consisting of three members, who shall have a right 
to sit in the other's general meeting and make such communications as 
shall be directed by their respective constituents, and deliberate on such 
matters as shall come before the body, but shall have no right to vote; 
that effectual measures be mutually taken to prevent injuries to the respect- 
ive churches from irregular and unauthorized preachers. To promote 
this end the Convention judge it expedient that every preacher traveling 
from the limits of one of these churches into those of the other shall be 
furnished with recent testimonials of his regular standing and good charac- 
ter as a preacher, signed by the moderator of the Presbytery or Associa- 
tion in which he received his license, or, if a minister, of his good stand- 
ing and character as such from the moderator of the Presbytery or Asso- 
ciation where he last resided, and that he shall previously to his traveling 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 269 

as a preacher into distant parts, further receive a recommendation from 
one member at least of a standing Committee to be hereafter appointed 
by each body, certifying his good qualifications as a preacher. Also, that 
the names of this standing Committee shall be mutually communicated ; 
and also that every preacher traveling and recommended as above, and 
submitting to the stated rules of the respective churches, shall be received 
as an authorized preacher of the gospel, and cheerfully taken under the 
patronage of the Presbytery or Association within whose bounds he shall 
find employment as a preacher; and that the proceedings of the respect- 
ive bodies on this report be communicated to our brethren of the Congre- 
gational and Presbyterian churches throughout the States." 

Upon mature deliberation the Assembly unanimously and cordially 
approved of said plan, and to carry the same into effect appointed the 
Rev. Drs. John Rodgers, John Witherspoon and Ashbel Green to be a 
Committee of Correspondence, agreeably to said plan. And it is more- 
over agreed that this Assembly will send delegates to sit and consult with 
the General Association of Connecticut, and receive their delegates to sit 
in this Assembly, agreeably to another article of the plan, as soon as due 
information shall be received that it is adopted on the part of the Gene- 
ral Association of Connecticut. 

A standing Committee was appointed, " To certify the good qualifica- 
tions of the preachers traveling to officiate in the bounds of the Association 
of the State of Connecticut. And it was agreed that any preacher trav- 
eling as aforesaid shall have at least the name of one of the Committee, 
who shall belong to the Synod from whose bounds he came." — 1792, p. 52. 

[The Convention was ratified by the General Association of Connecti- 
cut, and Dr. Jonathan Edwards and Rev. Matthias Burnett took their 
seats in the Assembly. — 1793, p. 64.] 

In 1794, p. 80, the Assembly proposed to the Association " that the 
delegates from these bodies respectively shall have a right not only to sit 
and deliberate, but also to vote, on all questions which may be determined 
by either of them." The Association acceded to the proposition. — 1795, 
p. 96. In 1827, p. 213, the Assembly asked the bodies in New England 
to which these rights had been conceded to give up the right to vote, as 
follows, viz. : 

It appears that in the plan of intercourse between the Congregational 
Churches of New England and the General Assembly of the Presbyte- 
rian Church an article was adopted which is now believed to be incon- 
sistent with a sound construction of the Constitution of the latter Church. 
This article, it is due to truth and candor to remark, was proposed by 
the Presbyterian Church without an overture from the Congregational 
churches, and in regard to which they did nothing more than accede to 
the proposition submitted to them. The article to which we allude relates 
to the powers granted to the delegates of the corresponding churches to 
vote as well as to deliberate on the various subjects that may come before 
the representatives of these churches respectively. The right of voting 
in the General Assembly cannot, it is believed, be constitutionally granted 
to any but to the commissioners appointed by the Presbyteries whose rep- 
resentatives compose that Assemblv. 

We have, therefore, respectfully to request that the plan of intercourse 
between you and us may be so modified as that the delegates to each body 
may hereafter be empowered to sit and deliberate only, but not to vote. 
It is believed that the modification here contemplated, if it shall be con- 
sented to on your part, will not only place the Assemblv on constitutional 
ground, but by placing your Association on the same footing with other 



270 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 

religions communities with which we hold a friendly correspondence will 
destroy the appearance of an invidious distinction which now exists, and 
thus be calculated to promote extensively that mutual friendship and har- 
mony which it is desirable to maintain and perpetuate among all who 
love the truth as it is in Jesus. — 1827, p. 213. 

[The respective bodies acceded to the request, and since 1830 no dele- 
gate from a corresponding bod} r has had the right to vote. For terms of 
correspondence with the various congregational bodies see New Digest, 
pp. 439-449 ; Baird, Rev. Ed., pp. 506-525.] 

4. The Plan of Union, and Action under it. 

See New Digest, chap, xii., sees. i. and ii., pp. 452-469, and minutes of 
1801, pp. 221, 224, 225; 1835, p. 486; 1837, p. 421, 458, 464; also Baird, 
Rev. Ed., pp. 570-581. 

5. Correspondence with the Reformed Churches. 

[For a full history of the early relations of the Assembly to the Dutch 
and Associate Reformed churches, see Baird, Rev. Ed., pp. 525-533. In 
1820 the following Plan of Correspondence with the Associate Reformed 
Church was adopted. The Synod united with the General Assembly in 
1822, but the plan is given as containing valuable illustrations of the 
powers and the spirit of the Assembly :] 

The consideration of the plan of a brotherly correspondence between 
this Assembly and the General Synod of the Associate Reformed Church 
was resumed, and after a full discussion the plan was adopted, and is as 
follows, viz.: 

I. The churches are to remain entirely separate and independent. 

II. Any member of either church may be received to communion in the 
other on producing to the proper church officers sufficient evidence of a 
good and regular standing in the church with which he is connected. 

III. It shall be permitted to the competent church officers in any con- 
gregation, settled or vacant, of either church, to invite to preach in their 
pulpit any minister or probationer who is in good standing in either of 
the said churches, and who preaches in their purity the great doctrines of 
the gospel, as they are stated in their common Confessions of Faith, and 
have generally been received and taught in the Reformed churches. But 
it shall be entirely optional to give or withhold such invitation, nor shall 
it be esteemed offensive or unkind if the invitation be withheld. 

IV. A vacant congregation shall be at liberty to call a minister from 
either of the churches according to the order established in that church 
from which he may be called, he conforming himself to the order of the 
church to which he shall be called. And in case of a congregation being 
formed of people from both, it shall be at liberty to put itself under the 
care of either, at its option. 

V. Persons under censure, or process of censure, in either church, shall 
not be received in the other church while such censure remains or such 
process is unfinished. 

VI. Any Presbytery or Synod not formed by delegation of either church 
may invite the regular members of any similar judicatory of the other 
church to sit as* corresponding members ; but should the invitation not be 
deemed expedient, the withholding of it shall not be considered as unkind 
or offensive. 

WL The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church and the Gen- 
eral Synod of the Associate Reformed Church shall each appoint one min- 
ister and one elder, with an alternate of each, to sit in these judicatories 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 271 

respectively, with the privilege of deliberating on all subjects that may- 
come before them, but not of voting on any. 

Resolved, That to carry into effect the last article of this report, this 
Committee of Conference recommend to the General Assembly and the 
General Synod to appoint their delegates the year preceding. — 1820, p. 731. 

a. With the Reformed Dutch Church. 

The Committee to which were referred the minutes of the General Synod 
of the Reformed Dutch Church, on the subject of correspondence between 
that Synod and the General Assembly, reported, and their report, being 
read, was accepted. A motion was made and seconded that the report be 
adopted. After some discussion of this motion it was postponed to take 
up the following resolution, which after discussion was adopted, viz.: 

Resolved, That the plan of correspondence, as amended by the General 
Synod of the Reformed Dutch Church, together with the additional article 
proposed by that body, be adopted, with an expression of a hope, however, 
that the additional article in question will be reconsidered by the Synod at 
their next meeting, so that, unless it should be regarded as of vital import- 
ance to the mutual and friendly correspondence of both bodies, it may be 
expunged, depending in this case upon the honorable principles of inter- 
course founded on our common Christianity. 

The several articles of the plan were then read, and the vote taken upon 
them separately, and finally, the vote being taken upon the whole, they 
were adopted, and are as follows, viz. : 

1. The churches are to remain entirely separate and independent. 

2. Any member of either church may be received to communion in the 
other on producing to the proper church officers sufficient evidence of a 
good and regular standing in the church with which he is connected. 

3. It shall be permitted to the competent church officers in any congre- 
gation, settled or vacant, of either church, to invite to preach in their pul- 
pit any minister or probationer who is in good standing in either of said 
churches, and who preaches in their purity the great doctrines of the gos- 
pel, as they are stated in their respective Confessions of Faith, and have 
generally been received and taught in the Reformed Churches ; but it 
shall be entirely optional to give or withhold such invitations, nor shall 
it be esteemed offensive or unkind if the invitation is withheld. 

4. A vacant congregation shall be at liberty to call a minister from 
either of the churches according to the order established in that church 
from which he may be called, he conforming himself to the order of the 
church to which he shall be called. And in case of a congregation being 
formed of people from both, it shall be at liberty to put itself under the 
care of either, at its option. 

5. Persons under censure, or process of censure, in either church, shall 
not be received in the other church while such censure remains or such 
process is unfinished. 

6. The ministers of either church maybe invited to sit as corresponding 
members in their respective judicatories, except the highest and the lowest, 
viz.: the church session and consistory, the General Assembly and the 
General Synod. 

7. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church and the General 
Synod of the Reformed Dutch Church shall each appoint one minister 
and one elder, with an alternate of each, to sit in these judicatories re- 
spectively, with the privilege of deliberating on all subjects that may 
come before them. 

Additional Article. — 8. The ministers of one of the corresponding 



272 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

churches shall not in any case intrude upon the office of the ministers of 
the other church.— 1823, p. 76. 

[The Synod of the Dutch Church did not think proper to rescind the 
8th article above.] 

b. Amendment of the Plan. 

[In 1828 the Synod complained to the Assembly against the Presbytery 
of Columbia for receiving a student under the care of the classis of Al- 
bany, and licensing him. — 1828, p. 237. In 1830, in view of the above 
case, the following additional article was proposed by the Dutch Church 
and adopted by the Assembly:] 

That none of the inferior judicatories under the care of the correspond- 
ing churches shall be at liberty to admit into their respective bodies, or 
under their care, any student or licentiate from their sister church, with- 
out a regular dismission from the ecclesiastical body or theological sem- 
inary to which he is considered as attached. — 1830, p. 288. 

c. Proposal Declined. 

Dr. Scott, delegate from the Reformed Dutch Church, presented to the 
Assembly the following minute from the General Synod of that body re- 
specting the transference of churches : 

Resolved, That if the General Assembly shall concur, no church shall 
be transferred from the one body to the other without the formal dismissal 
of the Presbytery or classis with which it shall have been connected. 

Which, on motion, was referred to a special Committee. — 1851, p. 17, 
O. S. 

Dr. Stockton, from the Committee on the Minute of the General Synod 
of the Reformed Dutch Church, presented the following resolution, which 
was adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, That in the judgment of the Assembly great prudence and 
courtesy should be manifested by the Presbyteries in the reception of 
churches from the classis of the Reformed Dutch Church, and that, where 
it is practicable, the consent of all parties concerned should be at least 
sought and, if possible, secured ; but that the adoption of an absolute 
rule, such as is proposed by the General Synod of the Reformed Dutch 
Church, would probably be productive of hardships to churches and in- 
convenience to both denominations; and therefore, for the present at least, 
the Assembly very respectfully and fraternally beg leave to decline its 
concurrence in the adoption of said rule. — 1851, p. 21, O. S. 

d. Complaint against the Presbytery of North River. 

On a complaint of the Reformed Dutch Church against the Presbytery 
of North River, the Assembly — 

Resolved, .1. That though the consistory of the Second Reformed Dutch 
Church of Kingston may have acted arbitrarily in refusing certificates to 
its members applying for them, to join one of our churches, this Assem- 
bly regards as irregular, and as wanting in the due exercise of Christian 
forbearance, the proceeding of North River Presbytery, in so hastily or- 
ganizing a church composed mostly of the members whom said consistory 
had refused to dismiss. 

2. That though the classis of Ulster may have done wrong in withhold- 
ing from the Rev. Mr. Sm idler the certificate for which he applied to join 
the Presbytery of North River, this Assembly cannot approve of the act 
of said Presbytery in receiving him, regarding their act, in so doing, as 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 273 

deficient in the exercise of that forbearance which should obtain in the 
intercourse of sister churches. 

3. That the stated clerk express to the Dutch Church the deep regret 
which this Assembly feels that there should have been any cause for com- 
plaint or recrimination. — 1855, p.- 302, O. S. 

6. Southern Presbyterian Church Recognized as an Independent 
Body. — Synods and Presbyteries Adhering to it Stricken from 
the Roll. 

The special Committee appointed to take into consideration certain 
matters relating to the Southern churches respectfully reports that the 
following papers have been placed in its hands, and have been carefully 
considered, viz. : 

1. An overture from the Presbytery of Zanesville, asking " that the 
Assembly strike from the lists of Synods, Presbyteries and churches those 

• at the South which have ceased to report or be in connection with us, and 
that they be recognized as an independent body of Presbyterians, and over- 
tures of friendly correspondence be made to them." 

2. An overture from the Presbytery of St. Clairsville of like import. 

3. An overture from the Presbytery of Steubenville, asking that the 
aforementioned Synods, Presbyteries and churches be stricken from the roll. 

4. A memorial signed by certain ministers and ruling elders, asking in 
general terms that the General Assembly " devise such wise and concilia- 
tory measures as may open the way for the renewal of fraternal relations 
with our brethren of the Southern churches." 

In view of all these, your Committee would recommend the adoption of 
the following preamble and resolutions : 

Whereas, The Synods of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Memphis, Mis- 
sissippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia, with the 
several Presbyteries under their care, have, with the exception of the 
Presbytery of New Orleans in the Synod of Mississippi, voluntary with- 
drawn from our connection and organized themselves into a separate 
Church. Therefore, 

Resolved, 1. That the permanent clerk is directed to drop their names 
from the list of our Synods and Presbyteries, and they are no longer to 
be regarded as a part of the Presbyterian Church under the care of this 
Assembly, with the exception of the Presbytery of New Orleans, which is 
hereby attached to the Synod of Nashville. 

Resolved, 2. That the Assembly does hereby recognize the organization 
into which these Synods have formed themselves as a separate and inde- 
pendent Church, -sustaining to us the same relation which we accord to 
other branches of the Presbyterian Church ; and hereafter it is to be 
treated accordingly by all the courts under our care. 

Resolved, 3. That the Assembly also takes this occasion to say that 
while it cannot justify those brethren in separating themselves from the 
Church of their fathers, it regrets their withdrawal, and expresses the 
earnest hope that thev may see their way clear to return to their former 
relations.— 1868, p. 642, O. S. 

7. Correspondence -with the Southern Presbyterian Church. 

a. The following preamble and resolutions, presented by Rev. William 
Adams, D. D., were unanimously adopted, viz. : 

Whereas, This General Assembly believes that the interests of the king- 
dom of our Lord throughout our entire country will be greatly promoted 
by healing all unnecessary divisions ; 

35 



274 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Whereas, This General Assembly desires the speedy establishment of cor- 
dial fraternal relations with the body known as the " Southern Presbyterian 
Church," on terms of mutual confidence, respect, Christian honor and love ; 

Whereas, We believe that the terms of reunion between the two branches 
of the Presbyterian Church at the North, now so happily consummated, 
present an auspicious opportunity for the adjustment of such relations; 
therefore, be it 

Resolved, 1. That a Committee of five ministers and four elders be ap- 
pointed by this Assembly to confer with a similar Committee, if it shall 
be appointed by the Assembly now in session in the city of Louisville, 
Ky., in respect to opening a friendly correspondence between the Northern 
and Southern Presbyterian Churches, and that the result of such confer- 
ence be reported to the General Assembly of 1871. 

Resolved, 2. That with a view to the furtherance of the object con- 
templated in the appointment of said Committee, this Assembly hereby 
reaffirms the "Concurrent Declaration" of the two Assemblies which met 
in the city of New York last year, viz. : 

" That no rule or precedent which does not stand approved by both 
bodies shall be of any authority in the reunited body, except in so far as 
such rule or precedent may affect the rights of property founded thereon." 

Resolved, 3. That two ministers and one elder of the Committee ap- 
pointed by this Assembly be designated as delegates to convey to the 
Assembly now in session at Louisville, Ky., a copy of these resolutions, 
with our Christian salutations. — 1870, p. 18. 

b. William Adams, D. D., C. C. Beatty, D. D., P. H. Fowler, D. D., 
H. J. Van Dyke, D. D., J. C. Backus, D.D., Henry Green, LL.D., Hon. 
William E. Dodge, Mr. James Brown and Hon. Daniel Haines were 
appointed a Committee of Correspondence with the General Assembly of 
the Presbyterian Church South, now in session at Louisville, Ky. — ib., p. 20. 

c. J. C. Backus, D. D., and Hon. Wm. E. Dodge, two of the above 
Committee, made a verbal report of their visit to Louisville, which was 
accepted. — ib., p. 34. Subsequently, 

d. The stated clerk reported a communication from the General Assem- 
bly of the Presbyterian Church South, which was read. [For the Letter 
in full see Minutes 1870, pp. 56-58.] 

Whereupon the following response, reported by the Committee on Cor- 
respondence with the Church South, was adopted: 

Whereas, This General Assembly, at an early period of its sessions, 
declared its desire to establish cordial fraternal relations with the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, commonly 
known as the Southern Assembly, on the basis of Christian honor, confi- 
dence and love, and with a view to the attainment of this end appointed 
a Committee of five ministers and four elders to confer with a similar 
Committee, if it should be appointed by the Assembly then in session at 
Louisville, Ky., " in regard to the amicable settlement of all existing dif- 
ficulties, and the opening of a friendly correspondence between the North- 
ern and Southern Churches ;" and for the furtherance of the objects con- 
templated in the appointment of said Committee, and with a view to 
remove the obstacles which might prevent the acceptance of our propo- 
sals by our Southern brethren, reaffirmed the Concurrent Declaration of 
the two Assemblies which met in New York last year, to the effect that 
" no rule or precedent which does not stand approved by both the bodies 
shall be of any authority in the reunited body, except so far as such rule 
or precedent may affect the rights of property founded thereon," and as 
a further pledge of our sincerity in this movement sent a copy of our 






OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 275 

resolutions, together with our Christian salutations, to the Assembly at 
Louisville by the hands of delegates chosen for that purpose, 

And whereas, The Southern Assembly, while receiving our delegates 
with marked courtesy and formally complying with our proposition for 
the appointment of a Committee of Conference, has nevertheless accom- 
panied that appointment with declarations and conditions which we can- 
not consistently accept, because they involve a virtual prejudgment of the 
very difficulties concerning which we invited the conference ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the further consideration of the subject be postponed, 
and the Committee be discharged. At the same time, we cannot forbear to 
express our profound regret that a measure designed and, as we believe, 
eminently fitted to promote the establishment of peace and the advance- 
ment of our Redeemer's kingdom in every part of our country has appa- 
rently failed to accomplish its object. We earnestly hope that the nego- 
tiations thus suspended may soon be resumed under happier auspices, and 
hereby declare our readiness to renew our proposals for a friendly corre- 
spondence whenever our Southern brethren shall signify their readiness to 
accept it in the form and spirit in which it has been offered. — 1870, pp. 
56-58. 

e. Overture No. 15, from the Presbytery of Des Moines, with reference to 
union with the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church South. The 
Committee recommend the adoption of the following resolution : 

Resolved, That as the General Assembly has heretofore declared its will- 
ingness to resume fraternal relations and Christian union with the Assem- 
bly South, and still retains the same sentiment, it is deemed unwise to 
take any action at present on this overture. Adopted. — 1872, p. 70. 

/. Action touching those adhering to the Southern General Assembly and Old 
School Synod of Missouri declared Null and Void. 

An overture from the Presbytery of Baltimore, asking the Assembly to 
affirm the doctrines of the standards of our Church pertaining to the civil 
magistrate and the relation of Church and State ; also one from the Pres- 
bytery of Austin, concerning certain rules passed previously to the Re- 
union with regard to members of the Southern Presbyterian Church. 

As the subjects of these overtures greatly concern the peace and pros- 
perity of the Church, especially in those regions more directly affected by 
the late civil war, the Committee would recommend the adoption of the 
following paper : 

The General Assembly, deploring the divisions that have occurred, and 
that continue, among Presbyterians in the United States of America, and 
earnestly desiring to do whatever is consistent with duty and fidelity to 
the Lord toward healing these divisions, and furthermore, having good 
reason to hope that the action contemplated in the following papeiMvill 
promote and secure this happy result, do solemnly declare — 

First. That in accordance with a resolution unanimously adopted by 
each of the two bodies now constituting the reunited Church, all action 
touching the brethren adhering to the body popularly known as the 
Southern General Assembly, together with all action touching the breth- 
ren adhering to the body known as the Old School Synod of Missouri, has 
been since the Reunion null and void, and therefore of no binding effect, 
and not to be pleaded as a precedent in the future. 

Second. The Assembly also express confidence in the soundness of doe- 
trine and in the Christian character of these brethren, and cannot doubt 
that a more intimate communion would lead to the speedy removal of the 



27 b' FOPwM OF GOVEENMENT. 

barriers that now separate those of like precious faith, to increased mutual 
affection and esteem, and to a practical manifestation of our oneness in 
Christ. 

Third. With regard to the civil magistrate and the relations of Church 
and State, the Assembly deem it sufficient to call attention to the follow- 
ing principles and statements found in these standards, to wit: I. "Synods 
and Councils are to handle or conclude nothing but that which is ecclesi- 
astical, and are not to intermeddle with civil affairs which concern the 
commonwealth, unless by way of humble petition in cases extraordinary, 
or by way of advice for satisfaction of conscience, if they be thereunto re- 
quired by the civil magistrate." (Confession of Faith, chap, xxxi., sec. iv.) 
II. " That God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from 
the doctrine and commandments of men, which are in anything contrary 
to his word, or beside it, in matters of faith or worship;" "that all church 
power, whether exercised by the body in general or in the way of repre- 
sentation by delegated authority, is only ministerial and declarative — that 
is to say, that the holy Scriptures are the only rule of faith and manners ; 
that no church judicatory ought to pretend to make laws to bind the con- 
science in virtue of their own authority, and that all their decisions should 
be founded upon the revealed will of God." (Form of Gov., chap, i., sees. 
i. and vii.) 

Fourth. For the purpose of carrying out the spirit of the foregoing res- 
olutions, the Assembly will appoint two Committees to confer with similar 
Committees, if appointed by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian 
Church in the United States and by the Old School Synod of Missouri, to 
seek closer and more fraternal relations with these bodies. — 1873, p. 502. 

8. Report on Foreign Correspondence. 

The Committee on Foreign Correspondence reported in part as follows : 

The Committee on Foreign Correspondence respectfully recommend to 
the Assembly that the Rev. William Arnot and the Rev. William G. 
Blaikie, D. I)., from the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scot- 
land, the Rev. Robert Watts, D. D., and Mr. Thomas Sinclair, from the 
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Rev. John 
Edmond, D. D., and the Rev. John McLeod, D. D., from the Synod of the 
United Presbyterian Church of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Rev. 
David Inglis and the Rev. Thomas Lowry, from the Synod of the Canada 
Presbyterian Church, be admitted to seats in this Assembly as delegates 
from the several ecclesiastical bodies they represent, and that they be 
heard in the order above named at a session of the Assembly to be held 
for that purpose on Wednesday next, at 7* o'clock p. m. 

The Committee further recommend the adoption of the following reso- 
lution : 

Resolved, That this Assembly cordially receives the delegates from the 
Synod of the United Presbyterian Church of Great Britain and Ireland — 
a body not hitherto in correspondence with either branch of our reunited 
Church — and that the Committee on Correspondence be directed to nomi- 
nate delegates who shall present our greetings to that Synod at its meet- 
ing next year.— 1870, p. 17. 

Your Committee would also report that a communication has been re- 
ceived from the general conference of churches in Connecticut, notifying 
us that they appointed no delegate this year, as steps were being taken 
toward the formation of a national convention of Congregational churches 
which would more properly send delegates to represent that body in our 
General Assemblies. — 1871, p. 531. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 277 



9. Bodies -with which the Assembly is at Present in Corre- 
spondence. 

1. General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland. 

2. General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. 

3. General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. 

4. Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Great Britain and Ireland. 

5. General Assembly of the Canada Presbyterian Church. 

6. Synod of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in connection with the 
Church of Scotland. 

7. General Synod of the Reformed Church in America. 

8. General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church of North 
America. 

9. General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the United 
States. 

10. Synod of the Presbyterian Church in the Lower Provinces of Brit- 
ish North America and the Synod of the Presbyterian Church in 'connec- 
tion with the Church of Scotland. 

11. General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. 

12. General Assembly of the Welsh Presbyterian Church in America. 

13. General Synod of the Reformed Church of France. 

14. National Council of the Congregational churches in the United 
States of America. 

15. Synod of the Waldensian Church.— 1873, p. 537. 

10. Power of the Assembly to expel a Member. 

Mr. Galloway rose to a question of privilege, and read an article from 
the Ohio Statesman reflecting severely upon his character and that of the 
General Assembly, which article he attributed to the Rev. W. M. Fergu- 
son, a member of this house. 

Dr. Krebs offered the following : 

Resolved, That unless the Rev. William M. Ferguson forthwith retract 
the offensive publication, and make an ample apology to the satisfaction 
of this house, he be immediately expelled. 

The moderator having waited a suitable length of time for an explana- 
tion or retraction, and Mr. Ferguson having declined to speak, the mode- 
rator took the vote, and the resolution was adopted, when the moderator 
declared Mr. Ferguson to be expelled from the Assembly. 

Mr. Ferguson having declared that he had not understood that an ex- 
planation at that time was demanded, the vote was, on motion of Dr. Krebs, 
reconsidered, in order to renew to Mr. Ferguson the opportunity he had 
failed to use before the resolution to expel him was adopted. Mr. Fergu- 
son then rose and explained, after which Mr. McKnight offered the fol- 
lowing as an amendment to the motion of Dr. Krebs : 

Resolved, That the Rev. William M. Ferguson, a commissioner to this 
General Assembly, because of a gross, abusive and scandalous libel, pub- 
lished in the Ohio Statesman, on members of this body, which he has now 
qualified in the presence of the Assembly, is entitled to and does hereby 
receive the grave censure of this Assembly. 

Various resolutions to substitute, to amend and to commit were pro- 
posed, which were all laid upon the table in order that by general consent 
Dr. Krebs might offer the following resolution, viz. : 

Resolved, That whereas the Rev. W. M. Ferguson, a commissioner to 
this General Assembly from the Presbytery of Zanesville, is, by his own 
acknowledgment, guilty of writing and publishing in the Ohio Statesman 



278 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

a gross, abusive, scandalous and slanderous libel against the members of 
this Assembly, and against this Assembly itself, and although he has quali- 
fied it in the presence of this Assembly this morning, his explanation is 
not deemed satisfactory ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the Rev. Wm. M. Ferguson be forthwith expelled as a 
member of this house. 

On these resolutions the previous question was called for, and the call 
was sustained. The main question was then put, and the resolutions were 
adopted, when the moderator again announced that the Rev. W. M. 
Ferguson, a commissioner from the Presbytery of Zanesville, had been 
expelled from membership in this General Assembly. — 1866, p. 58, O. S. 

11. Report on the Perils which Beset the System of Popular Edu- 
cation. 

The Committee on the Perils which Beset the System of Popular Edu- 
cation presented their report, which, having been read and considered, 
was adopted, and is as follows : 

The Committee appointed to consider the perils which beset the system 
of popular education in this country, and to prepare a minute expressive 
of the sentiment of the General Assembly on this momentous question, 
beg leave to report : 

The public school in the United States is a most precious heirloom of 
American liberty. Planted in the early colonial days, it has grown and 
expanded into one of the most beneficent and fruitful institutions of the 
country. Its history is interwoven with that of the nation. No other 
agency, if we except the Church of God, has had so large a share in lay- 
ing the foundations of popular intelligence, virtue and freedom in the 
United States. In hardly any other institution is the characteristic Amer- 
ican idea so happily and fully realized. It cannot be endangered, there- 
fore, without peril to the vital interests of American society. 

In this view the recent assaults upon it are fitted to arrest the attention 
of every Christian patriot and philanthropist. These assaults resemble 
skirmishes which precede and are intended to draw on a great battle. 
But the motives and ultimate aim of those who have made them are very 
different; they have joined hands merely to gain a temporary advantage. 
One party hold that the public school should be purged of every vestige 
of religion, that inasmuch as all the people are taxed for its support 
there should be recognized in it no form of Christian instruction or influ- 
ence to which any of the tax-payers profess conscientious objections. This 
is the position maintained by the advocates of a total divorce of popular 
education from the Christian life and morals of the nation. The other 
party regard such a theory of popular education as false and unchristian ; 
they hold that there should be careful instruction in religious truth and 
duty under the direction of the Church ; and inasmuch as this is not pos- 
sible in the common school, they advocate for themselves the sectarian 
school, and demand their share of the public school fund to enable them 
to sustain it. ' 

The importance of the question thus raised cannot be easily over-esti- 
mated. The question of popular education, indeed, both at home and 
abroad, is one of the great problems of the age. Its decision among our- 
selves involves consequences of vast moment to the American people. 
Shall the old system be revolutionized, and every form of Christian instruc- 
tion or influence in the public school be prohibited ? Or shall the insti- 
tution itself be given up, and sectarian schools take its place? 

We should regard the successful attempt to expel all religious instruc- 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 279 

tion and influence from our public schools as an evil of the first magni- 
tude. Nor do we see how, according to the principles upon which it is 
advocated, this can be done, without inflicting a deadly wound upon the 
intellectual and moral life of the nation. It is contended that the rights 
of the individual conscience, as also the just limits of political power under 
our constitution of government, are violated by the existing system. But 
scarcely more, we reply, than they are violated by the very genius and 
organization of American society ; no more than they are violated by all 
public acknowledgment of God and his providential government, by oaths 
of office, by the recognition of the Lord's day, by chaplaincies in the army 
and navy, or by laws against polygamy, blasphemy, perjury and other 
forms of open immorality and crime ; no more, in a word, than they are 
violated by the fundamental ideas and order of our Christian civilization. 
We look upon the State as an ordinance of God, and not a mere creature 
of the popular will, and under its high responsibility to the supreme 
Ruler of the world, we hold it to be both its right and bounden duty to 
educate its children in those elementary principles of knowledge and vir- 
tue which are essential to its own security and well-being. The union of 
Church and State is indeed against our American theory and constitutions 
of government, but the most intimate union of the State with the saving 
and conservative forces of Christianity is one of the oldest customs of 
the country, and. has always ranked as a vital article of our political 
faith. What impressive illustrations of this occur along the whole line of 
our history, and especially during our late national struggle ! We cannot, 
therefore, help regarding the notion of an absolute secularization of the 
public school, so that no Christian element shall remain in it, as un- 
American, wrong and impracticable. We do not see how it can be done 
without a complete revision of the literature and very dictionary of the 
language, without reducing the education of the future citizens of the 
republic to the most meagre and pitiable skeleton of knowledge, without 
training up the children of the people in ignorance of some of the most 
interesting and glorious incidents and characters of their own history. 
Nor do we see how it can be done without sooner or later stamping down- 
right atheism, not only upon the public school, but upon every other insti- 
tution of the State, and upon the whole action of government itself. The 
American people, we cannot doubt, are utterly opposed to so baleful a 
dogma. It is contrary to their history, to their practice from the begin- 
ning and to their deepest convictions. 

But while they can never consent, as we believe, to expel all recognition 
of God and his truth from the public school, neither can they consent, on 
the other hand, to let a portion of the public schools pass under the con- 
trol of any particular denomination, and thus become the instruments of 
sectarian instruction and influence. It is a matter of the utmost import- 
ance that the children of the people should be educated together, under 
the same roof, in the same atmosphere of American thought and feeling, 
and in those common elements of knowledge, virtue, fraternal sympathy, 
humanity and patriotism which go to form a good and loyal citizen of our 
great republic. 

We sincerely trust, therefore, that our Roman Catholic fellow-citizen?, 
who agree with us on the importance of the moral and religious element 
in popular education, will continue to co-operate with us in sustaining 
our American common school system, and in infusing into it as far as 
possible those universal and benign principles — such as love to God and 
love to our neighbor — which lie at the foundation of human duty and arc 
essential to the right training of the youthful mind. On this patriotic and 



280 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

catholic platform we should hope that a very large majority of those even 
who dissent entirely from our theological views, and belong, indeed, to no 
branch of the Christian Church, would be willing to stand with us. We 
cannot think that there are many of our countrymen who would seriously 
object to having their children trained up in the public school under the 
influence of these ancestral and truly democratic principles. The number 
of such in the past has been exceedingly small, and we cherish the confi- 
dent hope that it will be so in the future. We believe that the roots of 
our human and Christian nationality lie deep in the heart of the Amer- 
ican people. 

In accordance with the foregoing views, your Committee submit the 
following resolutions: 

Resolved, 1. That the General Assembly regard the free public school 
as an essential part of our republican system, as conducive in the highest 
degree to the moral unity, common spirit and kindly sympathies of Amer- 
ican citizenship, and as closely connected with all the best interests of 
Christian society in the United States. 

Resolved, 2. That in the judgment of the General Assembly the divorce 
of popular education from all religious elements, while involving a radi- 
cal departure from the spirit and principles in which our public school 
had its origin, would be eminently unwise, unjust and a moral calamity 
to the nation. 

Resolved, 3. That the General Assembly are also entirely opposed to 
•the appropriation of any portion of the public school funds for the sup- 
port of sectarian institutions, and would regard the establishment of such 
a policy as fraught with the greatest mischief not only to the cause of 
popular education, but hardly less to the interests of American freedom, 
unity and progress. 

Resolved, 4. That whereas the Bible is not only the Magna Charta of 
the spiritual rights and liberties of mankind, but is also pre-eminently our 
national book, the best model of our mother tongue and the fountain of 
our highest thought and of our ruling ideas, both in private and public 
life, the General Assembly would regard its expulsion from the schools 
of the people as a deplorable and suicidal act, nor can they perceive that 
any real advantage could thereby be gained to the cause of popular edu- 
cation. 

Resolved, 5. That the General Assembly, conscious of being actuated in 
this matter by no other motive than the greatest good of the whole coun- 
try, hereby profess their readiness to co-operate with all Christian people, 
of whatever name, and with all good citizens, in so modifying and perfect- 
ing our noble public school system as to obviate, as far as practicable, the 
conscientious scruples and difficulties of any of its friends, and thus to 
render it a fountain of still greater light and benediction to us and our 
children after us to the latest generation. — 1870, pp. 49-52. 

12. The Pastoral Letters. 
1. On Missions. 

The letter of the Synod now sitting at Philadelphia, to the several congregations 
within the hounds of the Synod : 

September 22, 1719. 
Christian Friends. 

Whereas divine Providence, which is the Disposer of the lot of all men, 
has planted us in these parts of the world, and in such a station wherein 
we are obliged, in an eminent manner, to study the everlasting welfare of 
the souls of men. And whereas, to our great grief and exercise, we see 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 281 

many smaller places of lesser ability to maintain and support the interest 
of Christ among them by the ordinary means of salvation, and yet desirous 
thereof, languishing in darkness and blindness, and in great danger of utter 
ruin for lack of vision, casting in our minds how to get these miserable 
people relieved, could think upon no other way than by using our utmost 
interest and endeavor to have such a fund or stock of money raised as may 
be of some use to help those distressed places and people. In pursuance 
of which design we have addressed our friends in Britain and Ireland not 
altogether without success. 

And forasmuch as it seems to us unreasonable and unjustifiable to apply 
to other places in this affair, and ourselves, who are more immediately con- 
cerned, to hold our hands, we determined to request the charity of our 
respective congregations in the premises, that they would yearly make a 
collection for the carrying on of the said noble and pious design of plant- 
ing and spreading the everlasting gospel in these provinces. 

As for arguments to enforce this our proposal, the thing itself is of such 
consequence and importance, and withal so needful, that we need not, we 
hope, use any other, only the consideration of a blessing entailed in this 
and the other world, by God's gracious promises, on all such as do cheer- 
fully exert themselves for the glory of God and the good of souls, together 
with the honorable examples that are frequently set us by the good people 
of our own nation both at home and abroad. So recommending you to 
the counsel and blessing of the Author and Rewarder of all good works, 
we subscribe ourselves yours in the truest bonds of Christian affections. — 
[Letter Book.']— 1719, p. 58. 

2. Pastoral Letter on occasion of the "Old French War." 

The Synod [of New York], under a sense of the present distressed 
and calamitous state of the country, do agree that they will recommend 
to all their congregations to unite in observing the last Thursday of Octo- 
ber, instant, as a day of public humiliation, fasting and prayer. 

The Synod propose further to recommend to their congregations to 
spend part of the last Thursday of every month in extraordinary prayer 
while the present mournful state of our public affairs continues. 

And they do further most earnestly recommend it to all their mem- 
bers, present and absent, to exert themselves in an extraordinary manner, 
in their several spheres of influence, for a general and thorough reforma- 
tion of those crying abominations which seem most evidently to have 
kindled the anger of Heaven against this land. 

And that they would, in their public performances, frequently explain 
and warmly press on their hearers the necessity of such' a reformation in 
this day. 

The Synod taking into serious consideration the dangerous situation 
of the public at this juncture by means of a potent, prevailing and cruel 
enemy; the divided state of these colonies; the abounding of profanity, 
luxury, infidelity, error and ignorance; the evident suspension of spiritual 
influences from the Church, which is followed with an evident insensibility 
under the judgments as well as ordinances of God; together with other 
awful aspects of divine Providence, cannot but view them as plain demon- 
strations of his displeasure. We have been warned and chastised, first 
more gently, then more terribly; but not returning to Him that smites us, 
his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. Judg- 
ment yet proceeds, the prospect becomes darker and darker, and all things 
respecting us are loudly alarming. When God judges, he will overcome; 

36 



282 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

none have ever hardened themselves against him and prospered. Nothing 
but impiety rouses his vengeance, and nothing but repentance toward him 
and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ can turn it away. We have not 
so much as the least reason to expect deliverance and safety in a way of 
impenitent sinning ; for we are assured, if we walk contrary to our God, 
he will walk contrary to us, and will punish us yet seven times more for 
our iniquity. And as we judge that extraordinary distresses are calls to 
extraordinary humiliation and acts of devotion, so we look on ourselves 
bound, not only as members of the community, but by the duty of our 
office, as those who are entrusted with the declaration "of God's revealed 
will, to warn all who will attend unto us, and earnestly exhort them to 
prostrate themselves before his offended majesty in the humblest maimer; 
to deprecate his righteous displeasure, implore his mercy for themselves, 
their children, country and nation, their and our rightful and gracious 
sovereign King George the Second, his royal family, all officers civil and 
military, and the whole Church of God ; and solemnly endeavor sincere 
and thorough reformation. For this purpose the Synod agree to recom- 
mend the last Thursday of this instant, to be observed as a day of public 
fasting and prayer, in all the congregations under our care. We also rec- 
ommend to all the members of our body that they exert themselves in 
promoting a reformation from those evils which have evidently kindled 
the anger of Heaven against this land ; and that they would frequently 
urge the necessity of such a reformation in this day. 
Signed in the name of the Synod. 

Kichard Treat, Synod Clerk. 

—1756, p. 276. 

3. Pastoral Letter upon the Eepeal of the Stamp Act. 

Dearly Beloved : We think it our indispensable duty, not only in 
our particular charges, but in this united and more public capacity, to di- 
rect you to some suitable reflections upon the late remarkable and merciful 
steps of divine Providence, and to inculcate a becoming improvement of 
an event the most interesting and important to the people of this conti- 
nent. For not only in the word of God should we attend to his divine 
will, but also mark his hand in that providence by which he directs the 
course of human affairs with invariable wisdom and paternal goodness. 

The faithless French and their savage allies were lately the rod of di- 
vine displeasure for our many provocations. Under the calamities of war 
and the wasting ravages of Indian cruelty, we were repeatedly brought to 
approach the throne of grace with solemn fasting and prayer, and thereby 
openly profess our resolution to forsake the ways of sin, and turn unto 
the Lord. But, alas ! we rendered not to God according to the multitude 
of his tender mercies; for no sooner was the rod removed, and the bless- 
ings of peace restored, but we became more vain and dissolute than be- 
fore. 

The Almighty, thus provoked, permitted counsels of the most pernicious 
tendency, both to Great Britain and her colonies. The imposition of un- 
usual taxes, a severe restriction of our trade and an almost total stagna- 
tion of business threatened us with inevitable ruin. A long suspense, 
whether we should be deprived of or restored to the peaceable enjoyment 
of the inestimable privilege of English liberty, filled every breast with the 
most painful anxiety. A gloomy cloud thickened over our heads, ready 
to burst upon us in a desolating storm. Had our gracious Sovereign, the 
present ministry and the British parliament been less wise, just and good, 
had they, instead of yielding to a spirit of moderation, unhappily re- 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 283 

curred to force, we shudder at the very thoughts of the consequences. 
We cannot look down the precipice on the brink of which we stood, with- 
out horror. We were not without reason apprehensive that the tumultu- 
ous outrages which in some places attended a determined opposition to 
the disrelished statute might provoke the resentment of the British legis- 
lature. 

When we reflect on the public offences of our land against Heaven ; 
when we think of the open disregard and violation of the holy Sabbath ; 
the neglect of the ordinances of divine worship, the abuse of gospel light 
and privileges, the profane swearing and cursing, intemperance and lux- 
ury, the various scenes of uncleanness and lasciviousness, the pride and 
vanity, and every other evil so shamefully prevalent, what less could we 
expect than that an offended God would have made the gathering tempest 
to break upon us, and plunged us and our mother country in all the rue- 
ful calamities of a civil war? But how astonishing is the long-suffering 
patience of Jehovah ! He has inclined the hearts of many powerful 
friends to espouse our cause. He has given us to experience the paternal 
tenderness of the best of kings, and the moderation of the British parlia- 
ment. Our gracious God is our deliverer. He is making a further trial 
of us. May his unmerited goodness lead us to repentance! 

We therefore call upon you who are the dear people of our charge not 
only to acknowledge with joy and gratitude the general providence of 
God, but also thankfully to adore that particular providence wherein 
upon special occasions he directs and controls the course of events by his 
immediate influence, and whereby he hath on the late interesting occasion 
so signally appeared for our protection. We call upon you constantly to 
reverence that all-wise and omnipotent Director and Disposer of events, on 
whom we depend for every mercy we enjoy, to be thankful to him for 
every instance of prosperity, patient under every affliction, submissive to 
his wise disposals and obedient to all his holy precepts ; to awake to re- 
pentance, to consider your ways, and to turn unto the Lord, through his 
Son Jesus Christ. Let every one beware of adding to the common stock 
of guilt and iniquity. We beseech and obtest you to be strict in observing 
the laws and ordinances of Jesus Christ, to pay a sacred regard to his 
Sabbath, to reverence his holy name and adorn the doctrine of God our 
Saviour by good works. We pray you to seek earnestly the saving know- 
ledge of Christ and the internal power and spirit of religion. Thus may 
you hope for the continued kindness of a gracious Providence, and this is 
the way to express your gratitude to the Father of mercies for your late 
glorious deliverance. But persisting to grieve the Holy Spirit by a neg- 
lect of vital religion and a continuance in sin, you will have reason to 
dread that a holy God will punish you yet seven times more for your 
iniquities. 

While we thus call upon you to fear God, you will not forget to honor 
your king and pay a due submission to his august parliament. Let this 
fresh instance of royal clemency increase the ardor of your affection to 
the person, family and government of our rightful and gracious sover- 
eign. This you will manifest by a cheerful and ready obedience to civil 
authority. A spirit of liberty is highly laudable when under proper reg- 
ulations, but we hope you will carefully distinguish between liberty and 
licentiousness. 

We most earnestly recommend it to you to encourage and strengthen 
the hands of government, to demonstrate on every proper occasion your 
undissembled love for your mother country and your attachment to her 
true interest, so inseparably connected with our own. 



284 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

That thus you may become wise and good, as well as free and happy, 
and that while you enjoy liberty, civil and religious, you may not be the 
servants of sin and Satan, is the fervent prayer of those who watch for 
your souls as men who must give an account. 

Signed by order. Elihu Spencer, Moderator. 

Presbyterian Church, at New York, May 30, 1766. — 1766, p. 362. 

4. Pastoral Letter upon Occasion of the Re volution ary War. 

Dr. Witherspoon, Dr. Rodgers, Messrs. Caldwell, Halsey, Smith, Kerr 
and Ogden are appointed a Committee to bring in to-morrow, in the after- 
noon, a draught of a pastoral letter. 

The Committee brought in a draught of a pastoral letter, which, after a 
few alterations, was approved, ordered to be printed, and is as follows: 

Very dear Brethren : The Synod of New York and Philadelphia being 
met at a time when public affairs wear so threatening an aspect, and when 
(unless God in his sovereign providence speedily prevent it) all the horrors 
of a civil war throughout this great continent are to be apprehended, were 
of opinion that they could not discharge their duty to the numerous con- 
gregations under their care without addressing them at this important cri- 
sis. As the firm belief and habitual recollection of the power and presence 
of the living God ought at all times to possess the minds of real Christians, 
so in seasons of public calamity, when the Lord is known by the judgment 
which he executeth, it would be an ignorance or indifference highly crim- 
inal not to look up to him with reverence, to implore his mercy by humble 
and fervent prayer, and, if possible, to prevent his vengeance by unfeigned 
repentance. 

We therefore, brethren, beseech you in the most earnest manner to look 
beyond the immediate authors either of your sufferings or fears, and to 
acknowledge the holiness and justice of the Almighty in the present visita- 
tion. He is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works. Affliction 
springeth not out of the dust. He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the 
children of men ; and therefore it becomes every person, family, city and 
province to humble themselves before his throne, to confess their sins by 
which they have provoked his indignation, and entreat him to pour out 
upon all ranks a spirit of repentance and of prayer. Fly also for forgiveness 
to the atoning blood of the great Redeemer, the blood of sprinkling, which 
speaketh better things than that of Abel. Remember and confess not only 
your sins in general, but those prevalent national offences which may be 
justly considered as the procuring causes of public judgments, particularly 
profaneness and contempt of God, his name, Sabbaths and sanctuary, 
pride, luxury, uncleanness and neglect of family religion and government, 
with the deplorable ignorance and security which certainly ought to be 
imputed to this as their principal cause. All these are, among us, highly 
aggravated by the inestimable privileges which we have hitherto enjoyed 
without interruption since the first settlement of this country. If, in the 
present day of distress, we expect that God will hear our supplications and 
interpose for our protection or deliverance, let us remember what he him- 
self requires of us is that our prayers should be attended with a sincere 
purpose and thorough endeavor after personal and family reformation. 
" If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand toward him, if 
iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in 
thy tabernacles." Job xi. 13, 14. 

The Synod cannot help thinking that this is a proper time for pressing 
all, of every rank, seriously to consider the things that belong to their eter- 
nal peace. Hostilities, long feared, have how taken place; the sword has 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 285 

been drawn in one province, and the whole continent, with hardly any 
exception, seem determined to defend their rights by force of arms. If, 
at the sametime, the British ministry shall continue to enforce their 
claims by violence, a lasting and bloody contest must be expected. 
Surely, then, it becomes those who have taken up arms, and profess a 
willingness to hazard their lives in the cause of liberty, to be prepared for 
death, which to many must be certain, and to every one is a possible or 
probable event. 

We have long seen w 7 ith concern the circumstances which occasioned, 
and the gradual increase of, this unhappy difference. As ministers of the 
gospel of peace we have ardently wished that it could, and often hoped 
that it would, have been more early accommodated. It is well known to 
you (otherwise it would be imprudent indeed thus publicly to profess) that 
we have not been instrumental in inflaming the minds of the people or 
urging them to acts of violence and disorder. Perhaps no instance can 
be given on so interesting a subject in which political sentiments have been 
so long and so fully kept from the pulpit, and even malice itself has not 
charged us with laboring from the press; but things are now come to such 
a state that we do not wish to conceal our opinions as men and citizens, 
so the relation we stand in to you seemed to make the present improve- 
ment of it to your spiritual benefit an indispensable duty. 

Suffer us, then, to lay hold of your present temper of mind, and to ex- 
hort, especially the young and vigorous, by assuring them that there is no 
soldier so undaunted as the pious man, no army so formidable as those 
who are superior to the fear of death. There is nothing more awful to 
think of than that those whose trade is war should be despisers of the 
name of the Lord of hosts, and that they should expose themselves to the 
imminent danger of being immediately sent from cursing and cruelty on 
the earth to the blaspheming rage and despairing horror of the infernal 
pit. Let, therefore, every one, who from generosity of spirit or benevo- 
lence of heart offers himself as a champion in his country's cause, be per- 
suaded to reverence the name and w T alk in the fear of the Prince of the 
kings of the earth, and then he may, with the most unshaken firmness, 
expect the issue either in victory or death. 

Let it not be forgotten that though for the w T ise ends of his providence 
it may please God for a season to suffer his people to lie under unmerited 
oppression, yet in general we may expect that those who fear and serve 
him in sincerity and truth will be favored with his countenance and 
strength. It is both the character and the privilege of the children of 
God that they call upon him in the day of trouble, and He who keepeth 
covenant and truth for ever has said that his ears are always open to their 
cry. We need not mention to you in how many instances the event in 
battles and success in war have turned upon circumstances which were 
inconsiderable in themselves, as well as out of the power of human pru- 
dence to foresee or direct, because we suppose you firmly believe that after 
all the counsels of men and the most probable and promising means, the 
Lord will do that which seemeth him good ; nor hath his promise ever 
tailed of its full accomplishment. "The Lord is with you while ye be 
with him, and if ye seek him he will be found of you, but if ye forsake 
him he will forsake you." 2 Chron. xv. 2. 

After this exhortation, which we thought ourselves called upon to give 
you at this time on your great interest, the one thing needful, we shall 
take the liberty to offer a few advices to the societies under our charge as 
to their public and general conduct ; and, 

First. In carrying on this important struggle, let every opportunity be 



286 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

taken to express your attachment and respect to our sovereign King 
George, and to the revolution principles by which his august family was 
seated on the British throne. We recommend, indeed, not only allegiance 
to him from duty and principle, as the first magistrate of the empire, but 
esteem and reverence for the person of the prince, who has merited well 
of his subjects on many accounts, and who has probably been misled into 
the late and present measures by those about him ; neither have we any 
doubt that they themselves have been in a great degree deceived by false 
information from interested persons residing in America. It gives us the 
greatest pleasure to say, from our own certain knowledge of all belonging 
to our communion, and from the best means of information, of the far 
greatest part of all denominations in the country, that the present opposi- 
tion to the measures of administration does not in the least arise from dis- 
affection to the king or a desire of separation from the parent state. We 
are happy in being able with truth to affirm that no part of America would 
either have approved or permitted such insults as have been offered to the 
sovereign in Great Britain. We exhort you, therefore, to continue in the 
same disposition, and not to suffer oppression, or injury itself, easil} r to 
provoke you to anything which may seem to betray contrary sentiments : 
let it ever appear that you only desire the preservation and security of 
those rights which belong to you as freemen and Britons, and that recon- 
ciliation upon these terms is your most ardent desire. 

Secondly. Be careful to maintain the union which at present subsists 
through all the colonies ; nothing can be more manifest than that the suc- 
cess of every measure depends on its being inviolably preserved, and, 
therefore, we hope that you will leave nothing undone which can promote 
that end. In particular, as the Continental Congress, now sitting at Phil- 
adelphia, consists of delegates chosen in the most free and unbiased man- 
ner by the body of the people, let them not only be treated with respect 
and encouraged in their difficult service — not only let your prayers be 
offered up to God for his direction in their proceedings — but adhere 
firmly to their resolutions ; and let it be seen that they are able to bring 
out the whole strength of this vast country to carry them into execution. 
We would also advise, for the same purpose that a spirit of candor, charity 
and mutual esteem be preserved and promoted toward those of different 
religious denominations. Persons of probity and principle of every pro- 
fession should be united together as servants of the same Master, and the 
experience of our happy concord hitherto in a state of liberty should engage 
all to unite in support of the common interest ; for there is no example in 
history in which civil liberty was destroyed and the rights of conscience 
preserved entire. 

Thirdly. We do earnestly exhort and beseech the societies under our 
care to be strict and vigilant in their private government, and to watch 
over the morals of their several members. It is with the utmost pleasure 
we remind you that the last Continental Congress determined to discourage 
luxury in living, public diversions and gaming of all kinds, which have so 
fatal an influence on the morals of the people. If it is undeniable that 
universal profligacy makes a nation ripe for divine judgment, and is the 
natural mean of bringing them to ruin, reformation of manners is of the 
utmost necessity in our present distress. At the same time, as it has been 
observed by many eminent writers that the censorial power, which had 
for its object the manners of the public in the ancient free states, was ab- 
solutely necessary to their continuance, we cannot help being of opinion 
that the only thing which we have now to supply the place of this, is the 
religious discipline of the several sects with respect to their own members; 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 287 

so that the denomination or profession which shall take the most effectual 
care of the instruction of its members, and maintain its discipline in the 
fullest vigor, will do the most essential service in the whole body. For 
the very same reason the greatest service which magistrates or persons in 
authority can do, with respect to the religion or morals of the people, is to 
defend and secure the rights of conscience in the most equal and impartial 
manner. 

Fourthly. We cannot but recommend and urge in the warmest manner 
a regard to order and the public peace ; and as in many places, during the 
confusions that prevail, legal proceedings have become difficult, it is 
hoped that all persons will conscientiously pay their just debts, and to 
the utmost of their power serve one another, so that the evils inseparable 
from a civil war may not be augmented by wantonness and irregularity. 

Fifthly. We think it of importance at this time to recommend to all 
of every rank, but especially to those who may be called to action, a spirit 
of humanity and mercy. Every battle of the warrior is with confused 
noise and garments rolled in blood. It is impossible to appeal to the 
sword without being exposed to many scenes of cruelty and slaughter ; 
but it is often observed that civil wars are carried on with a rancor and 
spirit of revenge much greater than those between independent states. 
The injuries received, or supposed, in civil wars, wound more deeply than 
those of foreign enemies ; it is therefore the more necessary to guard 
against this abuse, and recommend that meekness and gentleness of spirit 
which is the noblest attendant on true valor. That man will fight most 
bravely who never fights till it is necessary, and who ceases to fight as soon 
as the necessity is over. 

Lastly. We would recommend to all the societies under our care not to 
content themselves with attending devoutly on general fasts, but to con- 
tinue habitually in the exercise of prayer, and to have frequent occasional 
voluntary meetings for solemn intercession with God on the important 
trial. Those who are immediately exposed to danger need your sym- 
pathy ; and we learn from the Scriptures that fervency and importunity 
are the very characters of that prayer of the righteous man which availeth 
much. 

We conclude with our most earnest prayer that the God of heaven 
may bless you in your temporal and spiritual concerns, and that the 
present unnatural dispute may be speedily terminated by an equitable 
and lasting settlement on constitutional principles. 

Signed in the name, presence and by appointment of the Synod. 

Benjamin Hait, Moderator. 

New York, May 22, 1775. 

N. B. The stated clerk is to insert the pastoral letter from a printed 
copy. The Synod agree that five hundred copies of said pastoral letter 
be printed, and order the synodical treasurer to pay the expenses of print- 
ing, which is to be by the Synod refunded at their next meeting. 

Mr. Halsey dissents from that paragraph of said letter which contains 
the declarations of allegiance. — 1775, pp. 466-469. 

5. Address to Washington on his Election to the Presidency. 

On motion, Resolved unanimously, That an address be presented from 
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church to the President of the 
United States, and that Drs. Witherspoon, Alison and S. S. Smith be a 
Committee to draft said address : 



288 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

To the President of the United States: 

Sir: The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States of America embrace the earliest opportunity in their power to test- 
ify the lively and unfeigned pleasure which they, with the rest of their 
fellow-citizens, feel, on your appointment to the first office in the nation. 

We adore almighty God, the Author of every perfect gift, who hath 
endued you with such a rare and happy assemblage of talents as hath ren- 
dered you equally necessary to your country in war and in peace. Your 
military achievements ensured safety and glory to America in the late 
arduous conflict for freedom, while your disinterested conduct and uni- 
formly just discernment of the public interest gained you the entire con- 
fidence of the people; and in the present interesting period of public 
affairs the influence of your personal character moderates the divisions 
of political parties, and promises a permanent establishment of the civil 
government. 

From a retirement more glorious than thrones and sceptres you have 
been called to your present elevated station by the voice of a great and a 
free people, and with a unanimity of suffrage that has few if any exam- 
ples in history. A man more ambitious of fame or less devoted to his 
country would have refused an office in which his honors could not be 
augmented, and where they might possibly be subject to a reverse. We 
are happy that God has inclined your heart to give yourself once more to 
the public. And we derive a favorable presage of the event from the 
zeal of all classes- of the people and their confidence in your virtues, as 
well as from the knowledge and dignity with which. the federal councils 
are filled. But we derive a presage even more flattering from the piety 
of your character. Public virtue is the most certain means of public 
felicity, and religion is the surest basis of virtue. We, therefore, esteem it 
a peculiar happiness to behold in our Chief Magistrate a steady, uniform, 
avowed friend of the Christian religion, who has commenced his admin- 
istration in rational and exalted sentiments of piety, and who in his pri- 
vate conduct adorns the doctrines of the gospel of Christ, and on the most 
public and solemn occasions devoutly acknowledges the government of 
divine Providence. 

The example of distinguished characters will ever possess a powerful 
and extensive influence on the public mind ; and when we see in such a 
conspicuous station the amiable example of piety to God, of benevolence 
to men and a pure and virtuous patriotism, we naturally hope that it will 
diffuse its influence, and that eventually the most happy consequences will 
result from it. To the force of imitation we will endeavor to add the 
wholesome instructions of religion. We shall consider ourselves as doing 
an acceptable service to God in our profession when we contribute to ren- 
der men sober, honest and industrious citizens, and the obedient subjects 
of a lawful government. In these pious labors we hope to imitate the 
most worthy of our brethren of other Christian denominations, and to be 
imitated by them, assured that if we can by mutual and generous emula- 
tion promote truth and virtue, we shall render a great and important ser- 
vice to the republic, shall receive encouragement from every wise and good 
citizen, and above all meet the approbation of our divine Master. 

We pray almighty God to have you always in his holy keeping. May 
he prolong your valuable life, an ornament and a blessing to your country, 
and at last bestow on you the glorious reward of a faithful servant. 
Signed by order of the General Assembly. 

John Rodgers, Moderator. 

Philadelphia, May, 1789. —1789, p. 11. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 289 

Washington's Reply. 

The Committee appointed to present the address of the General Assem- 
bly to the President of the United States reported that they presented the 
said address, agreeably to the order of last year, and received from the 
President the following answer, viz. : 

To the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States 

of America. 

Gentlemen : I receive with great sensibility the testimonial given by 
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States 
of America of the lively and unfeigned pleasure experienced by them on 
my appointment to the first office in the nation. 

Although it will be my endeavor to avoid being elated by the too favor- 
able opinion which your kindness for me may have induced you to express 
of the importance of my former conduct and the effect of my future ser- 
vices, yet, conscious of the disinterestedness of my motives, it is not neces- 
sary for me to conceal the satisfaction I have felt upon finding that my 
compliance with the call of my country and my dependence on the assist- 
ance of Heaven to support me in my arduous undertakings have, so far 
as I can learn, met the universal approbation of my countrymen. While 
I reiterate the professions of my dependence upon Heaven as the source of 
all public and private blessings, I will observe that the general prevalence 
of piety, philanthropy, honesty, industry and economy seems, in the ordi- 
nary course of human affairs, particularly necessary for advancing and 
confirming the happiness of our country. While all men within our ter- 
ritories are protected in worshiping the Deity according to the dictates of 
their consciences, it is rationally to be expected from them in return, that 
they will all be emulous of evincing the" sincerity of their professions by 
the innocence of their lives and the benevolence of their actions ; for no 
man who is profligate in his morals, or a bad member of the civil commu- 
nity, can possibly be a true Christian or a credit to his own religious society. 

I desire you to accept my acknowledgments for your laudable endeav- 
ors to render men sober, honest and good citizens, and the obedient sub- 
jects of a lawful government, as well as for your prayers to almighty 
God for his blessing on our common country and the humble instrument 
which he has been pleased to make use of in the administration of its gov- 
ernment. George Washington. 

—1790, p. 24. 

6. Pastoral Letter Occasioned by the Results of the French 

Revolution. 

A pastoral letter from the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church 
in the United States of America to the people in their communion: 

Dear Friends and Brethren: The aspect of divine Providence, and 
the extraordinary situation of the world, at the present moment, indicate 
that a solemn admonition by the ministers of religion and other church 
officers, in General Assembly convened, has become our indispensable duty. 
When formidable innovations and convulsions in Europe threatened de- 
struction to morals and religion, when scenes of devastation and blood- 
shed, unexampled in the history of modern nations, have convulsed the 
world, and when our own country is threatened with similar calamities, 
insensibility in us would be stupidity, silence would be criminal. The 
watchmen on Zion's walls are bound by their commission to sound a gen- 
eral alarm at the approach of danger. We therefore desire to direct your 
37 



290 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

awakened attention towards that bursting storm which threatens to sweep 
before it the religious principles, institutions and morals of our people. 
We are filled with a deep concern and awful dread whilst we announce it 
as our real conviction that the eternal God has a controversy with our 
nation, and is about to visit us in his sore displeasure. A solemn crisis 
has arrived in which we are called to the most serious contemplation of 
the moral causes which have produced it, and the measures which it be- 
comes us to pursue. 

With regard to the causes of those national calamities which we either 
feel or fear, a little reflection may convince us that these may be traced to 
a general defection from God and corruption of the public principles and 
morals. These usually keep an equal pace, and they uniformly precede 
the ruin of nations. 

The evidences of our guilt are, unhappily, too numerous and glaring. 
We perceive, with pain and fearful apprehension, a general dereliction of 
religious principle and practice amongst our fellow-citizens; a great de- 
parture from the faith and simple purity of manners for which our fathers 
were remarkable ; a visible and prevailing impiety and contempt for the 
laws and institutions of religion, and an abounding infidelity which in 
many instances tends to Atheism itself, which contemptuously rejects God's 
eternal Son, our Saviour, ridicules the gospel and its most sacred myster- 
ies, denies the providence of God, grieves and insults the Holy Spirit — in 
a word, which assumes a front of daring impiety and possesses a mouth 
filled with blasphemy. 

In the midst of the alarming situation of the public mind, which we 
have noticed above, we perceive a degree of supineness and inattention 
amongst too many of the ministers and professors of Christianity which 
seems to threaten a dissolution o£ religious society. Formality and dead- 
ness, not to say hypocrisy, a contempt for vital godliness and the spirit 
of fervent piety, a desertion of the ordinances, or a cold and unprofitable 
attendance upon them, visibly pervade every part of the Church, and cer- 
tain men have crept in amongst us who have denied or attempt to explain 
away the pure doctrines of the gospel, to introduce pernicious errors 
which were either not named or named with abhorrence, but which have 
within a few years since been embraced by deluded multitudes. The 
Lord's day is horribly profaned and family religion and instruction la- 
mentably neglected. 

Our ingratitude to God enhances our dreadful guilt. No people have 
been more highly favored in our original establishment, our increasing 
prosperity, and particularly in our contest during the Revolutionary war 
and its prosperous issue; but, alas! we have basely forgotten our Benefac- 
tor. We have abused his favors and turned them into engines of oppo- 
sition against himself. " He has nourished and brought us up as children, 
and we have rebelled against him." 

The profligacy and corruption of the public morals have advanced with 
•a progress proportioned to our declension in religion. Profaneness, pride, 
luxury, injustice, intemperance, lewdness and every species of debauchery 
and loose indulgence greatly abound. And "shall not the Lord visit us 
for these things? Shall not his soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" 
Are not our crimes enormous as they are numerous? Are they not pecu- 
liarly aggravated? Have we not known our Master's will, and refused, 
or at least neglected, to do it? Have we not possessed uncommon means 
of information with regard to our duty without a proportionate improve- 
ment? And have not our uncommon advantages been abused without 
shame or remorse? As surely as there is a righteous God, so surely will 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 291 

lie visit us in his just displeasure, unless his grace prevent by awakening 
us to a sense of our guilt and recalling us to the practice of our duty. 
Our circumstances loudly demand a public and solemn acknowledgment 
of God as our moral Governor and righteous Judge. It is time to cease 
from man, whose breath is in his nostrils, to look beyond second causes, 
and openly confess the hand and agency and government of God in the 
world. Let Christians unite more cordially and openly in adhering to 
their Master's cause and opposing infidelity in all its forms. God hath a 
controversy with us ; let us prostrate ourselves before him. Let the deep- 
est humiliation and the sincerest repentance mark our sense of national 
sins ; and let us not forget, at the same "time, the personal sins of each in- 
dividual that have contributed to increase the mighty mass of corruption. 
Let the ministers of religion weep and intercede for themselves and a 
guilty people. Let all descriptions of persons lament their iniquities, and 
reform. Let us practice all righteousness. Let us be earnest and fervent 
in prayer that God, for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, would pour out 
his gracious Spirit upon ministers and people, and that he would revive 
his work, not only amongst our churches, but amongst all denominations 
of Christians, until the blessed promises and predictions, with regard to 
the extent of the Redeemer's kingdom, be completely fulfilled. Let us 
conduct ourselves as quiet and peaceable citizens, submitting conscien- 
tiously to the laws of our own making and the government of our own 
choice. Let us treat with candor and respect our civil rulers. Let us 
reflect that the Scripture precepts upon this subject are applicable to no 
people, if not to us, under a representative government; yet as in the 
present imperfect state of human nature differences in opinion must exist, 
let us carefully cultivate the sentiment of brotherly kindness and mutual 
forbearance and charity. 

With a view to give the greater effect to the exhortation and admon- 
itions in this letter expressed, we recommend that the last Thursday of 
August next be observed in all the congregations under our care as a day 
of solemn humiliation, fasting and prayer, and that the ministers of our 
communion do then read this letter to the people of their charge, and 
enforce the truth it contains in such discourses, founded on the word of 
God, as shall appear best adapted to effect so desirable a purpose. — 1798, 
p. 152. 

7. Ox the Disturbances in Kentucky and the South-west. 

Christian Brethren : United to you in the bonds of love and of 
Christ, we feel all the constraint of the ties which bind us to you as one 
body in our common Lord. Assembled by the good providence of God 
in the supreme judicatory of the Church, we feel the duty imposed upon 
us, as the guardians of the peace, order and purity of the body of Christ, 
of addressing you on the great subject of our common salvation. 

Dear brethren, we still have cause of mutual congratulations and joy 
on account of the increasing prosperity of Zion in these lands, which not 
long since were so dry and barren. They are in many places watered 
with the abundant dews of heaven, and righteousness has run down the 
streets of our Jerusalem like a mighty stream. God has appeared to 
revive his cause in the midst of the years of great declension, and in the 
midst of deserved wrath he has remembered mercy. In many parts of our 
Church God has poured out a spirit of prayer upon his people, and has 
been graciously pleased to answer their prayers by a copious effusion of 
his blessed Spirit. The boldness of infidelity and the profligacy of im- 
piety have been greatly repressed ; and though here and there we still be- 



292 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

hold its violent struggles exerted against the Saviour, they appear to be 
only the convulsive struggles of despair. The truths of revelation are 
gradually acquiring a decided ascendency in all parts of our land, and in 
many they are daily coming home to the hearts of men with uncommon 
evidence and power. 

For more particular information on these subjects we refer you, breth- 
ren, to that summary of the state of religion within the bounds of the 
General Assembly which accompanies this letter. You will there per- 
ceive, however, that amidst so many subjects of gratitude and praise to 
almighty God, for the riches of his grace displayed in the revivals of the 
spirit of religion in various portions of our Church, we have also some 
causes of deep affliction and regret mingled with them. Human frailty 
is apt to mar and disfigure, in some degree, whatever it touches, and the 
great adversary of souls and of Christ, taking advantage of the passions 
of convinced sinners, of the hypocrisy of deceivers and of the imperfec- 
tions even of the best men, sets himself, often too effectually, to tarnish the 
beauty and glory of the work of God. 

An unhappy separation of five, who had formerly appeared to be zeal- 
ous and successful ministers of Jesus Christ in union with the Synod of 
Kentucky, has given no small occasion of grief to the churches. Too 
great an ardor of spirit for what they conceived to be the truth, and per- 
haps too great heat concerning the meaning and importance of words, 
have created a division which Christian charity should exert all its powers 
to heal. We beseech you, brethren, yet receive one another in the spirit 
of love and forbearance. Remember how divisions and contests between 
men engaged in the same glorious cause will wound the hearts of sincere 
Christians and distract the minds of the weak ; remember how apt they 
are to embitter the meek spirit of the gospel and to quench the zeal of 
genuine piety in the unholy passions of strife and contention ; remember, 
we entreat you, for the love of Christ, how the adversary will blaspheme 
and rejoice and the Redeemer be wounded in the house of his friends. 
Brethren, reunite your hearts and your labors in this blessed work, and 
let not its progress be arrested or its glory impaired by the baneful influ- 
ence of your divisions. Meet together for the purposes of conciliation, 
using the counsels and aid of the Committee which the General Assembly 
has thought proper to send to you, to endeavor to repair so undesirable 
and dangerous a breach in the walls of our Zion. If you love the Lord, 
if you love and pray for the peace of Jerusalem, will you not sacrifice 
much to these objects so dear to every real Christian? 

With not less regret have we heard of certain extravagances in the 
exercises and agitations of many persons who in this work otherwise so 
desirable have once been the subjects of strong religious impressions. 
That the sudden blaze of divine truth upon a mind hitherto covered with 
thick darkness ; that a deep conviction of guilt and sense of the wrath of 
God against an offending worm of the dust, especially when these appre- 
hensions are raised to the highest pitch by the power of sympathy, and 
the panic excited by the emotions of a vast assembly, should often pro- 
duce strong bodily affections, is not surprising to those who are acquainted 
with the human economy ; that the transports of a mind suddenly brought 
out of darkness into God's marvelous light, suddenly raised from the 
borders of despair to the ecstasies of religious hope and joy, should be 
accompanied with a similar influence on the nervous system, is not incre- 
dible. 

The preceding are not pretended to be assigned as the certain or the 
sole reasons of many extraordinary appearances in some of our Southern 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 293 

churches. It is sufficient to answer the views of the Assembly to show 
that causes are adequate to the production of the highest effects of this 
kind, in order to preserve them from the unjust imputation of a fanat- 
ical or demoniacal influence. But when bodily agitations, which in most 
instances disturb the serious, sober and rational exercises of the mind, 
instead of being soothed and restrained within the bounds of decency, are 
encouraged and excited by those who lead the worship and some who join 
in it, they very easily run into excesses highly reproachful to religion. 
When they go into antic gestures, ridiculous contortions, to movements of 
apparent levity, and contrary to propriety and religious order, and which 
resemble the effects of delirium, or of a spirit very different from the 
spirit of the gospel, these are evidences of a wild enthusiasm whose extrav- 
agances are infinitely various and unaccountable. When each person has 
a psalm, a prayer, a triumphant exultation, in the public worship of God, 
is not this the very evil which once took place in the Corinthian church, 
which the apostle severely reproves, saying, " God is not a God of confu- 
sion, but of order"? In genuine and rational religion, however high and 
fervent may be its affections, " the spirits of the prophets are subject to 
the prophets." And if so, surely this power is still more necessary for 
the sake of order in every ordinary Christian. 

We strougly bear our testimony against those persons who pretend to 
immediate impulses and revelations from heaven, those divine communi- 
cations which were given only to the prophets and apostles who were 
appointed by God to reveal to mankind the way of eternal life. When 
men presume that the Holy Spirit, contrary to the established order of 
providence, interferes by particular impulse to direct them in all the com- 
mon affairs of life, when they deem themselves to be impelled by him to 
particular acts or particular religious exercises, contrary to the established 
order of the gospel and the obvious duties of the moment ; when, finally, 
they pretend to miraculous powers or prophetic influences and the fore- 
telling of future events, all these are evidences of a wild enthusiastic spirit, 
and tend eventually to destroy the authority of the word of God as the sole 
rule of faith and practice. Ecclesiastical history furnishes us with many 
examples of such enthusiastic impulses, following great revivals of relig- 
ion, which have ever been strongly and uniformly condemned by the 
voice of the whole Church, as in the case of the French prophets, the 
fanatics of Munster, and we may add the fanatical Jews who sprung up 
in such numbers, and persevered with such obstinacy, even while the dis- 
asters of their city and their temple were daily refuting their predictions. 
And it will be a subject of sincere lamentation to us if any minister in our 
communion should unhappily be found to encourage such great evils. But 
we hope better things of you, though we thus speak. 

Dear brethren and fellow-laborers in the gospel of our common Lord, 
study to prevent excesses so dishonorable and contrary to the beautiful 
order of the Church of Christ, or zealously endeavor to repress them 
wherever they begin to appear. In a great and general inflammation of 
the human mind we ought not to be astonished if these fervors, operating 
sometimes on weakness, sometimes on an enthusiastic temperament, should 
impel a few men to very considerable errors and excesses. Such have 
happened in every revival of religion, and in even every great political 
commotion, and such especially happened in various instances in the mem- 
orable and glorious reformation of the Christian Church from the spirit- 
ual thraldom and the errors of popery. By common concert and counsel 
endeavor to restrain every irregularity in the worship of God at its very 
commencement. Disorders of an enthusiastic spirit may often be checked 



294 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

in the beginning with facility, which, when suffered to progress, come at 
length to overleap all the barriers of authority and burst through all the 
bounds of order and decency. Solemnly bear in mind, brethren, how 
much the great Head of the Church has committed his glory and the 
glory of his holy cause in the world to your activity and your faithful- 
ness, to your prudence as well as your zeal. 

And now, fellow-Christians, of every order and condition in life, we 
entreat you earnestly to co-operate with the public servants of Christ in 
promoting the glory and extension of the Redeemer's kingdom. Faith- 
fully improve the precious season of divine grace which God is now be- 
stowing on his Church. 

By your prayers draw down the blessings of Heaven on your families, 
on the Church, on your country, on the world. God will appear for his 
people with a great salvation, but for all these things will he be "inquired 
of by the house of Israel to do it for them." Let your prayers for the 
prosperity of Zion continually ascend in secret to the throne of grace. 
Promote and encourage assemblies for social prayer. For Jerusalem's 
sake rest not, and for Zion's sake hold not your peace. Whenever God 
has appeared in any signal display of his mercy to the Church, he has 
usually, in the first place, poured out " on the house of David and the 
inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication." That we 
may continue to wait at his footstool, he condescends to bestow his special 
and extraordinary grace in answer to the prayers which he himself has 
inspired. 

Parents, train up your children " in the nurture and admonition of the 
Lord." Your houses should be temples of the living God, in which 
should ascend to his mercy-seat the continual incense of your daily sacri- 
fices. Pious parents can most affectionately preach to the hearts of their 
children by their affectionate precepts and their holy example. Your 
instructions will best prepare them to receive benefit from the public ordi- 
nances of religion. And oh, can you see those dearest portions of your- 
selves ready to perish without earnestly reaching forth a hand to " pluck 
them as brands from the burning"? 

" Children, obey your parents in the Lord." You are the future hope 
of the Church and of the world. Your early piety will be your glory 
and your happiness. And remember that shortly the glory of your Crea- 
tor and Redeemer in the world will rest with you. 

Beloved brethren, Christians of every class, " be ye steadfast and im- 
movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." " Adorn the doc- 
trine of God your Saviour" by the purity, the simplicity and sanctity of 
your lives, that the enemies of the cross may have no occasion to blas- 
pheme the Master, by whose name you are called. Let God witness the 
humility of your spirit, the sincerity and fervor of your devotion. Let 
the world witness your ministerial charity and love, that others, "seeing 
your good works, may glorify your Father in heaven." We pray, dear 
brethren, that God may ever have you in his holy keeping. And now to 
Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless 
before the throne of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God 
our Saviour, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. 
Amen 1—1804, pp. 314-317. 

8. Pastoral Letter on the Sabbath. 

The Committee appointed to draught a pastoral letter to the churches 
under the care of the Assembly, in relation to the due observance of the 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 295 

Sabbath, reported the following, which, being read and amended, was 
adopted, viz. : 

Dear Brethren : From the printed report transmitted to you on the 
state of religion in our bounds, you will perceive the prosperity which God 
has vouchsafed to our churches the past year; and you will, we trust, 
unite with us in praise and thanksgiving to his throne for his rich and 
condescending mercy. It is our duty to rejoice in this manifestation of 
the divine favor, but let us rejoice with fear and trembling. Many causes 
still exist which threaten to cloud our prosperity and to cover us with 
mourning. Lukewarmness, intemperance, profaneness, Sabbath-breaking, 
are prevailing sins in our land, and call aloud for our vigilance, our ex- 
ertions and prayers. 

While the Assembly would lift up a warning voice against every kind 
of iniquity, and recommend such measures as promise in any degree to 
correct the evils of which they complain, they deem it proper at this time 
to direct the attention of the churches more especially to the profanation 
of the Lord's day, a sin to which many are particularly exposed from the 
present calamitous state of our country. 

Brethren, the God whom we worship is a jealous God — jealous for the 
honor of his institutions, but for none more than for that sacred day which 
he has commanded to be solemnly and exclusively appropriated to his ser- 
vice. Any profanation of this day is an immediate affront to his holiness, 
and when committed deliberately and openly may be classed among those 
presumptuous sins against which he has given us the strongest proofs of 
his displeasure. 

The Lord has instituted the Sabbath a sign between him and his people 
— a visible test of their sincerity. If they violate the duties of this day, or 
fold their hands in supineness and indifference when they are violated by 
others, he will regard their offerings as hypocritical and vain. This con- 
sideration deserves your serious attention, and ought to awaken and ani- 
mate- your zeal. But it is more important that you should reflect that the 
sanctification of the Lord's day stands in close connection w 7 ith all the 
institutions of religion and with the dearest interests of society. The 
visible worship of God can no longer be maintained than a sacred regard 
to this day is secured. In every past period of the world it lias been seen 
that a departure from the strict observance of the Sabbath has been fol- 
lowed by a general neglect of religious duty, and this by a relaxation both 
of public and private duty, deeply to be deplored as it respects the peace 
and good order of society, and the spiritual and eternal interests of man- 
kind. We hold as important maxims, never to be lost sight of, that with- 
out the Sabbath there will be no religion — without religion there will be 
no morality — and that where morality, sound and correct morality, ceases 
to form the basis of the public manners, the strongest bonds of society are 
dissolved, and nothing is to be expected but mutual jealousy and hatred, 
with all the crimes and miseries to which this painful and disordered state 
of things will lead. 

Desirous, brethren, to engage you in a vigorous and combined effort to 
maintain the authority and influence of the Sabbath, we, as a judicature 
of Christ's Church, address you, and earnestly entreat you to renew your 
attention to this subject. Take it into your serious and prayerful con- 
sideration, view it in all its extent and relations, mark its connection with 
the temporal and spiritual interests of mankind — its aspect toward present 
and future generations. What shall become of our children, whose spirit- 
ual and eternal destiny we should chiefly regard, if we suffer the holy 
Sabbath to be violated and its sacred influence lost? 



2D 6 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Resolve, then, brethren, for yourselves and for those committed to your 
care, that you will strictly observe the duties of this day, doing nothing 
which is incompatible with that religious sanetiii cation of it so minutely 
explained and so solemnly enjoined in the word of God. Let there be no 
coming in or going out among you, no bearing of burdens on the Lord's 
day. Piously abstain in thought, word and deed from all your worldly 
avocations and amusements, and let the whole of this consecrated time be 
a rest unto God, employed only in the public and private exercises of re- 
ligion, except such portions of it as are obviously due to works of necessity 
and mercy. 

Where it is prudent and practicable, we recommend that societies be 
formed for the purpose of mutual encouragement and vigilance, and 
especially for guarding the Sabbath against encroachments made upon it 
by those who are unhappily ignorant of its blessings, and regardless of its 
authority and design. We invite to this subject the attention of parents 
and guardians, of ministers and elders of the Church. We entreat every 
friend of the Redeemer's kingdom, every one who regards the welfare of 
society, whatever may be his capacity or relation, to exert his influence in 
promoting a strict and devout observance of the Lord's day. 

Need we remind you, Christian brethren, of the solemn command of 
Jehovah to " remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy " ? Need we 
call to your recollection the awful threatenings which he has denounced 
and executed against those who have voluntarily disregarded this com- 
mand ? You know the history of his providence; you know that for this 
very sin, among others, his ancient people, the descendants of Abraham, 
were cast out of his sight, and their land made to enjoy that rest in deso- 
lation which they had refused to consecrate to him in the observance of 
days prescribed for his worship. We conclude by bringing to your re- 
membrance those gracious words of the prophet: " If thou turn away thy 
foot from polluting the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, 
and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable, and shall 
honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor 
speaking thine own words ; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, 
and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed 
thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father, for the mouth of the Lord hath 
spoken it." 

It was recommended by the Assembly that the ministers, on the day on 
which they read the foregoing letter, preach a sermon on the observance 
of the Sabbath.— 1814, pp. 569, 570. 

9. Pastoral Letter on Christian Activity. 

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States to 
the churches under their care, wish grace, mercy and peace from God the 
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Very dear Brethren: Assembled by the good providence of God as 
the supreme judicatory of our Church, we are constrained to address you, 
and to endeavor to impart to you some of those feelings to which our coun- 
sels have given rise, and which are suggested by the present aspect of the 
Church and the world. 

From the printed "narrative of the state of religion within our bounds," 
which accompanies this address, you will learn that although we have 
heard of some facts which are matter of regret and humiliation, "the gen- 
eral aspect of the Church of God has never been more favorable, within 
our knowledge, than at the present time." The gradual increase of gos- 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 297 

pel light, the extension of the blessings of education to all classes and ages, 
the growing diffusion of missionary zeal and exertions, the rapid multipli- 
cation of Bible societies, aud, through their instrumentality, the wonderful 
spread of the knowledge of the word of life in languages and countries 
hitherto strangers to the sacred volume, the numerous associations for 
evangelical, benevolent and humane purposes which have arisen and are 
daily arising in every part of our bounds, and, above all, the converting 
and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit which have been poured out 
for some time past, and especially during the last year, in many of the 
congregations belonging to our communion, form an assemblage which 
cannot fail to be in a high degree interesting and animating to the friends 
of pure and undefiled religion — an assemblage which, while it gratifies for 
the present the pious and benevolent heart, must excite the most precious 
hopes for the future. Such mighty plans of benevolence, such wonderful 
combinations, such a general movement of mankind in promoting the 
great cause of human happiness, were surely never before witnessed. The 
days of darkness, we fondly hope, are passing away, and the period draw- 
ing nigh when the angel, bearing the trumpet of the everlasting gospel, 
shall carry his holy, life-giving message to every kindred and people and 
nation and tongue. 

The General Assembly, standing, as it is their privilege to do, at the 
confluence of so many streams of information on these great subjects, while 
they communicate a summary of this information to the churches under 
their care, desire to accompany it with a word of affectionate exhortation, 
the object of which is to engage every heart and every hand in promoting, to 
the utmost of their power, the interests of that kingdom which is not meat 
and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. 

At such a period, dear brethren, let it be impressed upon the mind of 
every member of our Church that we are called to humble, diligent, per- 
severing exertion. Much has been done, but much more remains to be 
done, and much, we hope, will be done by us. Every day makes a de- 
mand upon the time, the affections, the prayers, the property and the in- 
fluence of the people of God which it would be ingratitude, cruelty — nay, 
treachery — to repel. Let every one, then, in his place and proportion, en- 
deavor daily to add something to the common amount of effort to prepare 
the way of the Lord. No one can tell how much it may please the sov- 
ereign Disposer of events to accomplish by means of the humblest exer- 
tions. This, however, we know, that those who are steadfast, unmovable, 
always abounding in the work of the Lord, shall find that their labor is 
not in vain in the Lord. 

Let the ministers of the gospel in our communion be everywhere found 
engaged in preaching the truth as it is in Jesus with affectionate zeal. 
Let them go before the people in every holy example and in every pious 
and benevolent exertion. Let it be manifest to all that they seek not 
their own, but the things which are Jesus Christ's. Surely there never 
was a time when the watchmen on the walls of Zion were more solemnly 
bound to give themselves wholly to their work, or when they had more 
encouragement to plan and labor for their Master's honor. Surely there 
never was a time when those whose duty it is to guide the exertions of 
their fellow-men had more reason to feel their responsibility, and to ask 
for wisdom and strength from above. Let ministers take great and com- 
prehensive views of the signs of the times and the prospects of the Church, 
and while they point out the way to those who are willing to be workers 
together with God, let it be seen that it is their meat and drink to share in 
the labors, as well as in the rewards, of their Kedeemer's kingdom. 

38 



298 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Let all the members of our churches consider themselves as called upon, 
in their several stations, to do something, to do much, for Christ. Millions 
of our race are still sunk in ignorance and depravity. Dark and waste 
places abound, even in our most populous and enlightened neighborhoods, 
and still more in the remote portions of our Church. In very large dis- 
tricts within the United States there are no Bibles, no Sabbaths, no sanc- 
tuaries, none to show men the way of salvation. Can a single heart be 
unimpressed or a single hand idle while such calls for compassion and 
exertion abound ? No, brethren ; these obligations, we trust, are too ten- 
der not to be felt, these calls too solemn not to be heard. Be entreated, 
then, with one accord to come forward to the help of the Lord against the 
mighty. Embrace every opportunity, to the extent of the ability which 
God has given you, to form and vigorously support missionary associa- 
tions, Bible societies, plans for the distribution of religious tracts, and ex- 
ertions for extending the benefits of knowledge, and especially of spiritual 
knowledge, to all ages and classes of persons around you. Exert your- 
selves individually and in combination to oppose all those degrading and 
destructive vices over which we have so long had reason to mourn. En- 
deavor by your example and your influence to discourage the unnecessary 
use of spirituous liquors, to promote the sanctification of the Lord's day, 
to guard against a criminal conformity to the world, to promote a general 
attendance on the means of grace, and to advance the great interests of 
truth, purity and righteousness in all manner of conversation. 

In these hallowed labors let none refuse to join. It is among the dis- 
tinguished glories of the commencement of the nineteenth century that 
pious females are more extensively associated, and more actively useful, in 
promoting evangelical and benevolent objects than in any former period 
of the world. Let them go on with increasing activity and ardor in these 
exertions, so worthy of women professing godliness, and so useful to man- 
kind. And let them by precept, as well as by example, train up their 
daughters in principles and habits so well calculated to elevate the female 
character and to enlarge the sum of human happiness. 

Let not even lisping childhood or tender youth be idle. Let every 
Bible class, every school association, every employment which brings your 
beloved children together, be made a medium for conveying to their minds 
that benign impression which shall enlist them on the side of truth and 
of the Church of God from the earliest dawn of reason. Happy congre- 
gations, happy families, in which even babes and sucklings shall be taught, 
as in times of old, to sing, Hosanna to him that cometh in the name of 
the Lord ! Hosanna in the highest! 

In a word, let your plans of co-operation in carrying on these works of 
piety and benevolence embrace every class and every age, and be pur- 
sued with growing ardor, until every congregation within our bounds shall 
be completely organized for exertion to promote the temporal and eternal 
welfare of men — until every heart that can lift a prayer to the throne of 
grace, and every hand that can cast a mite into the treasury of God, shall 
be fully engaged in this mighty effort of Christian charity — until the des- 
ert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose — until men, under the reign of 
millennial glory, we trust not far distant, shall live together as brethren 
indeed, having no other wishes than to promote their common happiness 
and to glorify their common God. 

To these efforts in behalf of the cause of Christ join fervent united 
prayer. We heed not remind you, brethren, that all Zion's blessings 
come down from her King and Head, and that he will be inquired of by 
his people to do for them that which they need and desire. We are per- 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 299 

• 
suaded that all those periods and churches which have been favored with 
special revivals of religion have been also distinguished by visible union 
and concert in prayer. We entreat you, brethren, to cherish this union 
and concert. We especially exhort you to pay renewed and more solemn 
attention to the monthly concert in prayer recommended by a former 
Assembly, and so generally and happily observed. Has not the Saviour 
promised that if any two of his people agree as touching anything they 
desire he will grant their request? 

What blessings, then, may we not hope will be shed down upon the 
Church, when the thousands of our Israel are found bowing together be- 
fore the throne of mercy, saying, " For Zion's sake we will not hold our 
peace, and for Jerusalem's sake we will not rest until the righteousness 
thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that 
burneth " ! 

Endeavor to maintain a spirit of harmony with all denominations of 
Christians. While you contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to 
the saints, and bear a faithful testimony to the apostolic doctrine and 
order which we profess to receive, let no bigotry or prejudice, no party 
rancor or offensive crimination, pollute your testimony. Remember that 
the period is approaching when all real Christians shall see eye to eye, 
when they shall be united in opinion as well as in affection. Cherish now 
the sentiments which correspond with this delightful anticipation. Let 
all bitterness and wrath and evil-speaking be put away from among you, 
with all malice, and continually look and pray for the happy period when 
believers of every name shall agree to act together upon the great princi- 
ples of our common salvation. 

Finally, dear brethren, be united among yourselves. If you desire to 
profit by your spiritual privileges, if you hope to be instrumental in pro- 
moting the cause of Christ or to be honored with his blessing, cherish har- 
mony of affection and union of effort. Besides the common bonds of 
Christian love which unite the great family of believers, the ministers and 
members of the Presbyterian Church are cemented by a compact which 
every honest man cannot fail to appreciate. We mean the " Confession 
of Faith" of our Church. While we believe the Scriptures of the Old 
and New Testament to be the only infallible rule of faith and practice, 
we do also, if we deal faithfully with God and man, sincerely receive and 
adopt this confession as containing the system of doctrine taught in the 
Holy Scriptures. Let us adhere to this standard with fidelity, and en- 
deavor to transmit to our children, pure and undefiled, a treasure which our 
fathers at great expense have, under God, bequeathed to us. But while we 
hold fast the form of sound words which we have received, let us guard 
against indulging a spirit of controversy, than which few things are more 
unfriendly to the life and power of godliness. It is never necessary to 
sacrifice charity in order to maintain faith and hope. That differences of 
opinion, acknowledged on all hands to be of a minor class, may and ought 
to be tolerated among those who are agreed in great and leading views of 
divine truth, is a principle on which the godly have so long and so gener- 
ally acted that it seems unnecessary at the present day to seek arguments 
for its support. Our fathers, in early periods of the history of our Church, 
had their peculiarities and diversities of opinion, which yet, however, did 
not prevent them from loving one another and cordially acting together, 
and by their united prayers and exertions transmitting to us a goodly in- 
heritance ; and we hope to be favored with more than their success. 

The great adversary will no doubt be disposed to sow the seeds of dis- 
cord and division among vou, but resist him in this as well as in all his 



300 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

• 

ether insidious efforts. Surely those who can come together on the great 
principles of our public standards, however they may differ on non-essen- 
tial points, ought not to separate or to indulge bitterness or prejudice 
against each other. Dear brethren, let there be no divisions among you, 
but be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judg- 
ment. Follow the things which make for peace, and the things whereby 
ye may edify one another. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for 
brethren to dwell in unity ! Brethren, farewell ! Love one another, for 
love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth 
God. Be of one mind ; live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall 
be with you. Amen ! 

Signed by order of the General Assembly. 

Jonas Coe, Moderator. 

Resolved, That two thousand copies of this letter be printed, and that 
the Committee superintend the printing. — 1817, pp. 661-664. 

10. On Prevalent Vices and Immoralities. 

A Pastoral Letter from the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church 
in the United States to the churches under their care. 

Dear Brethren : The time in which we address you is very important 
and interesting. The free conversation on the state of religion has ex- 
hibited abundant evidence that the churches under our care have never 
been in a more prosperous condition than during the last year. In the 
year immediately preceding, perhaps, special revivals were more remark- 
able and more numerous, but as it relates to the general extension of re- 
ligious influence, the organization of new congregations, and the wider 
spreading success of missionar} 7 labors, the aspect of the Church has prob- 
ably never been so promising as at the present time; and when, in addition 
to this, we reflect on the various institutions, not only in our connection, 
but in the Christian world at large, calculated to extend the kingdom of 
our Redeemer, the zeal and liberality with which those institutions are 
supported, and the extensively beneficial effects which they are every day 
producing, we are obliged to consider the present moment as forming an 
important era in the annals of religion. A general movement of Protest- 
ant Christendom has taken place, an unusual blessing has descended on 
the Church of Christ, and we are probably approaching some day of the 
Son of man of no usual and ordinary character. The present, therefore, 
is no doubt a favorable time, not only for extending the influence, but for 
advancing the purity, of the Church, for the extirpation of any errors and 
the abolition of any unchristian practices which may have found entrance 
among us during the long period of comparative darkness and desertion 
through which we have passed. And although w r e do not believe that any- 
thing immoral or vicious is more prevalent now than at former periods, 
or even as much so, yet the existence of such things at the present time 
strikes the minds of serious Christians with an appearance of greater de- 
formity, and fills them with more pungent regret as it is exhibited in such 
dark contrast with that promising and wonderful aspect of things so ex- 
tensively displayed by the Christian world. The free conversation on the 
state of religion has brought some such things to our view against which 
we feel constrained to bear our decided testimony, and we would enter 
upon this duty with the tenderness and meekness, but at the same time 
with the firmness and authority, which becomes a judicatory of the Church 
of Christ. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 301 

The first thing we shall mention is the crime of drunkenness. This 
crime has at all times been a curse to our country, and has often made 
lamentable inroads upon our Church. We are convinced that it may be 
opposed more successfully by prevention than in any other way. When 
the character of drunkenness is fully formed, the unhappy victim is lost 
to those motives which ordinarily influence all other classes of men. In 
this state of things nothing but a miracle of divine grace can effect his 
reformation. The certain and acknowledged prospect of the wreck of his 
family, his fortune and his character, and even of the ruin of his immortal 
soul, is not sufficient to arrest his course ; and yet perhaps the same man 
may formerly have been in such a state of equilibrium or indecision upon 
this subject that the smallest motives might have prevented the formation 
of a habit which in its maturity has become so irresistible. The consider- 
ation is certainly sufficient to justify an effort for saving our fellow-men 
from the domination of so destructive a vice. For this purpose we earn- 
estly recommend to the officers and members of our Church to abstain 
even from the common use of ardent spirits. Such a voluntary privation 
as this, with its motives publicly avowed, will not be without its effect in 
cautioning our fellow-Christians and fellow-citizens against the encroach- 
ment of intoxication ; and we have the more confidence in recommending 
this course as it has already been tried with success in several sections of 
our Church. 

The vice of gambling has also been forced upon our attention. We in- 
deed hope that few, or perhaps none, of our actual professors have indulged 
themselves in the practice of what they consider as coming under the de- 
nomination of gambling. But perhaps there are some addicted to this 
practice who have evinced a predilection for our Church and forms of 
worship, and w r ho are not unwilling to receive the word of admonition 
from us. Such we would earnestly exhort to consider, in the most serious 
manner, the consequences of the course they are pursuing, and the awful 
lessons which the experience of the world is every day exhibiting on this 
subject. But it is our duty further to testify that all encouragement of 
lotteries and purchasing of lottery tickets, all attendance on horse-racing, 
and betting on such or any other occasions, and all attempts of whatever 
kind to acquire gain without giving an equivalent, involve the gambling 
principle, and participate in the guilt which attaches to that vice. 

On the fashionable, though, as we believe, dangerous, amusements of 
theatrical exhibitions and dancing, we deem it necessary to make a few 
observations. The theatre we have always considered as a school of im- 
morality. If any person wishes for honest conviction on this subject, let 
him attend to the character of that mass of matter which is generally ex- 
hibited on the stage. We believe all will agree that comedies at least, 
with a few exceptions, are of such a description that a virtuous and modest 
person cannot attend the representation of them without the most painful 
and embarrassing sensations. If indeed custom has familiarized the scene, 
and these painful sensations are no longer felt, it only proves that the per- 
son in question has lost some of the best sensibilities of our nature, that 
the strongest safeguard of virtue has been taken down, and that the moral 
character has undergone a serious depreciation. 

With respect to dancing we think it necessary to observe that, however 
plausible it may appear to some, it is perhaps not the less dangerous on 
account of that plausibility. It is not from those things which the world 
acknowledges to be the most wrong that the greatest danger is to be appre- 
hended to religion, especially as it relates to the young. When the prac- 
tice is carried to its highest extremes, all admit the consequences to be fatal, 



302 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

and why not; then, apprehend danger even from its incipient stages? It is 
certainly in all its stages a fascinating and infatuating practice. Let it 
once be introduced, and it is difficult to give it limits. It steals away our 
precious time, dissipates religious impressions and hardens the heart. To 
guard you, beloved brethren, against its wiles and its fascinations, we earn- 
estly recommend that you will consult that sobriety which the sacred 
pages require. We also trust that you will attend with the meekness and 
docility becoming the Christian character to the admonitions on this sub- 
ject of those w r hom you have chosen to watch for your souls. And now, 
beloved brethren, that you may be guarded from the dangers we have 
pointed out, and from all other dangers which beset the path of life and 
obstruct our common salvation, and that the great Head of the Church may 
have you in his holy keeping, is our sincere and affectionate prayer. Amen. 

J. J. J A^EW AY, Moderator. 
June, 1818. —1818, pp. 689, 690. 

11. On Kevivals and their Abuses. 

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States to 
■the Ministers and Churches under their care. 

Dearly Beloved Brethren : You will perceive by the narrative of 
the state of religion which we this year publish that the God of all grace 
has been pleased during the last year to pour out more copiously of 
his blessed Spirit on the people of our denomination in this land than 
perhaps in any period of equal extent in former times. For this signal 
and ineffable benefit we desire that you may unite with us in ascribing 
humble and fervent thanksgiving to Him from whom we have received 
this transcendent mercy, and " from whom cometh down every good and 
perfect gift." 

And suffer us to remind you, dear brethren, that one of the best and 
most acceptable expressions of gratitude to God for the unspeakable favor 
we have received is to be exceedingly careful not to abuse it. It is of 
more importance than we know how to express that we should, together 
with much prayer for direction and aid from on high, use all our influ- 
ence and put forth our best efforts to preserve the glorious revivals of 
religion with which we have been blessed from all that may mar their 
beauty and prevent their extension, and where anything of an injurious 
tendency has already taken place, that w : e should labor to correct the evil 
as speedily as possible. 

Let it not be supposed, however, that we would willingly say anything 
that might encourage or countenance those who condemn all revivals of 
religion — condemn them because they may be attended by some errors and 
irregularities which it is readily admitted ought to be deplored and avoided. 
Far, very far, be this from us. Those who cherish an aversion to revivals 
of religion, because they are accompanied by imperfections and are liable 
to abuse, should recollect that there is nothing with which the human 
powers and passions have to do, whatever be its general excellence, that 
is not open to the same objection. In revivals of religion in which there 
are confessedly some things to be lamented — as there was in the abuse of 
the miraculous gift of tongues in the primitive church of Corinth — there 
may still be numerous and sound conversions of sinners unto God, and 
"what is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord." There remain in our 
land and in our beloved Church many congregations in which formality 
and a Laodicean spirit are mournfully prevalent. Little reason have 
they to felicitate themselves that they are free from all the extravagances 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 303 

which they censure in others, and which it is not denied do exist in cer- 
tain places and to a limited extent. Let them rather remember that a 
congregation in which many souls are born into the kingdom of God, 
although some false pretensions to piety and some censurable practices 
appear, is, on the whole, in a state infinitely preferable to that of a con- 
gregation in which hundreds are going quietly down to eternal perdition, 
and in which the wise virgins are slumbering and sleeping with the fool- 
ish. Let congregations of this latter description be exhorted to rouse 
themselves from their spiritual lethargy, make use of the means and efforts 
which God is wont to bless, and cry mightily to him that they may par- 
take in those gracious visitations with which others are so remarkably 
blessed and distinguished — partake of them purified from all that is justly 
offensive either to God or man. 

Having thus endeavored to guard against a misconstruction of our pur- 
pose, we desire, with parental solicitude and affection, to caution and warn 
the ministers and churches of our communion against some of the most 
common errors and improprieties to which revivals of religion are exposed, 
and from, which, we grieve to say, some of the congregations within our 
bounds cannot plead an entire exemption. 

1. In a time of the revival of religion let it be remembered that, while 
all proper means are to be used to deepen and cherish serious impressions, 
and to awaken and alarm the sinfully secure, an undue excitement should 
be carefully avoided. Here is a fruitful source to which may be traced 
nearly all the abuses which so often mar and deform and bring into dis- 
repute the work of God, when sinners are awakened in clusters and led 
to inquire with great anxiety what they must do to be saved. If, instead 
of distinguishing deep and genuine and salutary conviction of sin and the 
mere effusions of animal passions and nervous sensibility, the latter are 
encouraged and stimulated as leading to a desirable issue, the most bane- 
ful effects are likely to ensue — effects multiform in appearance and cha- 
racter, but in all deplorable and pernicious. Therefore, 

2. We advise that with tenderness, but yet with unshaken firmness, all 
bodily agitations and noisy outcries, especially in worshiping assemblies, be dis- 
couraged, and as far as possible prevented. Inculcate the truth that every 
appearance of this description is a weakness or an error which, so far 
from promising anything beneficial, is likely to lead to the most disastrous 
results — so far from deserving to be cherished and applauded is to be dis- 
countenanced and deprecated, and as speedily as may consist with Chris- 
tian kindness and forbearance entirely suppressed. 

3. Guard against every species of indecorum in social worship — such 
particularly as is manifestly apparent when several individuals pray or 
exhort or converse at the same time. This is an irregularity pointedly 
rebuked and forbidden by the apostle Paul in the xiv. chapter of his first 
Epistle to the Corinthians, and his summary and repeated injunction is, 
"Let all things be done to edifying; let all things be done decently and 
in order." But besides the particular irregularity specified, we would 
dissuade our brethren in the ministry and the eldership of our churches 
from introducing or countenancing any practice in their public religious 
assemblies which savors of ostentation, or which may have a tendency to 
ulterior evils that they would themselves deprecate and seek to avoid. 
We designedly leave this as a general but important monition, the appli- 
cation of which to particular instances or cases our brethren must judge 
of for themselves. 

4. There may be in a revival of religion an excess of social meetings and 
exercises. That such meetings should be frequent in the time of a revival 



304 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 

we not only admit, but recommend. Yet it ought not to be forgotten that 
they may be carried to a hurtful extreme, and such an extreme they cer- 
tainly reach when they encroach to any considerable extent on the ordi- 
nary duties of life, or when they leave very little time to the thoughtful 
and inquiring for private meditation, self-reflection and examination, secret 
prayer, reading the Holy Scriptures and other books of instruction, direc- 
tion and serious exhortation which, as they have opportunity, they ought 
to peruse. 

5. Meetings of pious women by themselves for conversation and prayer 
whenever they can conveniently be held we entirely approve. But let 
not the inspired prohibitions of the great apostle of the Gentiles, as found 
in his Epistles to the Corinthians and to Timothy, be violated. To teach 
and exhort or to lead in prayer in public and promiscuous assemblies is 
clearly forbidden to women in the holy oracles. 

6. Let not the settled order of churches be disturbed. Let official elders be 
respected, and in the absence of pastors or other authorized ministers of 
the gospel, let the elders or deacons, or other Christians of standing and 
experience, rather than young converts, take the lead in the social exer- 
cises of religion. 

7. Listen to no self sent or irregular preachers, whatever may be their 
pretensions to knowledge, piety and zeal. 

8. Let no doctrine inconsistent with the sacred Scriptures as explained 
and summarily taught in the doctrinal standards of our Church be promul- 
gated and favored in any of our churches. That the word of God con- 
tained in the Old and New Testaments is the only infallible rule of faith 
and practice is a sacred principle which we steadfastly maintain. But 
when almost every description of persons who profess any regard to Chris- 
tianity are ready to declare their adherence to the same principle, it be- 
comes indispensable for Christians who would walk together in peace and 
order and comfort of the gospel to state in what manner they understand 
the great truths of divine revelation. This has been done by our Church 
in our Confession of Faith and Catechisms, and he who teaches any doc- 
trine plainly and palpably inconsistent with the evident meaning of these 
excellent formularies should be regarded by Presbyterians as an errorist 
whom they ought not to encourage, but to discountenance, reject and 
avoid. 

9. Let not apparent converts be hurried into the Church and brought to 
the table of the Lord without a careful examination, nor ordinarily with- 
out a suitable period of probation, by which the reality of their religion 
may be better judged of than it can be by any sudden indications, however 
plausible. 

Nothing is more directly calculated to injure ultimately the cause of 
God and the credit of our holy religion than urging or permitting individ- 
uals to make a public prof ession of religion as soon as they have experienced 
some serious impressions and flatter themselves that they have been re- 
newed in the temper of their minds. All experience shows that such 
persons often and speedily dishonor the profession, and not unfrequently 
become open apostates and sometimes avowed infidels. We know and 
admit that after all possible care which the churches can take in- 
stances of deception will occur, for it is the prerogative of God only to 
search the heart. But to use all proper means to preserve the purity of 
the Church and save religion from reproach is a sacred duty incumbent 
on all church officers, and it is a duty which, when faithfully performed, 
will to a great extent secure its object — the Church will rarely be disgraced 
by self-deceived hypocrites and eventual apostates. As well might men 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 305 

pretend that no care should be taken to preserve their health, because dis- 
ease cannot always and certainly be avoided, as that no care should be 
taken to preserve a sound state of the visible Church because- its members 
and its ministers do in some instances, and despite of all precaution, be- 
come profligates and a public scandal. Let the Church do its duty, and 
leave the event to God. 

10. Finally, let no measures for the promotion of religious revivals be 
adopted which are not sanctioned by some example or precept, or fair and 
sober inference drawn from the word of God. This is a safe general rule, 
applicable to numerous particular cases which we have neither time nor 
inclination to specify. Some variety of opinion will exist, and may law- 
fully and properly be indulged, in regard to the measures which are best 
calculated to produce revivals, and to conduct them, where they exist, to 
a happy result. But we earnestly counsel that for every measure contem- 
plated a warrant be carefully and impartially sought in God's unerring 
word. If such a warrant can be fairly made out, let the measure be 
adopted, but otherwise let it be promptly abandoned, for it must be re- 
membered that the Bible contains not only a safe, but a complete, rule of 
duty. 

Thus, beloved brethren, we have raised our warning voice to caution 
you against certain things by which those displays of God's special grace 
which we denominate revivals of religion may be clouded and counter- 
acted, and the incalculable benefits which might otherwise be derived 
from them may be finally and irretrievably lost. Let us receive instruc- 
tion from past times ; let us for a moment turn away our attention from 
all that is now passing in our country to what was witnessed in the days 
of the celebrated evangelist Whitefield, and at a still later period in the 
south-western parts of our land. 

In both these instances there was certainly a most powerful and prom- 
ising religious awakening, and for a time the happiest effects were experi- 
enced. Numerous conversions of a solid and lasting character took place, 
and many and most desirable additions were made to the Church of 
Christ. But through the subtilty of Satan, and the inflamed and mis- 
guided passions of men, doctrines were at length taught and measures 
adopted — with a view, as it was loudly proclaimed, to promote and extend 
the revivals — which were speedily followed by the most disastrous conse- 
quences. The Holy Spirit was grieved away ; excesses which shocked all 
sober minds succeeded ; every form of fanaticism and religious error ap- 
peared ; soon the passions, which had been raised to their highest tone, 
subsided into apathy and carelessness in regard to all religion ; a season 
of the most lamentable spiritual declension and deadness followed; infidels 
multiplied and infidelity proclaimed its triumphs ; revivals of religion 
were reproached and ridiculed, and a deep prejudice against them was 
excited and fostered which, in some places and in many minds, has not yet 
been removed. 

It is, dear brethren, to prevent the recurrence of such evils as these that, 
with great solicitude for your welfare, we entreat you to be on your guard. 
Think not that vigilance, caution and prayer in relation to the abuse of 
revivals are superfluous. Hear on this subject the eminent and justly- 
venerated President Edwards. He remarks that in a time of revival the 
chief exertions of the great adversary will be likely to be made witli the 
friends and promoters of the work, to drive them into such excesses and 
extravagances as shall ruin its credit and ultimately bring all religion 
into disgrace. And in this his success will be rendered the more probable 
if he can first persuade such persons that they are in no danger on that 
39 



306 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

side. It was "while men slept" that the enemy came and "sowed tares;" 
not while they were in a state of indifference, but while they were not 
watching against his devices. It is not while men are in a state of indif- 
ference that the false conversions represented by the tares are brought in, 
but while men are asleep in a far different sense, while their passions are 
in such a state of excitement as blinds their minds to the danger. Then 
the great deceiver can work to the best advantage both in promoting false 
conversions and in leading into dangerous extremes those who are zealous 
promoters of the work. 

Such is the monitory language of at once the most powerful defender 
of revivals of religion and the ablest correcter of their abuses which our 
country has ever seen. Let us hear and regard his voice, uttered, as it is, 
in concert with the voices of men the most distinguished for wisdom, piety 
and prudence, from the period of the Protestant Reformation to the pres- 
ent hour. Doing thus, and looking earnestly to our covenant-keeping 
God to crown our endeavors with success, it is scarcely too much to hope 
that revivals of religion will spread throughout our whole land, and that 
their heavenly influence and lustre will continue and increase till they 
mingle with the noontide splendor of the millennial day. 

Signed by order of the Assembly. JAMES HOGE, 

June 1, 1832. Moderator. 

—1832, pp. 377-380. 

[The pastoral and circular letters of the Assembly of 1837 are omitted 
here. They may be found in Baird's Col., Rev. Ed., pp. 760-763, and 
New Digest, pp. 495-506. The pastoral of 1838, O. S., may be found in 
Baird, pp. 780-784. That of 1838, N. S., in New Digest, pp. 522-526.] 

12. Letter of the General Assembly to the Churches under 
its Care on the Maintenance of Doctrinal Purity. 

a. Dear Brethren: The General Assembly, being the bond of union, 
correspondence and mutual confidence among all the churches, has au- 
thority to reprove, to warn or bear testimony against error in doctrine or 
immorality in practice. It is bound to exercise this prerogative when- 
ever the Church is exposed to any particular danger, or needs admon- 
ition or exhortation with regard to any special duty. Believing that the 
present circumstances of our Church render the duty of maintaining a 
faithful adherence to our standards of doctrine and discipline peculiarly 
necessary, the Assembly desire to call attention to this important subject. 

God has been pleased to bring us through a protracted and arduous 
conflict, in which we have been contending for the truth and order of the 
Church. While we gratefully acknowledge his goodness in crowning our 
efforts to sustain our standards with success, it becomes us to look back 
and see wherein we have sinned, that we may penitently confess our 
errors and learn wisdom for our future guidance. It is not our object on 
this occasion to point out the various particulars in which the past con- 
duct of our Church may have offended God, but simply to call the atten- 
tion of our ministers and members to what, in the judgment of this As- 
sembly, has been the principal source of our long continued difficulties. 
Our great error has been a want of fidelity to the fundamental principles 
of our ecclesiastical compact. It is important, therefore, that these prin- 
ciples should be distinctly stated, and the duty of adhering to them be 
urged upon the Church. 

Our fathers taught that God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath 
left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 307 

anything contrary to his word, or beside it, in matters of faith and wor- 
ship, that saints by profession are bound to maintain a holy fellowship 
and communion in the worship of God, and in performing such other 
spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification, and that this com- 
munion, as God offered opportunity, is to be extended unto all those who, 
in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus. In perfect con- 
sistency with these principles of liberty of conscience and communion of 
saints, they held that every Christian Church or association of Churches 
is entitled to declare the terms of admission into its communion, and the 
qualifications of its ministers and members, as well as the whole system 
of its internal government which Christ has appointed. 

b. The terms of Christian communion adopted by our Church have 
been in accordance with the divine command that we should receive one 
another as Christ has received us. We have ever admitted to our com- 
munion all those who, in the judgment of charity, were the sincere disci- 
ples of Jesus Christ. If, in some instances, stricter terms have been in- 
sisted upon, if candidates for sealing ordinances have been required to 
sign pledges, to make profession of anything more than faith, love and 
obedience to Jesus Christ, these instances have been few and unauthorized, 
and therefore do not affect the general character of our Church. We 
fully recognize the authority of the command : " Him that is weak in 
faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations." The application of 
this command is entirely confined to private membership in the Church. 
It has no reference to the admission of men to offices in the house of God. 
On the contrary, we observe that, with regard to ministerial communion, 
or the qualifications for admission into the office of the ministry, the 
command of God is that a bishop must be blameless, apt to teach, hold- 
ing fast the faithful word that he may be able by sound doctrine both to 
exhort and convince the gainsayers. In obedience to this command, the 
founders of our Church, and all who have entered it with enlightened 
views and honest intentions, have declared to the world and to all other 
Christian Churches that the system of doctrine contained in the West- 
minster Confession of Faith and Catechism is that sound doctrine which 
we are to require in all those who seek the office of a bishop. So also our 
Form of Government requires of elders and deacons, who are not teach- 
ers, but rulers and stewards in the house of God, a no less unequivocal 
and public profession of adherence to our standards; and in this the 
Scriptures abundantly sustain our principles. When the elders and dea- 
cons of a church become lax or heretical in their doctrinal views, they 
may, and often do, adopt measures as subversive of the doctrine which is 
according to godliness as could be any measures resorted to by the pastor 
of the Church. 

Such are the principles on which our Church was founded, and on 
which for more than a century it was faithfully administered. It is 
believed that during all that period no one was debarred from the com- 
munion of saints who was regarded as a sincere disciple of Christ, and 
that no one was admitted to any office in our Church, or if admitted was 
allowed to retain his standing, who dissented in any material point from 
the system of doctrine contained in our standards. " That this latter prin- 
ciple of our Constitution has of late years been in many cases culpably 
disregarded is a matter of general notoriety. Many ministers have heen 
received into our Presbyteries who never adopted our Confession of Faith, 
and many others, bishops and elders, who professed to adopt it have been 
allowed publicly to avow opinions subversive of its distinguishing doc- 
trines. The General Assembly bears its solemn testimony ngainst this 



308 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

unfaithfulness. It enjoins on the Presbyteries, on the one hand, to abstain 
from making anything a condition of ministerial communion which the 
Constitution does not prescribe, and on the other to be firm and faithful 
in demanding everything which the Constitution enjoins. In giving this 
injunction the Assembly requires nothing that is unjust or unreasonable. 
No man has a right to join any society unless he is willing to submit to its 
rules. Much less has any man the right to assume the office of teacher, 
ruler or steward in a church unless he fully assents to its doctrines. All 
those who approve of the doctrines which we are pledged to sustain, and 
w r ho are otherwise qualified for the work, we cordially welcome to our fel- 
lowship, and promise them our confidence and support. But we protest 
against the unfairness of those who adopt our standards in a sense differ- 
ent from their obvious import, contrary to the known and generally received 
interpretation, as a dishonesty and an injury against which the Presbyteries 
are bound to protect the churches, and against which the churches should 
both watch and pray. 

c. The Presbyteries should remember that they are not independent 
bodies, each acting for itself alone, and therefore at liberty to receive any 
candidate whom they may suppose is qualified to do good. The Presbyter- 
ies are co-ordinate members of an extended communion bound together 
by a written compact. When, therefore, they admit a member who has 
not the constitutional qualifications, they are guilty of a breach of faith. 
So also the churches and sessions are not at liberty to desire and urge the 
election and ordination of any of their own number to any office in the 
church, or to approve of their continuance in such office, unless they are 
known to be men who hold fast the form of sound words and show in doc- 
trine uncorruptness. 

Were the points in regard to which the Presbyteries, sessions and 
churches are thus exhorted to adhere to the Constitution mere matters of 
form, the duty would still be binding ; but as they relate to the truth of God, 
it is the more obligatory and important. The truth is a sacred deposit 
which we are bound to treasure and transmit un corrupted. It is the fire 
upon God's altar which we are to watch, without which there can be no 
acceptable offering, and which, if once extinguished, can hardly be rekin- 
dled. The sanctuary remains dark and desolate for ages. The history of 
the Christian Church is one solemn admonition on this subject. Indiffer- 
ence to truth is one of the first and surest indications of the decline of 
religion in any communion. Men cannot be indifferent to what they see 
and feel concerns their own salvation. The Assembly, therefore, would 
deplore any manifestation of such indifference, and would warn all in our 
communion against its insidious approaches. It may put on the guise of 
liberality or assume the name of charity, but its nature is not thereby 
altered. It is only the more dangerous from these false assumptions. 

d. We should ever remember that truth is in order to goodness, that 
the great touchstone of truth is its tendency to promote holiness, that no 
opinion can be either more pernicious or more absurd than that which 
brings all opinions upon a level, and represents it as of no consequence 
what a man believes if he be sincere. On the contrary, we should ever 
remember that there is an inseparable connection between faith and prac- 
tice, truth and duty. (Form of Government, chap, i., sec. iv.) The Assem- 
bly is the more earnest on this subject, as the most subtle errors to which 
our churches are at present exposed are intimately connected with experi- 
mental religion. It is true indeed that the forms of error in our day vary 
from the refinements of Arminianism to the grossest atheism, from high 
Arianism to the lowest humanitarianism, and from the most abstruse meta- 






OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 6i)\) 

physical philosophy, touching free will, moral agency and sin, original and 
actual, to the bold and daring denial of all accountability and of the moral 
government of God. It is neither possible nor necessary for the Assem- 
bly to enter into a detail of these various and varying forms of error. 
But it is proper briefly to allude to a few of the more subtle character, 
held by men who have been, and are still desirous of appearing to be, enti- 
tled to our confidence. We observe, therefore, that it has been openly 
taught in works widely circulated and highly recommended that self-love 
is the ultimate foundation of moral obligation ; that the reason why we 
are bound to do right is that it will make us happy ; that our obligation 
to obey God does not arise out of our relation to him as our Creator, nor 
out of his infinite excellence, but from the fact that he knows best what 
will promote our happiness. How can a man have proper sentiments 
toward God who entertains such views? How can self be thus made the 
centre, the beginning and the end of religion and morality, and yet true 
piety flourish in the soul ? How is God degraded and man exalted ! How 
is the eternal distinction between right and wrong, holiness and sin, oblite- 
rated, and all religion made a mere calculation of profit and loss by such 
a doctrine ! 

It has still more frequently and undisguisedly been taught that such is 
the nature of free agency that God cannot certainly control the acts of 
moral agents ; that he could not prevent the introduction of sin into a 
moral system, nor even the present amount of sin ; that he does all he can 
for the conversion of all who hear the gospel. This doctrine has, from the 
beginning of the Christian Church, been the dividing line between the 
friends and the enemies of the doctrines of grace. It is one of the funda- 
mental principles of that system which is known among us as the new T 
divinity. If this doctrine is true, God is dependent and uncertain in his 
plans, his promises are all precarious and prayer is a mockery. 

The doctrine of original sin, as taught in our Confession of Faith and 
as held by all the Churches of the Reformation, has been extensively repu- 
diated. Yet this doctrine not only lies at the foundation of the whole 
system of redemption, but is most intimately connected with religious expe- 
rience. The new doctrine denies the corruption of our nature ; it makes 
the evil that is in our hearts a light matter, to be overcome by volition, by 
a mere change of purpose. Regeneration, therefore, is an easy work — as 
easy as a change of determination regarding a profession or a journey. 
The change itself is generally different from what the Christian world has 
hitherto regarded it. It is a mere choice of a different source of happi- 
ness — a choice made from self-love and for self-gratification. What kind 
of religion is that, brethren, the very essence of which is not the love of 
God, but the love of self? 

The sinner, moreover, according to this system, is not dependent on the 
sovereign mercy of God ; he has, independently of the influence of the 
Holy Spirit, full power to change his heart and perfectly keep the law of 
God. The work of the Spirit, though occasionally introduced into the 
writings of the advocates of these views, seems entirely out of place and 
heterogeneous. Instead, therefore, of having the prominence which it has 
in the word of God and in the writings of the Reformers, it is subordinate, 
secondary and unimportant. 

The Assembly would further remind you that radical error regarding 
the priestly office of Christ, and our justification through him, has born 
and is extensively taught. Our standards of doctrine teach that Christ, 
as a priest, "offered himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice," and that 
we are justified by the righteousness of Christ, consisting in his obedience, 



310 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

and in offering of himself a sacrifice for sin, "imputed to us, and received 
by faith alone." The Scriptures declare that Christ, "through the eternal 
Spirit, offered himself without spot to God." Here is language not equiv- 
ocal, and it is easy of apprehension. Need we inform you that there are 
those who subvert this truth, who deny that Christ, as a surety, made a 
legal satisfaction for our sins, or that he wrought out a righteousness which 
is imputable to us for our justification in the sight of God? Such tell 
you, in the face of the Bible and of what you have been taught, that jus- 
tification is a sovereign act of pardon, that it takes place in every instance 
by a suspension of the regular order of distributive justice, and that the 
death of Christ was a mere exhibition of the desert of sin in the abstract, 
producing no other effect than that of changing the moral feelings and 
character of the sinner. Thus divine truth and justice are dishonored in 
our salvation. We are not mistaken when we say to you that this most 
unreasonable and pernicious error is extensively propagated. Let it pre- 
vail, and God is dishonored, the only hope of a convinced sinner is taken 
awa} 7- , and there remains for him nothing but the wrath of incensed, un- 
appeased justice. As your friends we warn you to be guarded against 
such departures from the faith of Jesus to another gospel — a gospel which 
subverts the foundation of all your hopes; which denies "that Christ died 
for our sins, according to the scriptures;" that "he bore our sins in his own 
body on the tree ;" " that the Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all ;" 
that " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a 
curse for us;" and that he is thus "set forth" in the blessed gospel, "a 
propitiation, through faith in his blood to declare God's righteousness, in 
the remission of sins that are past," that he might be just, " and yet the 
justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." Such truth as the Saviour's 
actual substitution for sinners is fundamental to the plan of our salvation, 
and cannot be surrendered without an entire subversion of the gospel 
system. 

This whole system, in making self-love the ground of all moral obliga- 
tion, in denying the corruption of our nature, in exalting the power of 
man, in depreciating the necessity of the Spirit's influence, in misrepre- 
senting the nature of the w 7 ork of Christ, is in direct hostility to evangeli- 
cal religion, and as this Assembly solemnly believes, cannot prevail with- 
out bringing death and desolation upon the churches. We therefore warn 
all our ministers and members against this system of error, and enjoin on 
all our Presbyteries to be firm and faithful in resisting its approaches. 
The Assembly lays claim to no new powers, it prescribes no new tests, it 
lays down no new terms of ministerial communion. It bears its testimony 
against prevailing errors, and it requires that those who are set as teachers 
and guides over the churches committed to its care should preach the doc- 
trines which they profess to believe. 

e. Let our churches and judicatories, then, in humble dependence upon 
God, and in a spirit of meekness and love, adhere faithfully to the great 
principles of our ecclesiastical compact, never demanding more than the 
Constitution requires, and never being contented with less. 

In order to secure doctrinal purity in our churches, it is absolutely 
necessary that Presbyteries be faithful in guarding with sedulous care the 
entrance into the ministry in regard to the piety, the orthodoxy and the 
learning of the candidates. These three grand qualifications are not inde- 
pendent of each other, but intimately connected. Oar Book of Discipline 
requires that before any person is received as a candidate he should be 
subjected to an examination in regard to his piety and his motives for 
seeking the sacred office. There is too much reason to fear that this ex- 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 311 

animation, in many Presbyteries, is slight and little more than a form, as 
we seldom hear of any persons rejected or kept back for want of evidence 
that they are truly converted. Unless Presbyteries pay a special attention 
to this subject, the Church will be overrun and ruined by unconverted 
ministers ; and such are not only incapable of guiding inquirers in the 
way to heaven, but possessing no sincere love to the distinguishing doc- 
trines of the Bible, they will be constantly inclined to conceal them, to set 
them aside or to reject them altogether. On this subject the General As- 
sembly would solemnly admonish all the ministers and elders in our com- 
munion to exercise a faithful care, and also to be thorough, in the exam- 
ination into the theological opinions of candidates. It has been found by 
sad experience that it is not sufficient for candidates in the general to an- 
swer the questions proposed in our discipline; this they will often do, while 
they entertain opinions diametrically repugnant to some plainly expressed 
articles of faith, and will go on and inculcate their erroneous opinions. 
This arises from a false notion respecting the true principles on which our 
formularies should be adopted, of which we have already spoken. Few 
young men are so lost to honesty that they will before Presbytery avow 
opinions which they do not believe, although they will often conceal their 
real opinions unless they are elicited by a searching examination. 

The General Assembly feel it to be of unspeakable importance that 
weak, ignorant and imprudent men should not be introduced into the min- 
istry. Such men, though incapable of doing much good, even if pious, 
yet may do immense mischief to the cause of true religion, and only serve 
to bring the holy ministry into contempt — a result against which we are 
repeatedly admonished in the sacred Scriptures. It is not enough to in- 
crease the number of the clergy. The Church's wants cannot be supplied 
by merely multiplying the number of ministers unless they are well 
qualified for the duties of the sacred office. Indeed, the greater the 
number of unsound or ignorant ministers, the greater the injury to the 
Church. 

/. Another thing of great importance in securing and promoting purity 
of doctrine is the election of suitable men to the office of ruling elders. 
Frequently it is found that men of intelligence and influence, who are 
members of the Church, shrink from this office, on account of the difficul- 
ties which attend the performance of its duties. This disposition to avoid 
the responsibilities of the office the Assembly cannot but consider as a 
dereliction of duty deserving censure. A sound, intelligent and faithful 
eldership is essential to the successful operation of our system. Es T ery 
effort should be made, therefore, to make this class of office-bearers what 
the plan of Presbyterian Church government contemplates. 

g. The General Assembly feel it to be important to enjoin upon all 
pastors the more frequent and diligent use of our formularies of doctrine. 
They would recommend that the sessions of our churches hold frequent, 
meetings for free conversation, and for the study of our doctrinal formu- 
laries as well as our discipline. They also reiterate the injunction, so often 
given, that great care be taken in every church to have the Shorter Cate- 
chism taught to all the youth, except that, if a class can be formed for 
learning the Larger Catechism, such young persons should be encouraged 
to commit this excellent summary of Christian doctrine. It would be sat- 
isfactory to the people, and would confirm them in the belief of the doc- 
trines of our Church, if ministers would more frequently refer to the lan- 
guage of our Confession and Catechisms, and would occasionally adopt the 
very words of our formularies in their sermons and lectures. They also 
recommend that with the Catechisms the Scripture proofs ought to be 



312 FOKM OF GOVERNMENT. 

carefully learned, that the people may have their faith founded, not on the 
authority of men, but of God. 

h. The General Assembly also feel it to be incumbent on them to give 
a warning against false teachers. The Scriptures abound with solemn ad- 
monitions on this subject, and such admonitions have always been needed, 
and are at this time peculiarly seasonable. Those in every age who have 
propagated error have been characterized by various insidious arts, by 
which the truth has either been subverted or so adulterated as to have its 
beauty disfigured and its efficacy destroyed or diminished. These false 
teachers are numerous and cunning and bold. They beguile unstable 
souls. If it were possible, they would deceive the very elect. It was a 
commendable feature in the character of one of the churches of Asia that 
she had tried certain false teachers who said that they were apostles, and 
had found them liars. Kemember, brethren, that though an angel from 
heaven should bring to you any other doctrine than that ye have already 
received from the inspired writers, he is accursed; and if any come to you 
and bring not the doctrines of the gospel, receive him not into your houses, 
neither bid him Godspeed, lest ye be partakers with him in his evil deeds. 
Beware, then, of wolves in sheep's clothing. Beware of those who by good 
words and fair speeches beguile unstable souls. 

i. The Assembly cannot refrain from a solemn warning to all their 
churches against books containing erroneous doctrines, however they may 
come recommended by men in high places. The Assembly is fully con- 
vinced that all our ministers and members ought with the greatest care to 
guard this subject, and see that they become not the patrons of books 
already published, or proposed to be published, unless they are well certi- 
fied of their character. 

The Assembly, moreover, feel constrained to admonish the churches of 
the great importance of taking and reading only such periodical papers as 
have the character of being sound in doctrine and advocate the genuine 
principles of Presbyterian government and order. It is by no means our 
wish to interfere in the least with the liberty of the people to buy and read 
such publications as they judge best, but it is our privilege and duty, in all 
cases where the truth of God, or the order of his house, is concerned, to 
admonish and warn all those who in the providence of God are placed 
under our watch and care ; and when but one religious paper is taken by 
a family in our connection, it is surely not unreasonable to advise and 
expect that it be one which can be recommended by the ministers and 
judicatories of the Presbyterian Church. We are convinced that the dif- 
ficulties in which our beloved Church has been involved have been in no 
small degree owing to the periodical press, and we confidently believe 
that unless more care be taken to guard against the circulation of unsuit- 
able papers in our churches, the same evils from which we have escaped 
will again come in upon us, notwithstanding all the efforts of the pulpit to 
counteract them. But the only effectual remedy for the evil of which we 
complain is in the hands of the people. Let every member of the Presby- 
terian Church resolve to introduce at least one weekly paper into his 
house, and let that be such an one as will in all respects have a salutary 
influence on those who peruse it. 

It would be invidious to designate particular periodicals, and this is en- 
tirely unnecessary. Let the person who wishes to subscribe for a religious 
newspaper take the advice of his pastor or of some judicious friend on 
whose honesty and judgment he can depend. The General Assembly 
would press this subject on the attention of their people. It has hitherto 
been too much overlooked, but it is becoming evidently of primary im- 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. uio 

portance. It is in vain that the pastor inculcates sound doctrine on the 
Sabbath day, if through the week the people are occupied with books, 
tracts and papers which insinuate, and even inculcate, a contrary doctrine. 

j. In conclusion, the General Assembly would solemnly inculcate on 
all classes of persons a profound reverence for the holy Scriptures. These 
are the oracles of the living God. " To the law and testimony, if they 
speak not according to these, it is because there is no light in them." 
There are few things more alarming, as it relates to purity of doctrine, 
than the bold and unauthorized interpretations put on certain portions of 
the word of God by serious persons in order to maintain some favorite 
principle adopted by them, and which, before they begin their inquiries, 
they confidently presume cannot be contrary to the word of God. Instead, 
therefore, of humbly submitting their own opinions to the divine author- 
tiv. speaking in the sacred Scriptures, they have the audacity to wrest the 
truth of God and bend everything to suit their own preconceived senti- 
ments. Against all such profane handling of the word of God the Assem- 
bly lifts up its voice of warning. 

And, finally, as the Holy Spirit was promised to be a guide into all truth, 
and as this most precious gift is still granted to the Church in answer to 
prayer, let all who love the truth, and desire to see it universally prevail, 
never cease to pray for this blessing, which is indeed the rich source of all 
good things. The strenuous defenders of the truth have been charged 
with holding and being contented with " a dead orthodoxy." Let us roll 
away this reproach as far as there is any foundation for it. While the 
truth may be held in unrighteousness, there is surely no natural connec- 
tion between orthodoxy and dead formality. The importance of truth is 
such that there can be no right feeling without it; and although ignorance 
or error in regard to some truths may be consistent with a state of grace — 
for otherwise who could be saved ? — yet every truth of revelation is pre- 
cious and important, so that if any portion of it is never brought to bear 
on the mind and heart, just so far there will be a defect in the Christian 
character. Just as if a seal on which is engraved a certain image or in- 
scription, if it be ever so little marred or mutilated, in the same degree 
leaves an imperfect impression on the wax. 

Dear brethren, receive in good part our exhortation. We sincerely aim 
to promote your spiritual welfare. Our lot is cast in an eventful and crit- 
ical period as it relates to our ecclesiastical affairs. After much and long 
agitation, a great schism has occurred. A large number of those recently 
comprehended in the same denomination with us have now gone out from 
us. In this whole transaction the providence of God has been very re- 
markable. Let us now endeavor, as becomes the sincere disciples of the 
meek and lowly Jesus, while we contend for the faith once delivered to the 
saints, to be careful not to strive about words to no profit or with a spirit 
unbecoming the Christian character. Faith and Charity are twin sisters, 
and should never be separated. See that ye love one another with a pure 
heart fervently. Brethren, the trrace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with 
you all.— 1839, p. 183, O. S. 

13. Pastoral Letter ox Revivals of Religion. 

Dear Brethren: With pious delight your fathers have often told you 
of the wonders which God wrought in their day when he poured out his 
Spirit on ministers and people. Yea, many of you have been eye-wit- 
nesses of his majesty and grace in his visits to the churches. You can 
remember the time when well-authenticated accounts of glorious revivals 

40 



314 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

were found in almost every number of our best religious journals. It has 
caused deep sorrow to lively Christians that for several years past compar- 
atively few extensive and powerful revivals of religion have been reported 
to the Assembly. With gratitude to God we acknowledge that he has not 
utterly forsaken us, nor left us to an entirely fruitless ministry and barren 
ordinances ; but still the ways of Zion have mourned, and few have come 
to her solemn feasts. We are happy to say that for a few months past 
tokens for good have appeared in various quarters. Some of the Presby- 
teries report that God is with them of a truth. These mercies, so rich 
and so seasonable, have turned our attention with renewed hope to the 
exceeding great and precious promises of God. They recall to our mind 
those gracious chidings of oiir heavenly Father : " O thou that art named the 
house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lord straitened ? Are these his doings ? 
Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the 
Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? 
He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increas- 
eth strength." We doubt not that these and similar admonitions of God's 
word, together with some recent revivals, were designed to rebuke our 
unbelief and to encourage in us the hope of more copious blessings. This 
is the manner of God with his people, as may be seen in many parts of 
Scripture. Thus he said to the Jewish Church, "I am the Lord thy God, 
which brought thee out of the land of Egypt ; open thy mouth wide, and 
I will fill it." Thus, too, when, by examining the prophecies of Jeremiah, 
Daniel, then a captive in Babylon, learned that God had purposes of mercy 
to his people, and was about to deliver them, he was greatly encouraged, 
and " set his face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, 
with fasting and sackcloth and ashes." 

In like manner, we live in a time when there is much to deplore, and 
yet much to hope for. The very dispensation under which we live is by 
inspired men called "the ministration of the Spirit." Under it the Church 
may well pray in hope for blessed effusions of the HoJy Ghost, who is by 
Christ himself called " the promise of the Father." Many large prophe- 
cies concerning the latter-day glory are now fulfilling, and others yet more 
ample must soon be fulfilled. After a long period of coldness a renewed 
warmth of love and zeal and activity has been granted to some. We 
hope it will soon be extended to many. For God has said, " I will assem- 
ble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out and her that 
I have afflicted." It was specially to the Gentile Church that God said, 
" Thy Maker is thy husband ; the Lord of hosts is his name ; and thy 
Redeemer the holy One of Israel. For a small moment have I forsaken 
thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my 
face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have 
mercy on thee." In view of these things we now address you. 

You will not misunderstand us as exhorting you to do anything by 
which a spirit of fanaticism should spread among us. Nothing is farther 
from our wishes. A wild enthusiasm, just so far as it prevails, will mar or 
ruin the interests of vital piety. It begets the very worst state of things. 
It finally induces skepticism, laxity of morals, a forsaking of the house of 
God and general irreligion. We therefore hope that you will do and seek 
nothing inconsistent with the sobriety of the gospel, the decorum of pub- 
lic worship and the gravity and gentleness which the word of God every- 
where enjoins. We seek to promote, not confusion, but order, not blind 
and bitter, but wise and benevolent, zeal. A pure revival will always be 
marked by " the wisdom that is from above, which is first pure, then peace- 
able, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, with- 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 315 

out partiality and without hypocrisy." "The fruit of righteousness is 
sown in peace of them that make peace." If the King, most mighty, 
shall "ride prosperously" in the earth, it will be "because of truth and 
meekness and righteousness." 

Having thus guarded against misconstruction, we beseech you, brethren, 
to remember that a state of indifference to spiritual things is a great offence 
in the sight of God. It is indeed the very core of depravity. Not to be 
greatly affected by divine things may be consistent with a decent profes- 
sion of religion in a low state of the Church, but it is a great sin against 
God. How terrible are the rebukes of the Almighty to the lukewarm ! 
He says he " will spew" them out. He says: "Woe to them that are at 
ease in Zion." All persons who promote this state of things in the Church 
are very offensive to God. He says: "Woe unto the women [certain 
prophetesses] that sow pillows to all armholes." Deplorable indeed is the 
state of any people whose watchmen cry Peace, peace, when there is no 
peace. Deadness, negligence, earthly mindedness and vanity in ministers, 
elders, deacons or private Christians, are extremely abominable to God. 
A supine carelessness and a vain, carnal, worldly spirit in ministers or 
people is the worst madness and distraction in the sight of God. Sound, 
sober discretion is always to be sought, but worldly policy is the bane of 
godliness. Carnal prudence is the plague of any church into which it 
gains admission. When there is none that "stirreth himself up to take 
hold of God," he hides bis face and consumes us because of our iniquities. 
Proper means are therefore to be used, and in a proper spirit too ; espe- 
cially — 

Prayer. — How full are the Scriptures on this point! "Call upon me in 
the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." " Ask, 
and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be 
opened unto you." It is as true now as in the days of Elijah or of James 
that " the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." 
" If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how 
much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that 
ask him." Here " the Holy Spirit," the very blessing which we need in 
all our bounds to enlighten, renew, sanctify and comfort, is sweetly and 
assuredly promised to them that ask. Let us humbly, fervently, impor- 
tunately and in full assurance of faith, cry to God for so great a mercy. 
Yea, let us all thus pray. The apostles devolved the actual distribution 
of alms on deacons chosen for the purpose, but they no more thought of 
giving up prayer than preaching. Indeed, the very reason they assign for 
wishing to be relieved from serving tables is that they may "give them- 
selves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." If any 
man ceases to pray fervently, he ought to lay aside all other functions in 
the Church of God, for he is wholly unfit for any of them. We do not 
deem it for edification to designate any particular days or times when spe- 
cial prayer shall be made, but we beseech you in your ejaculations, in your 
closets, in your families, in your social meetings and in your large assem- 
blies, to make unceasing prayer to God for seasons of merciful visitation. 
Should any times of special prayer, in addition to those already agreed 
upon, be deemed proper, you will appoint them yourselves. But we entreat 
you not to permit anything to prevent your daily and earnest cries to God 
tor mercy and salvation to descend on all our churches. " Ye that make 
mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he estab- 
lish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth." To prayer it is 
proper to add — 

Fading. — When our Lord was yet with us, he said that when he should 



316 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

be taken away his disciples should fast. Pious men in every age have 
united fasting with prayer in times of distress, even if speedy deliverance 
was hoped for. So did Daniel in the case already cited. So did Ezra and 
all the Jews at the river Ahava, on their return from Babylon, and just 
before the great revival of God's work among them. Like prayer, fast- 
ing has been a part of every system of religion known among men. Some, 
indeed, even in Christian countries, have carried it to the length of super- 
stition, and have thereby impaired their health. Others who pretended to 
fast only exchange one kind of sumptuous eating for another, and thus 
mock God. We commend not, but rather reprove, all such practices. 
Yet we fear that some among us seldom if ever fast at all. We trust this 
matter will be inquired into, and if there has been a departure from divine 
teachings, there will be a speedy return to this scriptural duty. The 
nature of an acceptable fast, and the blessings attending it, are clearly 
stated in the Scriptures, and especially in the fifty-eighth chapter of Isa- 
iah. To prayer and fasting add — 

Almsgiving. — " The poor ye have always with ye, and whensoever ye 
will ye may do them good." If they need not shelter, they may need fuel 
or food or clothing or medicine. If they have all these, they or their chil- 
dren may need instruction, warning or encouragement. If there be no poor 
near you, think of those who are perishing elsewhere, if not in a famine 
of bread, yet in a famine of the word of God, whether written or preached. 
Help them. Be both liberal and systematic in your charities. "K-emem- 
ber the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give 
than to receive." It was when the prayers of Cornelius were united with 
his alms that they came up for a memorial before God. Separate not 
prayer and fasting from almsgiving. God has joined them together. 
One benefit of fasting is that it affords or increases the means of giving 
to those who are more needy than ourselves. Beware of covetousness. 
Beware of the spirit of hoarding. Many in our day think they do well if 
they give even one-tenth of their increase. But the ancient Jewish Church 
gave far more than that. The gospel settles nothing as to the proportion 
to be given, but it says : " As ye abound in everything, in faith and utter- 
ance and knowledge and in all diligence and in your love to us, see that ye 
abound in this grace also." The motives it urges are of the highest kind. 
Every believer must feel their force. " Ye know the grace of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, 
that ye through his poverty might be rich." Surely, with superior privi- 
leges, Christians should have a higher standard of liberality than those 
who lived under a darker dispensation. Yet even to the Jewish Church 
God said : "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be 
meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, 
if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that 
there shall not be room enough to receive it." 

Brethren, will you not "prove" the Lord? You shall find him faith- 
ful. If from right motives you practice proper liberality, ''all nations 
shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord 
of hosts." To these things unite — 

Praise. — This duty is much insisted on in Scripture. If we had praised 
God more for favors received, we should have received more favors to 
praise God for. In heaven there is joy over one, even one, sinner that 
repenteth. It should be so on earth. "Whoso off'ereth praise glorifieth 
me." Even in the jail at Philippi, Paul and Silas to prayer added the 
"singing of praises." It has long been observed that precious revivals are 
not only accompanied, but preceded also, by an increased disposition to 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 317 

make thankful mention of God's mercies. Thus the time that elapsed 
between the ascension of our Saviour and the day of Pentecost was in 
some respects a dark season. Yet blessings had been, received, and greater 
ones were expected. In the first chapter of Acts, Luke tells us that dur- 
ing this time the disciples "all continued with one accord in prayer and 
supplication." But in his gospel Luke says, "They were continually in 
•ihe temple praising and blessing God." There is no contrariety between 
these statements, because there is no contrariety between prayer and praise. 
So when the glorious revival commenced in Jerusalem, and many thou- 
sands were converted to God, " they continuing daily with one accord in 
the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat 
with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with 
all the people, and the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be 
saved." When a church finds itself but little inclined to the work of 
praise, it is certain that the work of God is not likely to prosper greatly. 
It must have forgotten much of its obligations to Christ. " By him, there- 
lore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually — that is, the 
fruit of our lips — giving thanks to his name." Thus shall we at least be pre- 
pared to own and profit by any new mercy which the Head of the Church 
may vouchsafe to us. Besides these things let us call your attention to— 

Patient waiting for the Lord. — Hardly anything is more insisted on in 
Scripture as requisite to a right state of mind and heart. It is true that 
some who give great prominence to other duties of religion seldom speak 
of this. But the Scriptures, and not the example of even good men, are 
our rule of faith and life. The word of God dwells much on this subject. 
Thus says one : " I wait for the Lord ; my soul doth wait, and in his word 
do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for 
the morning : I say, more than they that watch for the morning." Again, 
" As the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the 
eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress ; so our eyes wait upon 
the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us." The same state of 
mind is beautifully described by the Church in Solomon's Song, where she 
says: "I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and the 
hinds of the field, that ye stir not up nor awake my love till he pleases." 
Let us not, therefore, suppose that we shall please God by a tumultuous, 
much less by an imperious, state of mind. A judicious parent gives noth- 
ing to a child when in a turbulent state of mind, however loudly and 
earnestly it may call for it. Neither will our heavenly Father hear our 
cries unless our spirits be subdued and submissive. The Psalmist says : 
" Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of 
his mother : my soul is even as a weaned child." Nor does he regard this 
as a ground of discouragement, but rather of hope, for his next words are, 
" Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever." So also, 
whether we apply the fortieth Psalm to Christ or to his people, it teaches 
the same thing : " I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto 
me, and heard my cry." We also call your attention to — 

Religious Conversation. — Has not a sad decline in this respect been man- 
ifest of late years? Many speak much of some things concerning religion, 
but how few delight in speaking of the great things of God, and particu- 
larly of experimental religion! We would be very far from encouraging 
an ostentatious display of personal feelings. But proper conversation is 
as much opposed to ostentation as to coldness. It was an inspired man 
who said, "Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he 
hath done for my soul." Many of the Psalms, such as the thirty-second, 
the forty-second and the fifty -first, are full of declarations of religious ex- 



318 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

perience. The seventh chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans is most 
precious to the saints, chiefly because it reveals the internal conflicts of 
that servant of God. Nor should pious conversation be confined to times 
of prosperity in the Church. The prophet Malachi lived in times of open 
wickedness and sad apostasy. But few remained steadfast. Yet even 
then "they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord 
hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before- 
him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 
And they shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my 
jewels ; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth 
him." Indeed, he who would condemn a truthful and modest recital of 
the dealings of God with one's soul must not only condemn such works 
as Augustine's Confessions, Bunyan's Grace Abounding, Newton's Authen- 
tic Narrative and Scott's Force of Truth, but also the conduct of Paul, 
who often declared the particulars of his conversion, and the conduct of 
very many of the inspired writers also. We do, therefore, commend this 
matter to your serious attention. 

They who would enjoy extensive and powerful revivals of religion must 
also put a high estimate upon them. — The Holy Spirit, no less than the 
Father or the Son, says: "Them that honor me will I honor; and they 
that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." The Holy Spirit is the sole 
author of genuine revivals. Would we secure his gracious presence? 
Let us prize it above all earthly good. His love is better than wine. He 
is the true oil of gladness. Only when he, like the wind, blows on his 
garden, do the spices thereof flow out. Nothing that man can do is any 
substitute for his gracious presence. And no labors that man can perform 
are a substitute for a high estimate of the value and glory of the Spirit's 
presence. 

If our estimate of such blessings be really high, it will lead to a forsaking 
of all that might in our judgment displease God. — It will produce great 
heart-searchings, it will lead us to remove every stumbling-block out of 
the way and to prepare the way of the Lord. Dear brethren, let us lay 
aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil 
speakings. Let us heal every breach of charity. The visible form in 
which the Holy Spirit descended on our Saviour was that of a dove, the 
very emblem of gentleness, a bird that never dwells with birds of prey, 
nor amidst noise and strife. Paul says, " Grieve not the Holy Spirit of 
God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption ;" and immedi- 
ately adds, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil 
speaking be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to 
another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's 
sake, hath forgiven you." If our churches are in a cold state, it is by 
reason of sin. " Your iniquities have separated between you and your 
God." How solemn are these words of God to his ancient Church ! — " 1 
will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence, and 
seek my face ; in their affliction they will seek me early." Let us prove 
that we are his people by confessing and forsaking all our offences. 

We suggest whether the practice of assembling the people, for several con- 
secutive days, for prayer and praise and preaching might not be happily re- 
vived. — In some places it has been continued, and with good effect; but in 
others, we fear, it has fallen into general disuse. Prudence should be ex- 
ercised as to the time when and how long such meetings should be held. 
That they are not novelties is plain from the Directory for Worship, chap. 
viii., sec. 6. A favorite method of noticing the preaching of the gospel 
in the New Testament is that of bearing testimony. And we all know 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 319 

how mightily the power of testimony over the human mind is increased 
by two or more agreeing witnesses ; so that by the mouth of two or three 
witnesses every word is established. This principle of our nature was con- 
sulted by our Lord in sending out his apostles, and by the apostles them- 
selves. Under the divine blessing on their united testimony borne to the 
same people, the great work of grace on and after the day of Pentecost 
was accomplished. 

We have no new expedients to commend to you. — We fear all such. The 
Bible indicates all the means to be used. We have noticed the chief of 
them. We beseech you to use with zeal and perseverance all such means 
as God has appointed for reviving his work. Brethren, be not slothful, 
but be ye filled with the Spirit. Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always 
abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor 
is not in vain in the Lord. 

The necessity of copious effusions of the Holy Spirit will not be questioned. 
— In vain are all our efforts until the Spirit be poured from on high. No 
improvements in agriculture can render the dew and the rain unnecessary 
to the growth of grain. No amount of canvas will give speed to a vessel 
unless the wind blows. So no endeavors of man unaided by divine influ- 
ence can save a Church from spiritual death. If we are not mistaken, 
there is a loud call at this time on all of us to look away from instru- 
ments and means to God alone. The number of candidates for the min- 
istry, though really considerable, is very small, compared with the present 
and prospective wants of even our own country. Our country is growing 
at a rate that almost staggers belief. More than a million of souls were 
added to her population the last year; a still larger number will probably 
be added this year. Many foreigners, both ignorant and superstitious, 
come amongst us. But many are also the excellent of the earth. Let us 
receive all with kindness, and seek to do them good. If God will but 
pour out his Spirit on the least instructed among them, they will be incal- 
culable blessings to us. In some places, where once existed churches 
famous for their piety, the things that remain are ready to die. What 
shall we do but go to God, with whom is the residue of the Spirit? He 
has said: "Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I 
have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods 
upon the dry ground ; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my bless- 
ing upon thine offspring: and they shall spring up as among the grass, as 
willows by the watercourses. One shall say I am the Lord's ; and an- 
other shall call himself by the name of Jacob ; and another shall sub- 
scribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name 
of Israel." "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of 
the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, 
and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break 
out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a 
pool, and the thirsty land springs of water. In the habitation of drag- 
ons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an high- 
way shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness.*' 
The erection of churches, the establishment of schools, the distribution of 
the word of God, the instruction of children, the settlement of ministers, 
and even the preaching of the gospel, are not ends. They are only means 
to an end. That end is the glory of God in the salvation of souls. This 
salvation will never be effected without the pouring out of God's Spirit on 
the hearts of the people. And as in our country there are many people, 
and the number rapidly increasing, notwithstanding the ravages of death, 
it is plain that myriads must die in their sins and for ever perish unless 



320 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

God's Spirit be poured out in very large measure on ministers and people, 
and that speedily. 

What a blessing such a season would be! What blessings it would 
bring with it! Such times are in Scripture well called "times of refresh- 
ing." They refresh ministers. They refresh older Christians. To the 
young converts they are life from the dead. When under Philip's 
preaching in Samaria many were converted to God, " there was great joy 
in that city." It was so in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and for 
some time after. It always has been so. It always must be so. If joy 
in the Holy Ghost, and a good hope through grace, and seeing sinners 
flying as a cloud to Christ, will not make a ministry and a people truly 
blessed, nothing can. " God of our salvation, wilt thou not revive us 
again, that thy people may rejoice in theef u Return, return, Shulamite; 
return, return, that we may look upon tliee^ 

We beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye 
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is 
your reasonable service, and that you call upon your souls and all that is 
within you to wake to righteousness, and so much the more as ye see the 
day of deliverance and triumph approaching. By the love ye bear to the 
great Redeemer and the souls of men, we pray you to shake off the spirit 
of slumber wherever it rests. One of the burning and shining lights of 
the Church said in his day, " Little do we know what many a soul may 
now be suffering in hell through our neglect or coldness." Our opportu- 
nities to serve God in the Church below will soon be past for ever. Soon 
we can pray no more, preach no more, and no more beseech sinners to be 
reconciled to God. The time is short. The Judge standeth before the 
door. The night cometh when no man can work. Brethren, put on 
bowels of mercy and compassion, and devote your remaining days to proper 
efforts to save men from the coming wrath, and thus bring glory to your 
divine Redeemer who is over all God blessed for ever. 

NICHOLAS MURRAY, Moderator. 

Pittsburg, May, 1849. 

—1849, pp. 424-429, O. S. 

14. On Diligence in Repairing the Wastes of the War. 

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of 
America, in session at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in the year of our Lord 
1865, send to the Churches under their care, greeting : 

The terrible calamities which have befallen our country during the last 
four vears, and their injurious influence on the material, intellectual, moral 
and religious condition of the people, render it peculiarly important for 
the General Assembly, composed of your representatives from most of the 
loyal States, to remind you of the solemn responsibilities w r hich this state 
of things devolves upon our churches, as well as upon the other Christian 
churches of this land. 

Immense districts in the Southern States, now redeemed from the civil 
rebellion, have become, by the casualties of war, desolate wastes, the re- 
pairing of which demands immediate and earnest attention. Their politi- 
cal status is under the direction and control of the civil government. Their 
desolated fields must be put under cultivation, and their ruined dwellings, 
villages and cities rebuilt by individual industry and enterprise. But 
their intellectual, moral and religious privileges, by means of literary 
institutions and gospel ordinances, must be restored by the exertions of 
Christian philanthropy. And in the Northern States, though the war has 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 321 

not materially diminished their wealth and prosperity, nor closed their 
schools, colleges and churches, we have reason to apprehend that the de- 
moralizing influences of the camp upon the habits of our brave and 
patriotic soldiers will introduce into hundreds of neighborhoods in the 
North vices heretofore unknown, unless counteracted by timely and effi- 
cient efforts. " The patriotism of the nation, under God, has saved the 
Union, and it now remains for the piety of the Church to sanctify the 
people/' 

The means for accomplishing this work have been instituted by God 
himself, viz., earnest and believing prayer for the outpouring of his Holy 
Spirit, the faithful preaching of his word, and the liberal contribution of 
our substance for keeping in vigorous operation those auxiliary agencies 
which are adapted to benefit and save the souls of men. 

The first great want of the Church and country is the effusion of the 
Holy Spirit, for which earnest prayer should be daily offered to God. The 
gift of the Spirit, descending in pentecostal showers upon all our borders, 
will heal the breaches which have been made among us by this cruel and 
bloody war, reclaim from sin and ruin the many thousands who, in con- 
sequence of the war, have yielded too much to the corrupting tendencies 
of their depraved appetites and passions, purify the fountains of litera- 
ture, and make all our schools and colleges the sources of virtuous and 
holy influences, impart to our firesides and places of business, to our 
popular assemblies and halls of legislation, a spirit of healthful and 
happy piety, and surround our whole land with a halo of celestial light 
and love. 

But this inestimable blessing must be sought by earnest and importu- 
nate supplication. God will be inquired of by the house of Israel to do 
these things for them. Brethren, pray without ceasing until the Lord 
shall rain, righteousness upon us, like the prophet Elijah on Mount Car- 
mel, who cast himself down upon the earth in prayer, and sent his servant 
seven times in succession to look toward the sea, until at last a little cloud 
appeared like a man's hand, and speedily a refreshing and fertilizing rain 
covered the whole land of Israel. In addition to daily prayer in the 
closet and family, the Assembly recommend that our pastors and church 
sessions, at their discretion, appoint meetings for prayer in their respective 
congregations, daily if practicable, but if not, theu once or twice a w T eek, to 
pray. especially for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; and that, like the 
pious and faithful few who assembled daily for prayer, for ten days prior 
to the day of Pentecost, these praying ones look and wait in believing 
expectation for the fulfillment of the divine promise to send this blessing 
upon his Church. 

In connection with prayer, the Assembly recommend that, as often as 
may be deemed expedient by our ministers and church sessions, they also 
appoint special public services for preaching the gospel. God has visited 
some of our congregations with large outpourings of his Holy Spirit in 
connection with these extra services. By these means the unconverted are 
brought daily under the influence of the preached word, and impressions 
produced one day are deepened by warnings reiterated on the next, and 
the result has often been a precious ingathering of souls. 

The Assembly further exhort the churches under their care to practice 
an enlarged liberality in sustaining the cause of Christian benevolence. 
Not to mention other benevolent objects and associations, the operations 
of the several boards of our own Church, and of the Committee recently 
appointed to benefit the freedraen, are of the first importance, and they 
are increasing in magnitude every year; and with regard to some of them, 
41 



322 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

owing to the extraordinary condition of our country, particularly in the 
Southern States, there is an urgent call for the most liberal contributions. 
Our nation has been appropriating the public treasure by hundreds of 
millions for the suppression of the rebellion, and our citizens have volun- 
tarily contributed with remarkable liberality for the relief and comfort 
of our suffering soldiers, refugees and freed men. Let our churches con- 
tribute with corresponding liberality to promote their spiritual welfare. A 
special thank-offering is due to our Saviour God, the King of kings, and 
Lord of lords, in view of the signal deliverance over which we now rejoice. 

Finally, the Assembly would add to these several recommendations that 
there is a special demand on all loyal and Christian men, in the hopeful 
termination of our national calamities, to endeavor, by every appropriate 
means in their power, to bring together in friendly relations the discord- 
ant and conflicting elements of civil society. Let all become good Sa- 
maritans to heal the wounds which have been made by this fratricidal 
war, and to administer to the wants of the distressed and unfortunate. 
Even those who have been our avowed and bitter enemies, once defiant, 
but now conquered, are entitled to our sympathy and kindness. Act with 
regard to them, dear brethren, according to the spirit of those inspired 
words of the prophet Isaiah which were put on record for our instruction, 
with the assurance that the reward promised will also be yours: " Is not 
this the fast that I have chosen ? to loose the bands of wickedness, to 
undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye 
break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that 
thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the 
naked, that thou cover him ; and that thou hide not thyself from thine 
own flesh ? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine 
health shall spring forth speedily ; and thy righteousness shall go before 
thee ; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, 
and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. 
If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of 
the finger, and speaking vanity ; and if thou draw out thy soul to the 
hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul ; then shall thy light arise in ob- 
scurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday ; and the Lord shall guide 
thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones : 
and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose 
waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste 
places ; thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations ; and 
thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to 
dwell in." Isa. lviii. 6-12. 

And now, dear brethren, may " the God of peace, that brought again 
from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through 
the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good 
work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his 
sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." 
—1865, pp. 600-603, O. S. 

On the Eebellion.— See Minutes, 1866, pp. 82-90, O. S. 

15. Pastoral Letter on the Observance of the Sabbath. 

Dear Brethren: In the exercise of that spiritual oversight to which 
we are called as the highest court of our beloved Church, it has seemed 
good to us to address you in regard to the observance of "the Lord's 
day." We are especially moved to this duty now by sundry memorials 
and overtures from different parts of the Church, which set forth the fact 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 323 

that this holy day is profaned in our land in a variety of ways and to an 
extent most alarming to God's people. And in these circumstances we 
make an appeal to you, not only to stir up your minds by way of remem- 
brance, but also to enlist your example and co-operation in every avail- 
able form, in resisting the encroachments of a wicked world upon the 
honor of Zion's King. 

Nothing is plainer than that "the Sabbath was made for man," and 
therefore that it is of universal and perpetual obligation. The Lord him- 
self "blessed" and "hallowed" it at the creation, Its requirements have a 
distinct place among the statutes of the Moral Law, which, being founded 
upon immutable principles and designed to express the permanent rela- 
tions between God and man, is applicable to all times and circumstances. 
The visions of prophecy looked forward to the dispensation of the fullness 
of the times when the "sons of the stranger" should not only "join them- 
selves to the Lord to serve him," but should "keep the Sabbath from pol- 
luting it and take hold of his covenant," and thus be "brought to his holy 
mountain and made joyful in his house of prayer." Isa. lvi. 6, 7. But 
most of all do we find our sanction in the example of our blessed Lord 
and his disciples. His resurrection from the dead on the first day of the 
week — thenceforth the Christian Sabbath — was his entrance into rest after 
the creation of the "new heavens and new earth" was "finished." His 
subsequent appearances to his disciples on that day during the period pre- 
ceding his ascension, the fact of their meeting on that day also for preach- 
ing and prayer, the breaking of bread, collections for the saints and other 
acts of worship (Acts xx. 7 ; 1 Cor. xvi. 2), and the uniform habit of the 
early Christians under apostolic example and direction to the same effect, 
leave no room for doubt. Whilst in honor of the greater work of redemp- 
tion the observance was transferred from the last to the first day of the 
week, we still have the Sabbath itself, resting upon the same fundamental 
law, solemnly sanctioned by the exalted Head of the Church and de- 
manding in his name the same evangelical obedience due to all his will. 
From all these sources alike — divine example, divine law, prophecy and 
the gospel — the warrant and duty to honor God by the sanctification of 
the Sabbath are clear and unmistakable. 

Experience and the fitness of things only confirm this view. The phys- 
ical nature of man and of inferior animals demands cessation from toil at 
least one-seventh portion of the time. The formation of right mental and 
moral habits, the proper training of families, the general welfare of soci- 
ety, the stability of government, the necessities of public worship and the 
interests of religion, all unite in requiring the maintenance of the Sabbath 
in its integrity both against the infidelity which questions its divine ap- 
pointment and the worldliness which dishonors and desecrates it. All 
history and experience unite to testify that only where the Lord's day is 
observed, and in full proportion to the sacredness attached to it, does the 
gospel of Christ accomplish its true mission in moulding public sentiment, 
in conserving sound morality and in saving the souls of men. And .so 
it must ever be, for the reason that Jehovah himself has said, "Them 
that honor me I will honor, but those that despise me shall be lightly 
esteemed." Truth, virtue, morality and religion, including "all spiritual 
blessings in heavenly places in Christ," find one of their most sacred 
pledges in this holy institution, whilst they must ever fail if it be neglected 
and polluted. 

In view of these things, the Assembly looks with the deepest concern 
upon the tendencies of these times toward relaxation in sentiment and 
practice upon this subject. Whilst it may not be possible for this or any 



324 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

other body to discriminate accurately in all cases between acts of necessity 
and mercy and those which are sinful in themselves or by reason of cir- 
cumstances, there are principles and rules of the clearest application to 
this subject which cannot be too faithfully repeated, and there are preva- 
lent violations of the law of the Sabbath which call for the most earnest 
warnings. It is a matter for painful regret that a pernicious example is 
still steadily set before the nation by one department of the government 
and occasionally by others. Although the excitements of the war have 
for the most part subsided, their effects still linger in society in the care- 
lessness of some and the recklessness of others concerning sacred time. 
In certain parts of the country business is, to some extent, prosecuted on 
the Sabbath. Travel is only partially suspended in compliance with its 
claims. Multitudes, especially in our cities and larger towns, give them- 
selves without restraint to pleasure during its holy hours. Saloons and 
places of amusement are fearful rivals to the Lord's sanctuaries. Secular 
newspapers — some of which, alas! are issued on the Sabbath — and books 
without religious bearing and spirit, too often thrust out, even on God's 
day, his holy word and other reading inculcating its truths. Faithful 
Sabbath instruction in the home circle has to a large extent become a 
memory of past generations, having yielded its place either to other instru- 
mentalities or total neglect. Even the supplies of bread and milk in cities 
and towns have taken a form which, to say the least, often, beyond any 
plea of necessity, involves trespass upon the day of rest. "Sunday trains" 
are run by many railroad companies, thereby holding employees to un- 
warranted service and offering temptation to business or pleasure travel- 
ing which otherwise would not have been undertaken. Lines of street-cars 
also, now so generally established in our cities, whilst furnishing great ac- 
commodations through the secular week, are to a lamentable extent em- 
ployed in the interest of pleasure excursions and unnecessary travel, some- 
times even by professing Christians, to the great detriment of morality 
and religion, whilst also their noise often disturbs beyond endurance the 
quiet of families and the worship of congregations before whose doors they 
pass. In such and other kindred ways are the Lord's name and honor 
profaned ; and the profanation appears just where a divine and holy jeal- 
ousy guards that proportion of our time which the Most High has reserved 
for himself, and also guards "the gates of Zion," which he " loves more than 
all the dwellings of Jacob." Its damage to every spiritual interest who 
can tell ? 

With such views, brethren, of our highest obligations on the one hand, 
and of peril to the cause of our divine Master on the other, we appeal to 
your consciences and hearts. We address not so much the unbelieving 
world as you who profess hearty subjection to the law of God and the gos- 
pel of Christ. We are profoundly convinced that the professing Chris- 
tians of this land, both ministers and people, have it in their power, through 
the blessing of God upon their fidelity, to rescue from dishonor that holy 
day which, standing in the very front of the institutions of our religion, 
prominently represents our dearest spiritual rights and blessings. The 
great battles of the Church with skepticism and sin alike must be largely 
fought on this issue. This breastwork must at all hazards be maintained 
against the subtle and combined enemies of God and man. In the very 
way of divine appointment must this sacred ordinance be kept and used for 
the divine honor, for the purity of the Church and for all the precious in- 
terests of truth and righteousness in the earth. For present sanctification 
and future glory we must thus maintain our communion with God, and so 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 325 

"enter into his rest," whilst we "cease from our own works as God did 
from his." We must remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 

We counsel you to cast your undivided influence on the side of the 
Lord's day. Cultivate, we beseech you, in yourselves, in your families 
and in all over whom your influence extends, just and scriptural views of 
its sacredness. Let your example, not in the spirit of Jewish bondage, 
but of Christian liberty and love, illustrate and adorn it. In your cha- 
racter as citizens, in harmony with the largest freedom of our institutions, 
do not fail to promote and sustain the time-honored and wholesome statutes 
which have been enacted to preserve this essential part of that " general, 
tolerant Christianity, without sect or party," which belongs to the funda- 
mental law of the land. In every way calculated to honor our exalted 
Redeemer, through the sacred day which is at once the testimony of his 
resurrection and the pledge of " his inheritance in the saints," and in every 
way also likely to win the world to honor it for his sake, let your con- 
sciences be pure in the sight of God, and let your faithfulness appear unto 
all men. Do not forget that " the Son of man is Lord also of the Sab- 
bath day." 

In conclusion, we respectfully recommend that all our pastors and stated 
supplies, as soon, and also as often, as may be convenient, preach upon the 
observance of the Christian Sabbath, instructing the people carefully from 
God's word in regard to its origin, meaning, obligation, privileges and pur- 
pose, the true spirit and manner in which it is to be kept, and all those 
duties, personal and relative, which grow out of it or are connected with 
it. "Grace be with you all. Amen."— 1867, p. 385-387, O. S. 

YI. Before any overtures or regulations proposed by the Assembly 
to be established as constitutional rules shall be obligatory on the 
churches, it shall be necessary to transmit them to all the Presbyter- 
ies, and to receive the returns of at least a majority of them, in 
writing, approving thereof. 

[The phrase "standing rules" as found in the Constitution of 1788, was 
changed, as above, to " constitutional rules" by vote of the Presbyteries, in 
1805.— p. 332.] 

1. Power of the Assembly to make Standing- Rules. 

[The Presbytery of New York laid before the Assembly the following 
paper, viz.:] 

The Presbytery took into consideration the regulations adopted by the 
General Assembly at their last meeting, intended to embrace and extend 
the existing rules respecting the reception of foreign ministers and licen- 
tiates, whereupon the Presbytery were of opinion that if the General 
Assembly designed these regulations as a standing rule, supposing that, 
having passed through their body, they became obligatory upon the subor- 
dinate judicatories, and ought to be carried into immediate effect, they 
therein violated the sixth section of the eleventh chapter of our Constitu- 
tion, which says, " Before any overtures or regulations," etc. — 1799, p. 172. 

[To this paper the Assembly replied :] 

1. That the first reason assigned by the Presbytery of New York for 
their request is founded on a misinterpretation of an ambiguous expres- 
sion in the Constitution. The sixth section of the eleventh chapter is 
thus expressed: "Before any overtures or regulations proposed by the 
Assembly to be established as standing rules shall be obligatory on the 



326 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

churches, it shall be necessary to transmit them to all the Presbyteries and 
to receive the returns of at least a majority of the Presbyteries in writing 
approving thereof." Standing rules in this section can refer only to one 
of the following objects: 1st. To articles of the Constitution which, when 
once established, are unalterable by the General Assembly ; or 2d. To 
every rule or law enacted without any term of limitation expressed in the 
act. The latter meaning would draw after it consequences so extensive 
and injurious as forbid the Assembly to give the section that interpreta- 
tion. It would reduce this Assembly to a mere committee to prepare 
business upon which the Presbyteries might act. It would undo, with 
few exceptions, all the rules that have been established by this Assembly 
since its first institution, and would prevent it for ever from establishing 
any rule not limited by the terms of the act itself. Besides, standing rides, 
in the evident sense of the Constitution, cannot be predicated of any acts 
made by the Assembly and repealable by it, because they are limited in 
their very nature to the duration of a year, if it please the Assembly to 
exert the power inherent in it at all times to alter or annul them, and they 
continue to be rules only by the Assembly's not using its power of repeal. 
The law in question is no otherwise a standing rule than all other laws 
repealable by this Assembly. — 1799, p. 179. 

2. Amendments of the Constitution. — General Principles. 

a. Resolved, That the Rev. Drs. Blair, Tennant and Green, the Rev- 
Messrs. Irwin, Miledoler, Potts, Linn and Janeway, be a Committee to 
take into consideration the expediency of publishing a new edition of the 
Confession of Faith, etc., of this Church ; to consider whether any, and, if 
any, what, alterations ought to be made in the said Confession of Faith, etc. ; 
to make such preparatory arrangements on this subject as they shall judge 
proper, and report to the next Assembly. — 1803, p. 282. 

b. The Assembly resumed the consideration of the report of the Com- 
mittee on Constitution, and having gone through the same by paragraphs, 
and made several amendments, adopted it as follows: 

After a very serious attention to the subject committed to them, your 
Committee have resolved to propose no alteration whatever in the Confes- 
sion of Faith and Catechisms of our Church, and are clearly of opinion 
that none ought to be attempted. 

The creed of every Church, as it ought to be derived immediately and 
wholly from the word of God, must be considered as standing on ground 
considerably different from that which supports the system of forms and 
regulations by which worship shall be conducted and government admin- 
istered, and if it be once rightly settled can never be altered with pro- 
priety by any change of time or external circumstances of the Church. 

Circumstances indeed may render it proper, in deducing a summary of 
faith from the Scripture, to dwell more largely and particularly on some 
points at one time than would be necessary at another, and every atten- 
tive and intelligent reader of our standards will probably remark that the 
state of the Church when our Confession and Catechisms were formed was. 
in fact, the cause that its pious and learned authors expressed their senti- 
ments on certain topics, especially such as relate to the controversies 
between Protestants and papists, more largely than would be necessary if 
the whole were to be formed anew. But still, as those sentiments are, we 
conceive, just in themselves, and as the particular delineation of them can 
do no harm, and will sometimes prove a guide both to the clergy and laity 
of our community, we cannot wish to see any retrenchment made. It 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 327 

would give alarm to many of our people, who might suspect that this was 
but the introduction to innovations of more importance. And your Com- 
mittee will take the liberty to remark that it is by no means to be consid- 
ered as a vulgar or unfounded prejudice when alarm is excited by altera- 
tions and innovations in the creed of a Church. There are many reasons 
of the most weighty kind that will dispose every man of sound judgment 
and accurate observation to regard a spirit of change in this particular as 
an evil pregnant with a host of mischiefs. It leads the infidel to say, and 
with apparent plausibility, that there can be no truth clearly revealed in 
Scripture, because not only its friends of various sects, but of the same 
sect, pretend to see truths in it at one time which at another they discover 
and declare to be falsehood. It hurts the minds of weak believers by 
suggesting to them the same thought. It destroys the confidence of the 
people generally in those who maintain a system which is liable to constant 
fluctuations. It violates settled and useful habits. It encourages those 
who are influenced by the vanity of attempting to improve what wise men 
have executed, or by mere love of novelty, to give constant disturbance 
to the Church by their crude proposals of amendment. And it is actually 
found to open the door to lasting uneasiness, constant altercation, and finally 
to the adoption of errors a thousand fold more dangerous and hurtful than 
any that shall have been corrected. In a word, what was true when our 
Confession and Catechism were formed is now true. We believe that this 
truth has been most admirably and accurately drawn into view in these 
excellent performances. They have become venerable from their age. 
Our Church has flourished under their influence, and we can see no reason 
to alter them. If there are a few things (and few they must be, and of 
less importance, if they exist at all) which it might be shown could be 
expressed more correctly, and in a manner less liable to objection, it is not 
proper, with a view to obtain this, to expose ourselves to the great inconve- 
niences and injuries that have been specified. 

Leaving, then, the Confession of Faith and Catechisms of our Church 
untouched, your Committee took into consideration the Form of Govern- 
ment, Directory for Worship and Forms of Process. These, as has already 
been hinted, were considered as standing on other ground than our creeds. 
The word of God in regard to these is much less specific and particular 
than on articles of faith. Many things in this part of a church organiza- 
tion are, and must be, left to Christian prudence, and modified by the pecu- 
liar circumstances of religious societies, guided by the general lights which 
the Scripture holds forth. Here churches in one country may, and per- 
haps ought to, differ from those of another. We have already differed 
very considerably from the Church of Scotland, from which we derive our 
origin ; and as it is difficult, perhaps impossible, for any man or body of 
men to anticipate all the circumstances or cases which may turn up in 
practice under a general rule or law, which is framed to provide for them, 
experience will point out some errors and many deficiencies, and thus may 
suggest many real amendments — amendments, too, not liable to the most 
material objections that have been stated in the former case. On this part 
of our ecclesiastical polity, then, the work in some measure of our own 
hands, the Committee have ventured to propose a considerable number of 
amendments, remarking, however, and begging that the remark may be 
particularly regarded, that the alterations proposed are of such a nature 
that if the whole of them should be adopted they would not alter, but 
only explain, render more practicable and bring nearer to perfection the 
general system which has already gone into use. — 1804, p. 302. 

[The following is inserted as showing, in the opinion of the eminent 



328 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

men who made the report, in what way the Doctrinal Standards may be 
amended. In 1843, Rev. Drs. Ho'ge, Hodge, Spring, Leland and N. S. 
Rice were appointed a Committee to consider the propriety of amending 
the Confession of Faith on the marriage question ; inter alia they say:] 

The Committee to whom was referred the overture to strike out the last 
sentence of chap, xxiv., sec. iv., of the Confession of Faith, beg leave to 
submit, in the first place, the following views respecting the question 
whether there is any mode prescribed of amending or altering the Confes- 
sion of Faith, as a preliminary inquiry. 

The Form of Government, chap, xii., sec. vi., gives power to the General 
Assembly to propose overtures which, if approved by a majority of the 
Presbyteries, shall have the force of Constitutional Rules. This pro- 
vision, it is thought, does not apply to altering or amending the Confession 
of Faith, 1st. Because it relates to the powers of the General Assembly, 
and is plainly designed to limit those powers in respect of legislation. 2d. 
The use of the terms "Overtures or Regulations" defines with sufficient 
clearness the meaning of the expression "Constitutional Rules," and iimits 
its application to rules *f government and discipline, but excludes altera- 
tions of the doctrine and fundamental principles of the Church. 3d. Un- 
less the language used necessarily and certainly embraces alterations of 
the latter kind, it would be unwise to resort to a forced construction, and 
thus jeopard the stability of the great principles of faith and order em- 
braced in our standards. 

On the .other hand, it is contended that there is and ought to be no 
method of altering our doctrinal formularies, and in support of this opin- 
ion it is said that, while prudential rules may be changed with circum- 
stances, the doctrines of religion remain ever the same. But to this it is a 
sufficient answer that although the Bible and the truth which it contains 
are unchangeable, yet human compositions, such as our Confession of 
Faith undoubtedly is, are not infallible, but may err, and when any such 
error in the expression of truth is discovered, it ought to be corrected in 
an orderly manner. This was certainly the opinion of the Synod of 
New York and Philadelphia when they adopted the Constitution of the 
Church. 

That Synod, in the adopting act, inserted a provision which allows that 
" two-thirds of the Presbyteries may propose alterations or amendments 
which shall be valid if subsequently enacted by the General Assembly." 
So far only as this embraces Constitutional Rules, this provision has been 
changed, but in every other respect remains in full force. It is insufficient 
to allege that it has been forgotten and become obsolete, for it has always 
been on the records, and was published in the Digest in 1820, and it would 
be exceedingly unsafe to allow organic enactments thus to be overlooked 
and lost. 

It is conceived, therefore, that this method of proceeding is constitu- 
tional and is still in force, and should also be strictly observed. Likewise, 
this resolution of the Synod should be prefixed to all future editions of the 
Confession of Faith.— 1844, p. 422, O. S. 

3. Amendments Approved by the Presbyteries not Adopted. 

That on examining the proposed amendments of the Constitution sent 
down to the Presbyteries by the last General Assembly, as they stand on 
the printed minutes, page 37, it appears that the whole of them, from Nos. 
1 to 6 inclusive, were framed with such reference to each other and to their 
common object as that they ought to have been either adopted or rejected 
altogether ; and further, that the Presbyteries by rejecting the sixth have 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 329 

in effect defeated the very eud which they must have intended to secure 
by the adoption of the rest, and have otherwise involved the whole subject 
in difficulties which, from the peculiar nature of the case, it is but fair 
and reasonable to suppose they could not have distinctly designed or fore- 
seen. In this state of things your Committee beg leave to submit the fol- 
lowing resolution as in their judgment proper to be adopted by the Gen- 
eral Assembly, viz. : 

Whereas, The Presbyteries have failed to report their decisions upon 
the subject of the proposed amendments Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, as recorded 
in page 37 of the printed minutes of the Assembly of last year, in the full 
and distinct manner contemplated in the overture submitted by that As- 
sembly, the General Assembly do not deem it desirable to renew the said 
overture at the present time ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the consideration of the said proposed amendments be 
and the same is hereby indefinitely postponed. — 1827, p. 218. 

4. Where all the Presbyteries do not Bespond, the Votes given 
are to be Filed as the Answer of the Voting Presbyteries, unless 
Reversed by them. 

a. Resolved, That the Presbyteries which have not sent up their decis- 
ions on this subject (a proposed amendment of the Constitution) be re- 
quired to send them to the next Assembly, and that the stated clerk file 
the decisions reported to this Assembly, to be considered by the next As- 
sembly as the decisions of these Presbyteries respectively, unless they 
choose to send up a different decision. — 1834, p. 429. 

b. The stated clerk reported that fifty-seven Presbyteries had reported 
to this Assembly affirmative, and twenty-three negative, answers to the 
Overtures on the Limitation of Judicial Cases. Also, that twenty-eight 
Presbyteries, who have made no report to this Assembly, reported affirma- 
tive answers to the Assembly of 1871 ; that the whole number thus reply- 
ing affirmatively is eighty-five, one more than a majority of the whole 
number (one hundred and sixty-seven). 

A discussion arose on the propriety of counting those Presbyteries who 
sent their replies only to the Assembly of 1871. The whole matter was 
then referred to a Special Committee, consisting of Rev. Henry V. D. 
Nevius, George W. Musgrave, D. D., LL. D., and George Junkin, Esq. — 
1872, p. 80. 

The Special Committee on the Answers to the Overtures, Limiting Ap- 
peals, sent down to the Presbyteries in 1870, and again, for want of full 
action, in 1871, reported that, in their opinion, it was competent for the 
Assembly to count the affirmative vote of both years, such vote securing 
the adoption of all the overtures, and their incorporation into the funda- 
mental law of the Church, by the required majority of all the Presby- 
teries. 

The following substitute for the report of the Committee was adopted : 

Resolved, That overtures Nos. 2, 3 and 4, of the Assembly of 1870, be 
again sent to the Presbyteries, irrespective of previous action. — 1872, 
p.' 92. 

[The overture was rejected; ayes 69, nays 43, not answering 62. — 1873, 
p. 526.] 

42 



330 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

5. Of the way in which the Answers of the Presbyteries are to 
be Attested, and when the Question shall be held to be Deter- 
mined. 

Overture No. 27, being a paper submitted by tbe stated clerk, asking 
instructions respecting the proper form of reports from Presbyteries enti- 
tled to be received by him in answer to overtures sent down from the Gen- 
eral Assembly. 

The Committee recommend, 1. That the Assembly enjoin upon all the 
Presbyteries, in sending up responses to overtures, to have them duly 
signed by the moderator and clerk, or at least one of them, in order that 
the full spirit of the Constitution, chap, xii., sec. vi., may be complied with. 
2. That in the case of Presbyteries in foreign lands the stated clerk shall 
receive their answers to overtures, and place them on file, and report them 
to the General Assembly at the earliest opportunity ; and the answers 
from Presbyteries shall not be deemed as determining the question sub- 
mitted to them until reasonable time shall have elapsed to hear from all 
the Presbyteries, or until it is clear that answers which may have been 
made, but not received, would not affect its final determination. 

The report was adopted.— 1867, p. 358, O. S. 

VII. The General Assembly shall meet at least once in every year. 
On the day appointed for that purpose, the moderator of the last As- 
sembly, if present, or, in case of his absence, some other minister, 
shall open the meeting with a sermon, and preside until a new mod- 
erator be chosen. ~No commissioner shall have a right to deliberate 
or vote in the Assembly until his name shall have been enrolled by 
the clerk, and his commission examined and filed among the papers 
of the Assembly. 

1. Adjourned Meetings of the Assembly. 

[In 1846, the Assembly, N. S., then meeting triennially, was adjourned 
by the moderator, in accordance with a previous vote, to meet in the city 
of Cincinnati, Ohio, on the third Thursday of May, 1847. On the consti- 
tutionality of such adjournment the opinion of Chancellor Kent, of New 
York, was sought, and given as follows :] 

The question is, Had the General Assembly, under the Constitution of 
the Presbyterian Church, a lawful or rightful power to so adjourn? 

ANSWER. 

In my opinion, the power of adjournment rests in the sound discretion 
of the General Assembly. I consider the power to be necessarily incident 
to every deliberative assembly, unless specially prohibited by its charter 
or constitution. It appertains, of course, to all legislative assemblies, 
and is occasionally exercised. This is the case with the English Parlia- 
ment, and with the legislative assemblies in the United States. 

The Constitution of the United States says that Congress shall assemble 
at least once in every year, and on the first Monday in December. The 
only inhibition in the Constitution is that neither House shall adjourn 
without the consent of the other for more than three days, nor to any 
other place. The Constitution is silent as to any other adjournment, and 
yet no question has ever been raised as to the power of Congress or both 
Houses concurrently to adjourn the session to a future time. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 331 

So in the Constitution of New York, the legislative term begins on the 
first of January, and the Legislature are to assemble every year on the 
lirst Monday in January, and neither House without the consent of the 
other can adjourn tor more than two days. Xo doubt is raised as to the 
competency of the two Houses jointly to adjourn, in their discretion, to 
any future or distant day. And though the Legislature are to meet as 
prescribed, and are. as to the Assembly, elected annually, it is now in con- 
templation at the present session to adjourn over to the month of Sep- 
tember. 

The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church leaves silently the same 
power oi adjournment, precisely on the same footing of discretion. Thus 
the General Assembly are to meet at least triennially or once in every 
third year. And the last moderator, with the concurrence of the stated 
and permanent clerks, may call a. pro re no.ta meeting of the General As- 
sembly, in case of any emergency, on four months' notice.* And the 
Assembly is to be considered as the same with the previous one. 

The adjournment preserves the identity of the Assembly. I have no 
doubt that upon a sound construction ol' the Constitution the General As- 
sembly has the same analogous power as all other political legislative bod- 
ies to which I have alluded. If any greater restriction had been intended, 
it would have been expressed. The language quoted implies as of 
course the power of adjournment. It is a wise and necessary power to 
guard against calamities and overruling necessities, such as a desolating 
sickness, or conflagration, or insurrection, etc. It may be safely confided 
to such a representation, if anything may. 

Even in ordinary civil corporations, where powers are granted very 
guardedly and construed strictly, it is adjudged that a corporation may 
transact any business at an adjourned meeting which they might have 
transacted at an original meeting (11 Vt Keports, 385). 

For these reasons briefly I conclude that the power of adjournment by 
the General Assembly the last year to Cincinnati was constitutional. 

JAMES KEXT. 
Aeic York, April 19. 1847. 

—1817, p. 147, X S. 

2. The Adjourned Meeting of 18S9. 

The two Assemblies of 1869, meeting in New York, mutually agreed — 

". That the said General Assemblies now sitting shall, after finishing 
their business, adjourn, to meet in the city of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, on 
the second Wednesday of November, 1869, at 11 o'clock a.m. — O. S., p. 
915; X. < . p. 277. 

b. It was ordered that when the Assembly adjourns this afternoon it be 
to meet in the First Church of Pittsburg, on Wednesday, the 10th day of 
November next, at 11 o'clock a. m. — 1869, p. 949, 0. S. 

In accordance with previous action, the Assembly, with prayer and the 
apostolic benediction by the moderator, adjourned to meet at the Third 
Presbyterian Church, in the city of Pittsburg, Pa., on the second Wednes- 
day of November, A. D. 1869, at 11 o'clock a. m— 1869, p. 304, X. S. 

3. Who may sit as Commissioners in an Adjourned Assembly. 

a. The Committee Hon. Daniel Haines and Hon. Joseph Allison, 
LL. D. on Instructing the Presbyteries concerning their representation 

1 is -o provided in the plan under which triennial Assemblies were held. — 
1839, p. 27, U.S.] 



332 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

at the adjourned meeting of this Assembly presented a report, which was 
adopted, and is as follows : 

Whereas, It has been questioned whether this Assembly at the pro- 
posed adjourned meeting, in November next, at Pittsburg, Pa., can be 
properly constituted of the principal or alternate commissioners not in 
attendance on the sessions of the body at this time ; therefore, 

Resolved, In the judgment of the Assembly those commissioners only 
who have presented their commissions, and whose names have been placed 
on the roll, will be entitled to participate in the meeting of the Assembly 
in November, except in case of a vacancy occasioned by death, resignation, 
refusal or inability of any such commissioner to attend, in which event it 
will be competent and proper for the Presbytery to supply the vacancy by 
a new election or appointment. — 1869, p. 290, N. S. 

b. W. E. Schenck, D. D., permanent clerk, from the Committee on Com- 
missions, reported that several gentlemen were present with commissions 
as alternates, the principals being absent. On motion of G. W. Mus- 
grave, D. P., it was 

Resolved, That all alternates presenting regular commissions be en- 
rolled, the principals being absent. Mr. Henry Day was requested to 
communicate this action to the Assembly of the other branch, now sitting 
in the Third Presbyterian Church in this city, which he did. 

The alternates present were enrolled as follows : W. A. Scott, D. D., 
from the Presbytery of New York ; Rev. Joseph A. Hanna, from the 
Presbytery of Oregon ; Rev. A. B. Cross, from the Presbytery of Balti- 
more; Ruling Elder Wm. Carpenter, from the Presbytery of Newton. — 
1869, p. 1143, O. S. 

4. The Assembly Excluded Commissioners from Sitting Pending 
Investigation.— See 1866, p. 12, O. S. 

VIII. Each session of the Assembly shall be opened and closed 
with prayer. And the whole business of the Assembly being finished, 
and the vote taken for dissolving the present Assembly, the moderator 
shall say from the chair — " By virtue of the authority delegated to 
me by the Church, let this General Assembly be dissolved, and I do 
hereby dissolve it, and require another General Assembly, chosen in 
the same manner, to meet at on the day of A. D. 

" — after which he shall pray and return thanks, and pro- 
nounce, on those present, the apostolic benediction. 

Specimen of the Minute of Dissolution. 

The minutes of this session were read and approved. 

After the offering of solemn praise and thanksgiving, the business of 
the Assembly having been completed, and the vote taken for the dissolu- 
tion of the Assembly, the moderator, with prayer and the apostolic bene- 
diction, declared the xVssembly dissolved, and required another Assembly, 
chosen in the same manner, to meet at the Central Presbyterian Church 
in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, on the third Thursday of May, A. D. 
1873.— 1872, p. 96. 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 333 

The Charter of the Trustees of the Assembly. 

a. An Act for incorporating the Trustees of the Ministers and Elders constituting the Gen- 
eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. 

Whereas, The ministers and elders forming the General Assembly of the Presbyte- 
rian Church of the United States of America, consisting of citizens of the State of 
Pennsylvania and of others of the United States aforesaid, have by their petition rep- 
resented that by donations, bequests or otherwise of charitably-disposed persons, they 
are possessed of moneys for benevolent and pious purposes, and the said ministers and 
elders have reason to expect further contributions for similar uses; but from the scat- 
tered situation of the said ministers and elders and other causes, the said ministers and 
elders find it extremely difficult to manage the said funds in the way best calculated 
to answer the intention of the donors ; therefore, 

Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of representatives of the Common- 
wealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the 
authority of the same, that John Rodgers, Alexander McWhorter, Samuel Stanhope 
Smith, Ashbel Green, William M. Tennent, Patrick Allison, Nathan Irvin, Joseph 
Ciark, Andrew Hunter, Jared Ingersoll, Robert Balston, Jonathan E. Smith, Andrew 
Bayard, Elias Boudinot, John Nelson, Ebenezer Hazard, David Jackson and Robert 
Smith, merchant, and their successors duly elected and appointed in manner as in 
hereafter directed, be, and they are hereby made, declared and constituted, a corpora- 
tion and body politic and corporate, in law and in fact, to have continuance for ever, 
by the name, style and title of "Trustees of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian 
Church in the United States of America;" and by the name, style and title aforesaid 
shall for ever hereafter be persons able and capable in law as well to take, receive and 
hold all and all manner of lands, tenements, rents, annuities, franchises and other he- 
reditaments, which at any time or times heretofore have been granted, bargained, sold, 
enfeoffed, released, devised or otherwise conveyed, to the said ministers and elders of 
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States, or any other 
person or persons, to their use,, or in trust for them ; and the same lands, tenements, 
rents, annuities, liberties, franchises and other hereditaments are hereby vested and 
established in the said corporation and their successors for ever, according to the 
original use and intent for which such devises, gifts and grants were respectively 
made ; and the said corporation and their successors are hereby declared to be seized 
and possessed of such estate and estates therein as in and by the respective grants, 
bargains, sales, enfeoffments, releases, devises and other conveyances thereof is or are 
declared limited and expressed ; also, that the said corporation and their successors, 
at all times hereafter, shall be capable and able to purchase, have, receive, take, hold 
and enjoy in fee simple, or of lesser estate or estates, any lands, tenements, rents, an- 
nuities, franchises and other hereditaments, by the gift, grant, bargain, sale, alienation, 
enfeoffment, release, confirmation or devise, of any person or persons, bodies politic 
and corporate, capable and able to make the same. And further, that the said minis- 
ters and elders, under the corporate name aforesaid, and their successors, may take and 
receive any sum or sums of money and any portion of goods and chattels that have been 
given to the said ministers and elders, or that hereafter shall be given, sold, leased or 
bequeathed to the said corporation by any person or persons, bodies politic or corpo- 
rate, that is able or capable to make a gift, sale, bequest or other disposal of the same ; 
such money, goods or chattels to be laid out and disposed of for the use and benefit of 
the aforesaid corporation, agreeably to the intention of the donors, and according to 
the objects, articles and conditions of this Act. 

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no misnomer of 
the said corporation and their successors shall defeat or annul any gift, grant, devise 
or bequest to or from the said corporation, provided the intent of the party or parties 
shall sufficiently appear upon the face of the gift, will, grant or other writing whereby 
any estate or interest was intended to pass to or from the said corporation. 

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said corpora- 
tion and their successors shall have full power and authority to make, have and use 
one common seal, with such devise and inscription as they .shall think fit and proper, 
and the same to break, alter and renew at their pleasure. 

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said corpora- 
tion and their successors, by the name, style and title aforesaid, shall be able and ca- 
pable in law to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, in any court, or before any 
judge or justice, in all and all manner of suits, complaints, pleas, matters and demands, 
of whatsoever nature, kind and form they may be, and all and every matter and thing 
to do in as full and effectual a manner as any other person, bodies politic or corporate, 
within this Commonwealth, may or can do. 



334 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Sec. 5. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said corpora- 
tion and their successors shall be and hereby are authorized and empowered to make, 
ordain and establish by-laws and ordinances, and do everything incident and needful 
for the support and due government of the said corporation, and managing the funds 
and revenues thereof; Provided, the said by-laws be not repugnant to the constitution 
and laws of the United States, to the constitution and laws of this Commonwealth, or 
to this Act. 

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said corpora- 
tion shall not at any time consist of more than eighteen persons, whereof the said Gen- 
eral Assembly may at their discretion, as often as they shall hold their sessions in the 
State of Pennsylvania, change one-third in such manner as to the said General As- 
sembly shall seem proper. And the corporation aforesaid shall have power and au- 
thority to manage and dispose of all moneys, goods, chattels, lands, tenements and 
hereditaments, and other estate whatsoever, committed to their care and trust by the 
said General Assembly ; but in cases where special instructions for the management 
and disposal thereof shall be given by the said General Assembly in writing, under 
the hand of their clerk, it shall be the duty of the said corporation to act according 
to such instructions ; Provided, the said instructions shall not be repugnant to the con- 
stitution and laws of the United States, or to the constitution and laws of this Com- 
monwealth, or to the provisions and restrictions in this Act contained. 

Sec. 7. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That six members of 
this corporation, whereof the president, or, in his absence, the vice-president, to be one, 
shall be a sufficient number to transact the business thereof, and to make by-laws, 
rules and regulations; Provided, that previous to any meeting of the Board or corpo- 
ration for such purposes not appointed by adjournment, ten days' notice shall be pre- 
viously given thereof in at least one of the newspapers printed in the city of Phila- 
delphia. And the said corporation shall and may, as often as they shall see proper, 
and according to the rules by them to be prescribed, choose out of their number a 
president and vice-president, and shall have authority to appoint a treasurer and such 
other officers and servants as shall by them, the said corporation, be deemed neces- 
sary ; to which officers the said corporation may assign such a compensation for their 
services, and such duties to be performed by them, to continue in office for such time, 
and to be succeeded by others in such way and manner, as the said corporation shall 
direct. 

Sec. 8. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all questions be- 
fore the said corporation shall be decided by a plurality of votes, whereof each mem- 
ber present shall have one, except the president, or vice-president when acting as 
president, who shall have only the casting voice and vote in case of an inequality in 
the votes of the other members. 

Sec. 9. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said corpora- 
tion shall keep regular and fair entries of their proceedings and a just account of their 
receipts and disbursements in a book or books to be provided for that purpose, and 
their treasurer shall once in a year exhibit to the General Assembly of the Presbyte- 
rian Church in the United States of America an exact state of the accounts of the 
corporation. 

Sec. 10. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said corpo- 
ration may take, receive, purchase, possess and enjoy messuages, houses, lands, tene- 
ments, rents, annuities and other hereditaments, real and personal estate of any amount 
not exceeding ten thousand dollars a year value, but the said limitations not to be 
considered as including the annual collections and voluntary contributions made in 
the churches under the care of the said General Assembly. 

CADWALADER EVANS, JR., 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
ROBERT HARE, 

Speaker of the Senate. 

Approved March 28, 1799. THOMAS MIFFLIN, 

Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 
—1799, pp. 173-175. 

b. The Charter Accepted. 

The Committee appointed by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian 
Church to endeavor to obtain from the Legislature of the State of Penn- 
sylvania an act of incorporation authorizing certain trustees to hold the prop- 
erty of the Assembly, etc., report that on application to the Legislature they 
obtained the act of incorporation for which they were directed to apply, a 



OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 335 

copy of which accompanies this report, corresponding exactly with the 
draught which was last year submitted to the Assembly, excepting only 
the sum which the trustees are authorized to hold is somewhat smaller 
than was inserted in that draught. 

The above report, and act of incorporation accompanying it, were read 
and approved. — 1799, p. 173. 

c. Mode of Electing the Trustees. 

Resolved, That it is expedient to adopt and recommend the following 
system : 

1. That when this subject is called up annually a vote shall first be 
taken whether for the current year the Assembly will or will not make 
any election of members in the Board of Trustees. 

2. If an election be determined on, the day on which it shall take place 
shall be specified, and shall not be within less than two days of the time 
at which such election shall be decided on. 

3. When the day of election arrives, the Assembly shall ascertain what 
vacancies in the number of the eighteen trustees incorporated have taken 
place, by death or otherwise, and shall first proceed to choose other mem- 
bers in their places. When this is accomplished, they shall proceed to the 
trial whether they will elect any, and if any, how many of the third of the 
number of the trustees which by law they are permitted to change, in the 
following manner, viz. : The list of the trustees shall be taken, and a vote 
be had for a person to fill the place of him who is first on the list. In 
voting for a person to fill said place, the vote may be given either for the 
person who has before filled it or for any other person. If the majority 
of votes shall be given for the person who has before filled it, he shall con- 
tinue in office. If the majority of votes shall be given for another person, 
this person is a trustee duly chosen in place of the former. In the same 
form the Assembly shall proceed with the list till they have either changed 
one-third of the trustees (always including in the third those who have 
been elected by the sitting Assembly to supply the places become vacant 
by death or otherwise), or by going through the list shall determine that 
no further alteration shall be made. — 1801, p. 217. 

d. Rules for Intercourse between the Trustees and the Assembly. 

The Committee appointed to meet a Committee of the Board of Trus- 
tees of the Assembly to digest and prepare a regular and stated mode of 
intercourse between the Assembly and the trustees made a report, which 
was read and approved, as follows, viz. : 

That the management and disposal of all moneys, goods, chattels, lands, 
tenements, hereditaments, and all other estate whatever, committed to their 
care and trust by the General Assembly, is invested in the said trustees, 
unless where special instructions for the management and disposal thereof 
shall be given by the General Assembly in writing, under the hand of its 
clerk, in which case the corporation is to act according to said instructions. 
That an exact state of- the accounts of the trustees is to be exhibited by 
their treasurer to the General Assembly once in every year ; whereupon it 
is recommended, 

1. That this state of the accounts be laid before the General Assembly 
as early in their session as possible, in order that the General Assembly 
mny know what appropriations it may be in their power to make, or what 
instructions to give to their trustees respecting the moneys in hand. 

2. That when any appropriations are made by the General Assembly a 



336 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

copy of their minute for that purpose, signed by the clerk, shall be trans- 
mitted to the trustees, and shall be their warrant for the payment of all 
moneys thus appropriated. 

3. That when any measures are taken or any resolutions adopted by the 
General Assembly, or the Board of Trustees, which it concerns the other 
to be acquainted with, due information of the same shall be given as soon 
as possible to the other. — 1801, p. 232. See also Baird's Collection, Rev. 
Ed., pp. 484-502. 

e. Adjustment on the Reunion. 

A Committee, consisting of Rev. C. C. Beatty, D. D., V. D. Reed, D. D., 
Hon. Wm. Strong, and Messrs. H. N. McAllister and George Jim kin, were 
appointed to consider and report what changes, if any, are necessary to be 
made in the Board of Trustees of the General Assembly of the Presbyte- 
rian Church in the United States of America, in order that there may be 
an equitable distribution of said trustees in accordance with the present 
state of the reunited Church, and to report to this Assembly. — 1870, 
p. 53. 

The Committee appointed to consider and report on the changes in the 
Board of Trustees of the General Assembly presented the following report, 
which was adopted : Of the eighteen members of the Board of Trustees, 
one was appointed before 1837, and all the others since that time by the 
" Old School" Assemblies at different periods. It seemed to the Commit- 
tee eminently proper that at this Assembly a change should be made so 
that what was formerly known as the " New School" branch of the Church 
should be represented in the Board. Hereafter no such distinctions need 
be made. 

tfnder the charter the Assembly has the power at its discretion, as often 
as it shall hold its sessions in the State of Pennsylvania, to change one- 
third of the trustees, in such manner as it shall seem proper. In the exer- 
cise of this discretion it is a difficult task for the Committee to recommend 
action in the premises. In view, moreover, of all the circumstances, it 
seemed best to suggest the removal of six of the trustees who were only 
elected at the meeting of the Assembly at Pittsburg in November last. 
The regret of the Committee is that thereby we lose the services of six 
gentlemen of the highest character. But this course appeared least open 
to objection. 

Your Committee, therefore, recommend the adoption of the following 
resolution : 

Resolved, That from and 'after this date Rev. David A. Cunningham, 
Hon. John K. Findlay, Archibald Mclntyre, James T. Young, Robert 
Cornelius and H. Lenox Hodge, M. D., cease to bo trustees, and in their 
place Hon. William Strong, Hon. Joseph Allison, Alexander Whildin, 
Rev. Herrick Johnson, D. D., William G. Crowell and John C. Farr are 
appointed trustees of the corporation, entitled " The Trustees of the Gene- 
ral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of Amer- 
ica."— 1870,* p. 98. 



OF ELECTING AND ORDAINING ELDERS AND DEACONS. 337 

CHAPTER XIII. 
OF ELECTING AND ORDAINING RULING ELDERS AND DEACONS. 

I. Having defined the officers of the church, and the judicatories 
by which it shall be governed, it is proper here to prescribe the mode 
in which ecclesiastical rulers should be ordained to their respective 
offices, as well as some of the principles by which they shall be regu- 
lated in discharging their several duties. 

II. Every congregation shall elect persons to the office of ruling 
elder, and to the office of deacon, or either of them, in the mode most 
approved and in use in that congregation. But in all cases the per- 
sons elected must be male members in full communion in the church 
in which they are to exercise their office. 

[See Form of Government, chap, v., 1.] 

1. Elders must be duly Elected and set Apart. 

The following inquiry was referred to the decision of the Assembly by 
the Synod of the Carolinas, viz. : 

In what point of light are the elders nominated and ordained by Mr. 
Balch to be viewed hereafter in Mount Bethel Congregation ? 

It was determined by the Assembly that the " elders" mentioned in the 
inquiry are to be henceforth viewed as private church members only, un- 
less they be duly elected and set apart as church officers hereafter. — 1798, 
p. 158. 

2. The Session may Propose Names to the Congregation. 

The reports on the records of the Synod of Pittsburg were taken up 
and read. The majority report is as follows, viz. : " The Committee to 
whom the records of the Synod of Pittsburg were committed would re- 
port that they have examined the same and find them regularly and 
neatly kept, and would recommend their approval." 

The report of the minority is as follows, viz. : " The minority of the Com- 
mittee on the Records of the Synod of Pittsburg recommend that they be 
approved, with the exception of the censure passed on the Presbytery of 
Redstone, p. 284, for their disapproval of the action of the session of Mor- 
gantown in nominating two persons to the office of ruling elder in that 
congregation, and recommend that the judgment of the Synod be re- 
versed, and that the following resolution be adopted, to wit : 

Resolved, That in the judgment of the Assembly the nomination by 
the session of persons to the office of ruling elder or deacon is contrary to 
Form of Government, chap, xiii., sec. ii., which says, " Every congregation 
shall elect persons to the office of ruling elder or deacon in the mode most 
approved and in use in that congregation," and is inconsistent with the 
freedom of elections. 

On motion, the report of the majority was adopted as the sense of the 
Assemblv, and the whole ordered to be entered on the minutes. — 1847, p. 
381, O. S. 

43 



338 , FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

3. A Meeting for the Election of Elders can be called Regularly- 

only by the Session or by some higher Court. 

The Committee on Bills and Overtures reported — 

Overture No. 1; being an overture from two ruling elders of the Bra- 
zeau church, Presbytery of Potosi, Synod of Missouri, as follows : " Is it 
regular for a congregation, where there is no pastor, and a session of two 
ruling elders, to call a meeting of the congregation and elect a new session 
without consulting the session of the church where said election was made 
by a small minority of the church ?" 

The Committee recommend the following answer: "The session of a 
church should always be consulted with reference to calling a meeting for 
the election of additional ruling elders ; and it is irregular to call a meet- 
ing for such a purpose, and proceed to an election, unless the meeting is 
called through and by authority of the session or some higher court." 

The report and recommendation were adopted. — 1867, p. 320, O. S. 

[See 6, a, below.~] 

4. The Remedy in Case the Session Refuse to Convene the Con- 

gregation is to Complain to Presbytery. 

The session of a church has the authority to convene the congregation 
for all such purposes ; but should the session neglect or refuse to convene 
the congregation, the party feeling aggrieved has its remedy by applica- 
tion to Presbytery in the form of a complaint. — 1822, p. 49. 

[See 10, below 7 , 1840, p. 305, O. S. Also Discipline, chap, vii., sec. iii., 
•sub sec. iv., ii., 2, d.~] 

5. A Superior Judicature may Authorize the Meeting. 

That the entire Church take immediate measures to elect a new bench 
of elders, with a view to promote the peace of the church, and to secure 
the permanent settlement of the gospel ministry among them. [See under 
vii., below.]— 1834, p. 453. 

6. Irregularity in the Call does not Necessarily Invalidate the 

Election. 

a. G. B. Smith and J. T. Clark were elected elders of the church of 
Madison, Wisconsin, at a meeting held on Sunday, 26th August, 1855. 
David Dennon and H. J. Davidson were elected deacons. Notice of the 
meeting had been given on the previous Sabbath from the pulpit, and also 
on the 'day of meeting. Messrs. G. B. Smith and J. T. Clark were or- 
dained as elders on the evening of that day. David Dennon was at the 
same time ordained as deacon. At the next meeting of Presbytery, called 
pro re nata, at the request of the party opposed to the present complain- 
ants, J. T. Clark and J. Y. Smith both claimed seats as the representatives 
of the Madison church. Mr. Clark had been appointed by the session, 
the vote being a tie, and the casting vote being given for him by the mod- 
erator. The two former elders of the church, one of whom was an or- 
dained minister and a member of the Presbytery of Dane, withdrew, 
alleging that they disputed the fact that the other two were elders. At 
the Presbytery, J. Y. Smith contested the right of Clark to a seat in that 
body, on the ground that the meeting to elect elders had not been called 
by order of the existing session. The existing or former session and their 
party had due .notice of the meeting, and were present at its commence- 



OF ELECTING AND ORDAINING ELDERS AND DEACONS. 339 

merit. They attempted to postpone the election, and withdrew after the 
majority had voted to proceed with the election. 

The Presbytery of Dane admitted Mr. Clark to his seat, thus recog- 
nizing the validity of his election and ordination. Against this action of 
the Presbytery, J. Y. Smith and his party complained to the Synod of 
Wisconsin. The Synod sustained the complaint, thus pronouncing the 
election and the ordination of the new elders invalid. Against this de- 
cision of the Synod, Mr. Gardiner and Mr. J. T. Clark complain. 

The above is the statement of the case as agreed upon by the parties. 
It is submitted with a view of saving the time of the Assembly. 

The Judicial Committee recommend to the Assembly the adoption of 
the following minute, as a final settlement of the case, agreed on by both 
parties : 

1. That the complaint be sustained pro forma, and the decision of the 
Synod be reversed, so far as it pronounces the election and ordination of 
the elders and deacons invalid, the Assembly being of opinion that the 
informality in the call of the congregational meeting was not so serious as 
to vitiate the election and ordination. 

2. That the Synod was right in pronouncing the call of the congrega-i 
tional meeting irregular. 

3. That although the Assembly thus recognize the validity of the elec- 
tion and ordination of the said elders and deacons, they yet recommendj 
the said elders having assented thereto by their representatives, that in 
view of past and existing difficulties the said elders and deacons cease to 
act, according to our Form of Government, until such time as in the esti- 
mation of the Presbytery of Dane the church can be reasonably harmo- 
nious in receiving them in their official capacity. — 1856, p. 517, O. S. 

b. Nor does Irregularity in the Mode of Election Invalidate the Ordination, 
[See below, 12, 1835, p. 471.] 

7. Must be Members in Full Communion, Ministers not Eligible. 

a. Overture No. 10, from sundry members of the Assembly, inquiring 
whether an ordained minister may accept and exercise the office of ruling 
elder in a church belonging to the same Presbytery of which he is a 
member. 

At the recommendation of the Committee this was answered in the 
negative.— 1856, p. 522, O. S. 

b. The Special Committee, appointed by the last Assembly on the re- 
lation of unemployed ministers to the churches among whom they reside, 
presented their report, which was adopted, and is as follows : 

By the last General Assembly, which met at Dayton, Ohio, the under- 
signed were appointed a Committee to consider and report upon the fol- 
lowing resolution (see Minutes, 1864, p. 462): 

Resolved, That the subject of the relation of unemployed ministers to 
the churches among whom they reside, and whom they may be desired 
and are disposed to serve as ruling elders, be referred to a Committee to 
consider and recommend what action can and ought to be taken by the 
Assembly for removing the constitutional restriction which prevents the 
employment of such ministers in the service of the church as ruling eld- 
ers, and report to the next Assembly. 

The ,( constitutional restriction" referred to is found in the Form of 
Government, chap, xiii., ii., where it is said that persons elected to the 
offices of ruling elder and of deacon must "in all cases" be male mem- 
bers in full communion in the church in which they are to exercise their 



340 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

office. By the practice of our Church, ministers are not members of any 
particular church, and therefore cannot be eligible to the above offices. 

The case might be reached constitutionally in one of two ways. The 
first would be an alteration of the above rule, making an express excep- 
tion in respect to "unemployed ministers;" but this would involve the 
infelicity and inconvenience of holding two offices, and would require ad- 
justments of other parts of the Constitution. 

The other mode would be the adoption of a constitutional provision, 
allowing, in certain well-defined cases, the demitting of the ministerial 
office. While some of your Committee are inclined to this course, yet 
they do not think it expedient to recommend it for adoption without fur- 
ther discussion and more specific instructions from the Assembly. 

At the same time, your Committee are unanimously of the opinion that 
any church has a right to avail itself of the experience and wisdom of 
such unemployed ministers. While it cannot directly invest such minis- 
ters with the office of ruling elder, yet it may, by a formal vote, request 
them to take part in all the deliberations of the session.* What is desir- 
able in the case may thus be gained without any violation of constitutional 
provision. — 1865, pp. 13, 14, N. S. 

c. A minister belonging to the Presbytery of Grand River Valley, now 
editing a paper and not preaching on account of throat difficulty, was so- 
licited to accept the office of elder by the First Presbyterian Church of 
Grand Haven, Michigan, was elected unanimously, accepted the office and 
entered on his duties. The Presbytery in reviewing the records declared 
it was irregular, and did nothing more. The pastor of said church 
brought the matter before the session ; and after considering the case, the 
session did nothing. This brother, not being able to preach and over sixty 
years of age, accepted the office of ruling elder because he was willing to 
w r ork in the vineyard of the Lord in a more humble capacity, but has not 
resigned the ministerial office, holding still his place as a member of the 
Presbytery of Grand Eiver Valley. 

The Committee recommended for answer a reference to the report of 
the Special Committee on this subject, made to the Assembly of 1865, and 
found in the minutes for that year, pp. 13, 14. 

The report was adopted— 1*869, p. 282, N. S. 

d. An Exception Allowed in the Case of Foreign Missionaries. 

From the Synod of Wisconsin and Presbytery of Corisco, asking whether 
a minister who has been compelled in the providence of God to lay aside 
active ministerial duties is eligible to the eldership. 

The Committee recommend that the Synod and Presbytery be referred 
to the action of the General Assembly (O. S.) of 1856 (see a, above), and 
that that action be no\Y reaffirmed by this Assembly — That an ordained 
minister cannot be also a ruling elder in a congregation. 

And that the Presbytery of Corisco be also informed that in exceptional 
cases, on foreign missionary ground, it may be expedient for a minister to 
perform temporarily the functions of a ruling elder without having been 
specially set apart to the office. — 1871, p. 546. 

*But see chap, ix., sees, i., iii., where it is affirmed that a session may not invite a 
minister of the gospel to sit as a corresponding member. A minister cannot act as a 
ruling elder, since he is not a "representative of the people" nor elected by the Church 
for that service. 



OF ELECTING AND ORDAINING ELDERS AND DEACONS. 341 

8. Uniformity in the Mode of Election deemed Impracticable. 

The Committee on Overture No. 9, relating to an amendment in the 
Form of Government, chap, xiii., sec. ii., reported, and their report was 
adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

The Committee to whom was referred the consideration of the Overture 
No. 9, relating to an alteration of that part of the Constitution of our 
Church which gives the right of choosing ruling elders and deacons to the 
congregation, in the way most approved and in use in the congregation, 
reported, that after deliberating on the subject they find themselves unable 
to devise any method by which a uniformity of practice can be established 
in this interesting concern throughout the different sections of our Church, 
and believe that any alteration effected in the Constitution, with a view to 
relieve the difficulties in one section, would produce difficulties in another 
section of the Church. The Committee therefore judge it inexpedient to 
propose any alteration, and recommend that the Assembly dismiss this 
subject from any further consideration. 

[See 10, below.]— 1826, p. 187. 

9. The Mode most Approved and in Use may be Changed by the 

Congregation. 

And while the Assembly would recognize the undoubted right of each 
congregation to elect their elders in the mode most approved and in use 
among them, they would recommend that in all cases where any dissatis- 
faction appears to exist, the congregation be promptly convened to decide 
on their future mode of election. And they are inclined to believe that 
the spirit of our Constitution would be most fully sustained by having in 
all cases a direct vote of the congregation in the appointment of elders. — 
1827, p. 215. 

10. The Right of the Superior Judicatory to Interfere with the 
Mode in Use Disavowed. 

The Assembly deem it proper, in sustaining the complaint of the Pres- 
bytery of Blairsville, to declare that they do it on the ground that the de- 
cision of the Synod of Pittsburg, disapproving of the act of the Presbytery, 
if carried into effect, would render it necessary for the churches in that 
Presbytery, and any other within the bounds of that Synod whose practice 
may be the same, to change their usage as to the manner of electing ruling 
elders, which by the Constitution is left to be regulated by " the mode most 
approved and in use in each church." At the same time, the Assembly, 
in coming to this result, have no design to establish a uniform mode of 
electing elders throughout the Church, which is designedly left by the 
Constitution to be regulated by the usage of each particular church. 

And it may be added that in those churches in which the usage has 
prevailed for the existing eldership to determine when and how large an 
addition shall be made to the session, the Church has an effectual security 
against the abuse of that power, in the right of appeal or complaint secured 
by the Constitution.— 1840, p. 305, O. S. 

11. Who are the Electors of Ruling Elders and Deacons ? 

a. Members not Communicants, where such is the Usage. 

The General Assembly, having gone fully into the consideration of the 
appeal from the decision of the Synod of Ohio, by Messrs. Lowerie and 
Kelso, and having seen with deep regret the appearance of much disorder 



342 FOKM OF GOVEKNMENT. 

in the whole business, which they disapprove, believing, as the Assembly- 
do, that the election of elders should be conducted with all due delibera- 
tion, according to the letter of the Constitution of the Presbyterian 
Church, and in the spirit and temper of the gospel, and although the 
Assembly are of the opinion that it would be most desirable to have the 
communicants only as the electors of ruling elders, yet, as it appears to 
be the custom in some of the churches in the Presbyterian connection, to 
allow this privilege to others, they see no reason why the election be con- 
sidered void, nor any reason why the decision of the Synod of Ohio should 
not be affirmed. Therefore, 

Resolved, That the sentence of the Synod of Ohio be and it is hereby 
affirmed.— 1822, p. 49. 

b. Only baptized Persons allowed to Vote. 

Ought an unbaptized person, who yet pays his proportion for the sup- 
port of a congregation, to be permitted to vote for ruling elders? 

The office of ruling elder is an office in the Church of Christ ; that 
ruling elders as such, according to the Confession of Faith, Book I., on 
Government, chap, v., are "the representatives of those by whom they are 
chosen, for the purpose of exercising government and discipline," in the 
kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ ; that the discipline lawfully exercised 
by them is the discipline exercised through them by their constituents, in 
whose name and by whose authority they act in all that they do. To sup- 
pose, therefore, that an unbaptized person, not belonging to the visible 
kingdom of the Redeemer, might vote at the election of ruling elders, 
would be to establish the principle that the children of this world might 
through their representatives exercise discipline in the Church of God, 
which is manifestly unscriptural and contrary to the standards of our 
Church ; and your Committee would therefore recommend that the ques- 
tion in the said overture be answered in the negative. — 1830, p. 284. 

c. Most consonant to our form of Government that Communicants only be 

the Electors. 

Are others than communicants entitled to vote for ruling elders ? 

The Assembly, in accordance with the decision of former Assemblies, 
judges it most consonant to our Form of Government that communicants 
only should vote in the election of ruling elders. — 1855, p. 299, O. S. 

d. No Distinction to be made as to the Age of Electors. 

As to the right of minors to vote in the election of elder and deacon. 

That it is not in accordance with the principles and usages of the Pres- 
byterian Church to distinguish between members of the Church as to their 
ages, in voting for officers of the Church. — 1859, p. 18, N. S. 

12. Mode of Electing- for a Term of Years supposed to be Irregular. 

a. Your Committee are of opinion that the mode of electing elders in 
the congregation of Wheatland for a term of years was irregular, and 
ought in future to be abandoned, but cannot invalidate the ordination of 
persons thus elected and ordained to the office of ruling elder. — 1835, p. 
471. [See 1867, p. 320, O. S.] 

b. Overture to limit the Term of Service declined. 

The overture on limiting the term of service of ruling elders was, on 
motion, taken up for consideration. The report of the Committee was 



OF ELECTING AND ORDAINING ELDERS AND DEACONS. 343 

adopted, and is as follows : Whereas, sundry memorials have been pre- 
sented to the Assembly, asking for a change of the Constitution respect- 
ing the term of service in the office of ruling elder : 

Resolved, That while the Assembly sympathize with those churches, 
which are more especially tried by the present rule, yet believing that 
the evils of a change would far outweigh those of the present system, 
they are not prepared to recommend any overture on the subject. — 
1849, p. 182, N. S. 

c. An overture from the Presbytery of Pennsylvania, asking " whether 
the Constitution of our Church shall be so altered as to make the term of 
office of ruling elder temporary in such churches as prefer it," was taken 
up and answered as follows : 

The Assembly do not deem it expedient, or for the edification of the 
Church, to send down to the Presbyteries such an overture; the most ob- 
vious and natural construction of our Form of Government does not con- 
template a rotary eldership ; and while such an organization of a session 
is not Anti-presbyterial, yet the Assembly would discourage the adoption 
of the principle in our Church, from respect to the plain meaning of 
our rule ; but nothing in this resolution is intended to disturb the relation 
of those churches which have adopted the principle of a limited period in 
the services of elders. — 1852, p. 177, N. S. 

d. Is it contrary to the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church to elect 
elders for a definite period ? 

Answered in the words above, "the most obvious," etc. — 1862, p. 34,N. S. 

e. Overture, asking the Assembly to take the proper measures for hav- 
ing the Constitution changed in regard to ruling elders, so as to make 
the office temporary. 

Resolved, that it is inexpedient to send down to the Presbyteries the 
proposed alterations. — 1857, p. 45, O. S. 

/. Judicial case. The vote was taken, and the complaint was not sus- 
tained. This vote condemned the following plan adopted by the church 
of Greenville Presbytery of Kaskaskia : 

Art. 1. The members of this church will meet on the day of 

, A. D. , and at said meeting the following question shall be 

submitted for their vote and decision : " Is it your pleasure that any change 
or increase of number shall be made in the acting eldership of this 
Church r 

2. If the vote on the above question shall be in the negative, the matter 
shall there end. 

3. If the vote on the aforesaid question shall be in the affirmative, then 
the church shall proceed to cast their ballots for ruling elders to represent 
them in the session of the church. 

4. If any of the members of the existing session shall receive a major- 
ity of the votes thus cast, they shall continue to be and act as ruling elders 
in that congregation. 

5. If any of the acting elders of the church shall not receive a major- 
ity of the votes thus cast, then they shall, upon their consent, and the 
required record to made by the session (Form of Government, chap, xiii., 
sec. vii.), cease to be acting elders. 

6. If any acting elder shall fail to receive a majority of the votes cast 
at said election, and shall not concur in the will of the church thus ex- 
pressed, then the matter shall be referred to the Presbytery for its advice 
in the premises. 

7. If any person or persons, not previously acting as ruling elders, 
shall receive a majority of votes cast at said election, then such per . 



344 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

son or persons shall be installed, or ordained and installed, as the case 
may be. 

8. Triennially, after the meeting above provided for, or as nearly trien- 
nially as the session shall judge to be suitable to the convenience and 
wishes of the congregation, there shall be a similar meeting of the church, 
to be called by order of the session, after public notice from the pulpit, at 
which the same question shall be proposed and voted upon by the church, 
and the same proceedings had as are provided for in the foregoing arti- 
cles.— 1869, p. 911, 912, O. S. 

g. Overture from the Presbytery of Muncie, asking the Assembly to 
provide for such an amendment of the Constitution as that any church 
may elect both deacons and ruling elders for a limited term of years. The 
Committee recommend that it is inexpedient at this time to take any action 
on the subject. Adopted. — 1871, p. 592. 

13. The Right of a Congregation to Elect Elders to Serve for a 
Term of Years Affirmed- A Judicial Case. 

The Judicial Committee reported Case No. 1, being a complaint of Rev. 
Alfred Nevin, D. D., and others against a decision of the Synod of Phila- 
delphia relative to the term of the eldership ; the report was received and 
placed on the docket. — 1872, p. 15. 

a. The history of the "Case No. 1" is as follows: The church of Great Valley, in 
the Presbytery of Chester, had elected two elders to serve for a term of three years 
each, their usage heretofore having been to fix no limit. On review of their records, 
the Committee reported a censure and affirmed the action of the church to be uncon- 
stitutional. The Presbytery refused to sustain the censure, and approved the records. 
Against this action of the Presbytery a complaint was made to the Synod of Phila- 
delphia. In the Synod, Oct. 20, 1871, the proceedings were as follows: 

Judicial Case No. 1 was then taken up, being a complaint of certain ministers and 
elders of the Presbytery of Chester of the action of said Presbytery in approving the 
minutes of the session of the Great Valley church, that church having elected ruling 
elders for a term of years, which the complainants believed to be unconstitutional. 

The papers were read — viz., the complaint, and the record of the Presbytery of 
Chester in the case. The original parties were heard — viz., the complainants, and the 
Rev. W. E. Moore and the Rev. Orr Lawson — on behalf of the Presbytery of Chester. 
The roll was then called, and opportunity given for every member to express his 
opinion on the case. ' The final vote was as follows : 

To sustain 26 

Not to sustain 40 

The complaint, therefore, was not sustained. 

Mr. John F. Templeton gave notice for himself and others of his intention to com- 
plain of this decision of the Synod to the next General Assembly. 

The Rev. Wm. E. Moore and the Rev. B. L. Agnew were appointed a Committee 
to defend the action of the Synod before the Assembly. — Minutes Synod of Philadel- 
phia, 1871, p. 28. 

b. In the Assembly of 1872. 

Judicial Case No. 1 was taken up. The moderator called upon the 
Assembly to remember and regard their solemn duty as a court of Jesus 
Christ. The case was conducted according to the Book of Discipline, 
chap, vii., sec. iii. (The case was continued from day to day.) 

The unfinished business was resumed. The parties having been heard, 
and the members of the Assembly having had an opportunity to express 
their views, the final vote was taken, 145 to 173, so the complaint was not 
sustained. — 1872, pp. 51, 68, 

The following Committee was appointed to bring in a minute with ref- 
erence to the case just decided: Rev. Charles S. Robinson, D. D., Rev. 



OF ELECTING AND ORDAINING ELDERS AND DEACONS. 345 

Tryon Edwards, D. D., Kev. Elliott H. Payson, Hon. James E. Brown 
and Hon. Lawson A. Parks. — 1872, p. 69. 

c. The Committee to report a minute on Judicial Case No. 1 presented 
the following report, which was adopted : 

The case seemed to present in a judicial form the question of the inter- 
pretation of our Constitution concerning the election of elders and dea- 
cons, and yet many of the Assembly do not regard it as really involving 
that question. Hence, in defining its own action the Assembly is not to 
be understood as deciding that in any case the actual service of the elder- 
ship should be either permanent or limited ; but while the office is perpet- 
ual, the time of its exercise in each individual congregation may be left 
to the decision of the church itself, according to the mode approved and 
in use in such church. — p. 75. 

d. Dissent. 

[Against the foregoing action a dissent was offered by Rev. Messrs. Joseph T. 
Smith, J. S. Grimes, Geo. S. Bishop and Geo. H. King, and ordered to be entered on 
the minutes, viz. :] 

1. Because the decision of the Assembly was in contravention of the standards of 
the Church as uniformly intrepreted by this court. 

2. Because many members of the Assembly sat as judges and voted in the case 
who confessed themselves guilty of the offence charged. — p. 80. 

e. Answer: Limitations of Term of Service Constitutional. 

[The Committee appointed to answer this dissent, Rev. Tryon Ed- 
wards, D. D., Rev. T. Ralston Smith, D. D., Rev. Edward D. Morris, D.D., 
Hon. David B. Greene and Hon. Royal E. Barber, reported the follow- 
ing, which was adopted :] 

Had the dissent been offered without reason and simply as a record 
of the vote of the dissenters, it would have been entirely proper to enter 
it on the minutes of the Assembly without reply. It would then have 
been in the nature only of a record in part of ayes and nays. But as 
it is accompanied with reasons, it is virtually a protest, and it is proper 
in reply to say : 

1. That the Assembly by its minute adopted in the case expressly 
declares that it does not regard its decision as contrary to, but in accord- 
ance with, the standards of the Church, and that in the very language of 
the standards themselves. 

2. That it does not appear that any one sat as a judge or voted in the case 
who had confessed himself guilty of the supposed offence, or of any offence 
against our standards. 

It is but justice to say that the majority claim and believe their vote 
to be in accordance with our standards, nor does it appear that any of 
them has ever voted for a limit to the office of the eldership, or otherwise 
than in full accordance with our standards liberally and historically inter- 
preted.— 1872, p. 85. 

14. An Overture Proposing a Change in the Form of Government. 

Resolved, That all overtures and papers concerning the office of ruling 
elder be referred to a Committee of seven, viz. : Rev. A. T. McGill, D. D., 
William E. Moore, D. D., S. J. Niccolls, D. D., William M. Paxton, D. D. 
Hon. William Strong, LL.D., Hon. William E. Dodge and Lewis Cha- 
pin, who shall report to the next General Assembly an overture to the 
Presbyteries proposing a change in the Form of 'Government. — 1873, 
p. 547. 

44 



346 • FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

III. When any person shall have been elected to either of these 
offices, and shall have declared his willingness to accept thereof, he 
shall be set apart in the following manner : 

IV. After sermon the minister shall state, in a concise manner, 
the warrant and nature of the office of ruling elder or deacon, to- 
gether with the character proper to be sustained and the duties to be 
fulfilled by the officer elect; having done this he shall propose to 
the candidate, in the presence of the congregation, the following 
questions, viz. : 

1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments 
to be the word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice ? 

2. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith of 
this Church as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy 
Scriptures ? 

3. Do you approve of the government and discipline of the Pres- 
byterian Church in these United States? 

4. Do you accept the office of ruling elder (or deacon, as the case 
may be), in this congregation, and promise faithfully to perform all 
the duties thereof? 

5. Do you promise to study the peace, unity and purity of the 
church ? 

The elder or deacon elect having answered these questions in the 
affirmative, the minister shall address to the members of the church 
the following question, viz. : 

" Do you, the members of this church, acknowledge and receive this 
brother as a ruling elder (or deacon), and do you promise to yield him 
all that honor, encouragement and obedience in the Lord to which 
his office, according to the word of God and the Constitution of this 
Church, entitles him ?" 

The members of the church having answered this question in the 
affirmative, by holding up their right hands, the minister shall pro- 
ceed to set apart the candidate, by prayer, to the office of ruling elder 
(or deacon, as the case may be), and shall give to him and to the con- 
gregation an exhortation suited to the occasion. 

V. Where there is an existing session it is proper that the mem- 
bers of that body, at the close of the service, and in the face of the 
congregation, take the newly-ordained elder by the hand, saying in 
words to this purpose : " We give you the right hand of fellowship to 
take part of this office with us/' 

1. Mode of Ordination.— Laying on of Hands Approved. 

a. Our Form of Government, chap, xiii., sec. iv., declares that such, 
whether elder or deacon, shall be set apart to their respective offices by 



OF ELECTING AND ORDAINING ELDERS AND DEACONS. 347 

prayer. The imposition of hands, however, we are aware, in many of our 
churches is practiced ; and as it is plainly in accordance with apostolic ex- 
ample, it is the opinion of the Assembly that it is proper and lawful. We 
conceive that every church in this respect may with propriety be left to adopt 
either of these two modes as they think suitable and best. — 1833, p. 405. 

b. An overture from the Presbytery of South Alabama on the subject 
of ordaining elders and deacons by the imposition of hands. The Com- 
mittee recommended that it be left to the discretion of each church ses- 
sion to determine the mode of ordination in this respect, which was adopted. 
—1842, p. 16, O; S. 

c. [The session of the Mount Bethany church, having been censured by 
the Presbytery of Memphis for ordaining deacons with the laying on of 
hands, memorialized the Assembly " to determine whether in the ordina- 
tion of elders and deacons it is unconstitutional or otherwise improper to 
use the right of laying on of hands by the existing eldership."] 

Resolved, That the session of Mount Bethany church be referred to the 
minutes of the Assembly of 1842 for an answer to said overture. — 1851, 
pp. 12, 35, 172, and 1852, p. 227, O. S. 

2. Ordination Essential to the Validity of the Judicial Acts of an 

Elder. 

The Committee on Church Polity reported two questions, with the recom- 
mendation that they be answered in the negative : 

1st. Is an elder elect a member of the session, and competent to sit in 
a judicial case before he has been ordained according to the Form of Gov- 
ernment? 

2d. Would a decision in a case of discipline, made by a session whose 
members have never been ordained according to the Form of Government, 
chap, xiii., be a valid and lawful decision and binding upon the accused ? 

The report was adopted.— 1868, p. 58, N-. S. 

3. Installation Required on Resuming the Office. 

When a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, by removal or other- 
wise, terminates his connection with the session by whom he was ordained, 
does he require installation before he can regularly exercise again the office 
in the same church or in any other one ? [Answered in the affirmative.] — 
1849, p. 265, O. S. 

[An overture from the Presbytery of Erie, asking whether the answer 
of the General Assembly of 1849 in relation to the installation of ruling 
elders who have removed from one church to another has a retrospective 
or only a prospective bearing.] 

The Committee recommended the following answer to the question: 
That it has a prospective bearing. 

The recommendation was adopted. — 1850, p. 454, O. S. 

4. Mode of Installation of an Elder already Ordained. 

1. Resolved, That any elder regularly ordained and installed in one 
church and subsequently elected to the same office in another church, and 
who has heretofore, pursuant to such election, served as an elder in such 
church without objection, shall be presumed to have been duly installed 
therein, and his right to act shall not now be questioned. 

2. Resolved, That when an elder shall hereafter be elected to the same 
office in a church other than that in which he has been ordained and iu« 



348 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

stalled, the minister and session are hereby enjoined formally to install 
him. 

3. Resolved, That this Assembly hereby declare that the existing law 
of the Church as to the mode of such installation is as follows, viz.: After 
sermon the minister shall speak of the office and duties of ruling elders as 
in case of ordinations, and shall then propose to the elder elect in the 
presence of the congregation the following questions : Do you sincerely re- 
ceive and adopt the Confession of Faith of this Church as containing the sys- 
tem of doctrine taught in the holy Scriptures t Do you accept the office of 
ruling elder in this congregation, and promise faithfully to perform all the 
duties thereof? Do you promise to study the peace and unity and purity of 
the Church? The elder elect having answered these questions in the af- 
firmative, the minister shall ask the members of the church whether they 
accept him, as in cases of ordination. The members of the church having 
answered in the affirmative by holding up their right hands, the minister 
shall declare him an elder of that church, and accompany this act by ex- 
hortation and such other proceedings as he may deem suitable and expe- 
dient.— 1856, p. 539, O. S. 

VI. The offices of ruling elder and deacon are both perpetual, and 
cannot be laid aside at pleasure. No person can be divested of either 
office but by deposition. Yet an elder or deacon may become by age 
or infirmity incapable of performing the duties of his office, or he 
may, though chargeable with neither heresy nor immorality, become 
unacceptable in his official character to a majority of the congregation 
to which he belongs. In either of these cases he may, as often hap- 
pens with respect to a minister, cease to be an acting elder or deacon. 

[See Form of Government, chap. iii. sec. ii.] 

1. Perpetuity of the Office Affirmed. 

a. The Committee to whom was referred Overture No. 1, a communica- 
tion from the session of Wheatland congregation in reference to the ap- 
pointment of Freeman Edson as a commissioner to this Assembly, beg 
leave to present the following report : 

Agreeably to the Constitution of our Church, the office of ruling elder 
is perpetual (see Form of Government, chap, xiii., sec. vi.), and cannot be 
laid aside by the will of the individual called to that office, nor can any 
congregation form rules which would make it lawful for any one to lay it 
aside. Your Committee are of opinion that the mode of electing elders in 
the congregation of Wheatland for a term. of years was irregular and ought 
in future to be abandoned, but cannot invalidate the ordination of persons 
thus elected and ordained to the office of ruling elder. And whereas it 
appears that Mr. Freeman Edson was once elected to the office of ruling 
elder in the church of Wheatland, and was regularly set apart to that 
office ; whereas, there seems to be some material diversity of views be- 
tween the Presbytery of Rochester and the church session to which Mr. 
Edson once belonged as to the manner in which, and the principle on 
which, he ceased to be an acting elder in the said church, into which the 
Assembly have no opportunity at present of regularly examining; and 
whereas, the Presbytery, with a distinct knowledge, as is alleged, of all 
the circumstances attending this case, gave Mr. Edson a regular commis- 
sion as a ruling elder to this General Assembly ; therefore, 



OF ELECTING AND ORDAINING ELDERS AND DEACONS. 349 

Resolved, That he retain his seat as a member of the Assembly. — 1835, 
p. 471. 

b. But the Time of its Exercise may be left to the Decision of the Church. 

In defining its own action, the Assembly is not to be understood as de- 
ciding that in any case the actual service of the eldership should be either 
permanent or limited ; but while the office is perpetual, the time of its 
exercise in each individual congregation may be left to the decision of the 
church itself, according to the mode approved and in use in such church. — 
1872, p. 75. 

2. Restoration to Church Privileges does not Restore to the 

Eldership. 

When an elder has been suspended from church privileges and again 
restored to the privileges of the church, is he also restored to his office as 
a ruling elder? 

The two things are distinct; and since an elder as well as a minister 
may be suspended from his office and not from the communion of the 
Church, so there may be reasons for continuing his suspension from his 
office after he is restored to the privileges of the Church. He cannot be 
restored to the functions of his office without a special and express act of 
the session for that purpose, with the acquiescence of the Church. — 1836, 
p. 263. 

3. An Elder without Charge can Sit in no Church Court. 

Resolved, That no ruling elder who has retired from the active exercise 
of his office in the church to which he belongs can be admitted as a mem- 
ber of a Presbytery, Synod or General Assembly. — 1835, p. 489. 

VII. Whenever a ruling elder or deacon, from either of these 
causes or from any other, not inferring crime, shall be incapable of 
serving the Church to edification, the session shall take order on the 
subject and state the fact, together with the reasons of it, on their 
records; provided always, that nothing of this kind shall be done 
without the concurrence of the individual in question, unless by the 
advice of Presbytery. 

1. Elders who cannot Acquiesce in the Decisions of the Superior 
Courts should Resign. 

A petition from the members of the session of the Third Presbyterian 
Church in this city, asking advice of this Synod with respect to the execu- 
tion of their office in consequence of the judgment of the Synod respecting 
that church. After it was duly considered, they returned the following 
answer, viz. : The Synod advise them to continue to act as elders, but in 
case they cannot, consistently with what they apprehend to be their duty, 
continue as such and act upon the decisions of Synod, that they may resign 
their office, and the congregation proceed to choose other elders who may 
have freedom to act according to the determinations of the Synod. — 1772, 
p. 435. 



350 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

2. Ruling Elders may Cease to Act in order to Promote the Peace 

of the Church. 

a. The Assembly earnestly recommend to the whole session, including 
the majority and the minority, in view of the state of the Fifth Church, 
to take the constitutional steps and cease from acting as ruling elders in 
that congregation, and that the entire Church take immediate measures 
to elect a new bench of elders, with a view to promote the peace of the 
Church and secure the permanent settlement of the gospel ministry 
among them. And further, that it be recommended to the persons so 
elected not to accept the office unless they shall obtain the suffrages of at 
least two-thirds of the electors participating in the election. — 1834, p. 453. 

3. The Superior Court directs an Elder to Cease to Act. 

With the consent of parties, the complaint (of Mr. William B. Guild 
against the Synod of New Jersey) is sustained " pro forma," but under ex- 
isting circumstances in the congregation Mr. Guild shall cease to act as a 
ruling elder in the Third Church at Newark, N. J.— 1863, p. 35, O. S. 

[The complaint was that the Synod had by a Committee visited the 
Third Church to see if any member of the session was unacceptable to 
the people.] 

4. The Presbytery, without the Request of the Session or of 
Members of the Church, may declare that an Elder shall Cease 
to Act. 

Overture No. 46, from the session of the Presbyterian Church at Iron- 
ton, Missouri, in reference to the power of the Presbytery to declare that 
a member of the session shall cease to be an acting elder without any re- 
quest from the session or any members of the church. 

The Committee would recommend the following answer (see Form of 
Government, chap, x., sec. viii.): Presbytery has power to visit particular 
churches for the purpose of inquiring into their state, and redressing the 
evils that may have arisen in them, and to order whatever pertains to 
their spiritual welfare, without being requested by the session. 

The report was adopted. — 1869, p. 924, O. S. 

5. If a Member of Session be Unacceptable, and the Matter can- 
not be Arranged by Consent, the proper step is to Memorialize 
Presbytery. 

Overture No. 20, from two members of the General Assembly, with the 
inquiry : " Has a church session the right to submit to their church mem- 
bers the acceptableness or non-acceptableness of the acting board of ruling 
elders, or any portion of the board, and to ask the church to settle the 
question by a vote of the members ?" 

In case of unacceptableness on the part of any member of a church 
session, and the matter cannot be amicably arranged by consent of parties, 
the proper method of redress is by memorializing the Presbytery to give 
such direction as in its judgment the necessities of the case may require, 
under the provisions of the Form of Government, chap. xiii. — 1867, p. 
369, O. S. 

The report was adopted. 



OF ELECTING AND OKDAINIXG ELDERS AND DEACONS. 351 



6. When an Elder resigns, the Presbytery is not Competent to 

order his Restoration. 

Dr. S. F. Day, declining to have his children baptized, his wife being a 
Baptist, the session of the Wooster church, in which he was an elder, was 
advised by the Presbytery that in such a case (proposed in thesi) the 
elder should be removed from office. Hereupon Dr. Day gave notice to 
the session that he resigned the eldership. At a subsequent meeting of 
Presbytery, upon a memorial from Dr. Day, the Presbytery reconsidered 
its action, and ordered the session to restore him. Upon appeal the Synod 
sustained the Presbytery. A complaint was taken up by the pastor, the 
Rev. James H. Baird, and by the session. The following was the decis- 
ion. [See Baird's Digest, p. 70.] 

Whereas, It appears from the record that Dr. Day was removed from 
the session of the church of Wooster by his own resignation of his office 
in that church, and not by the judicial action of the session, it was not 
competent to the Presbytery to. order his restoration to office by the ses- 
sion ; and therefore the judgment of the Synod of Ohio confirming such 
action of the Presbytery was erroneous and ought to be and is hereby re- 
versed, and the complaint of the session, so far as it relates to this point, is 
sustained.— 1854, p. 33, O. S. 

[See above, chap, ix., sec. ii., c, for a case where an elder refuses to act, 
and has left the church.— 1869, p. 912, O. S.] 

7. The Official Relations of an Elder to his Church terminate with 

his Dismission. 

The Presbytery of Iowa City desire the Assembly " to determine when 
the rights and privileges of ruling elders and private members cease, on 
their receiving letters of dismission ; and whether the same rule obtains 
as in the dismission of ministers from a Presbytery." 

The Assembly reply : 

The established rule of the Presbyterian Church in relation to the dis- 
mission of a minister from his Presbytery is "that in all ordinary cases 
all the rights and privileges of an individual in a Presbytery cease when 
at his request his dismission is granted." 

He may, however, within any reasonable time before he has used his 
letter of dismission, return it to the Presbytery, and then claim all his 
former rights and privileges; but until he has used his letter he is amenable 
to the Presbytery which has dismissed him. 

[See Digest, New, chap, ii., sec. viii.] 

Your Committee have not been lible to find any specific rule in our 
Form of Government or in the Digest in relation to the dismission of 
ruling elders or of private members from any particular church, indi- 
cating the precise time when their rights and privileges in that church 
from which, at their own request, they may be dismissed cease ; but we 
have no hesitation in declaring our belief that the same guardian care 
which is extended over dismissed members is, by the very genius and 
intent of our excellent Form of Government, designed also for the pro- 
tection of regularly dismissed elders and private members, as well as for 
the preservation of the peace and purity of the Church. 

We therefore respectfully recommend to this Assembly the adoption of 
the following resolutions : That, 

1. The dismission of a ruling elder by letter from a church terminates 
his official relations with that church. 



352 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

2. A letter of dismission, whether issued to a ruling elder or private 
member, terminates the relations of the person dismissed with the church 
giving the letter, except so far as said church is responsible for its watch 
and care over him during the period of transition. 

3. These rights and privileges can be regained in that church by re- 
turning the letters of dismission to the authority which gave them. 

4. These rights and privileges can be secured in any other church within 
the jurisdiction of this General Assembly, by virtue of such certificates, 
provided they are presented to the session thereof within one year from 
their date; and until they are presented such persons are amenable to 
the church from which the certificates were received. — 1867, p. 512, N. S. 

[The "Rights and Privileges" referred to in sec. iv. are those of mem- 
bership only. An elder can exercise his office only by virtue of an elec- 
tion.] 

8. The Return of a Letter Unused Restores to Official Position. 

The Committee on Polity reported the following case and question : 

Mr. C, an acting elder of the church of C, having taken a certificate 
of dismission, and having retained it about three years, returned it to the 
session of the church of C, giving satisfactory reasons for not using it, 
and was restored to the membership of the church. Does the receiving 
again by the session reinstate Mr. C. as an acting elder of the church 
of C.? 

The Committee recommended that the answer be in the affirmative. 

The report was adopted. — 1868, p. 58, N. S. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES OR PROBATIONERS TO PREACH THE 

GOSPEL. 

I. The Holy Scriptures require that some trial be previously had 
of those who are to be ordained to the ministry of the gospel, that 
this sacred office may not be degraded by being committed to weak or 
unworthy men; and that the churches may have an opportunity to 
form a better judgment respecting the talents of those by whom they 
are to be instructed and governed. For this purpose Presbyteries 
shall license probationers to preach the gospel, that after a competent 
trial of their talents, and receiving from the churches a good report, 
they may in due time ordain them to the sacred office. 

1. Preaching without Licensure Condemned as Irregular. 

a. Upon information that David Evan, a lay person, had taken upon 
him publicly to teach or preach among the Welsh in the Great Valley, 
Chester county, it was unanimously agreed that the said Evan had done 
very ill and acted irregularly in thus invading the work of the ministry, 
and was thereupon censured. 

Agreed that the most proper method for advancing David Evan in 
necessary literature to prepare him for the work of the ministry is that 
he lay aside all other business for a twelvemonth, and apply himself 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 353 

closely to learning and study under the direction of Mr. Andrews, and 
with the assistance of Mr. Wilson and Anderson, and that it be left to the 
discretion of the said ministers when to put said Evan on trials, and 
licei/ie him publicly to teach or preach. — 1710, p. 17. 

b. The Assembly disapproves the conduct of Mr. McCalla in preaching 
the gospel before he was regularly licensed. — 1821, p. 21. 

2. On the Licensing and Ordaining- of Women to Preach the 

Gospel. 

a. Overture No. 39, from the Presbytery of Brooklyn, requesting the 
Assembly to adopt and transmit to the Presbyteries for their approval 
such rules as shall forbid the licensing and ordaining of women to the 
gospel ministry, and the teaching and preaching of women in our pulpits, 
or in the public and promiscuous meetings of the Church of Christ. 

The Committee recommend this answer : That there is no necessity for 
a change in the Constitution of the Church touching this question ; and 
the memorialists are referred to the deliverance of the Assembly of 1832, 
which expresses the judgment of this Assembly. 

Adopted.— 1872, p. 89. 

b. [The deliverance referred to is as follows, viz.:] 

Meetings of pious women by themselves for conversation and prayer, 
whenever they can conveniently be held, we entirely approve. But let 
not the inspired prohibitions of the great apostle of the Gentiles, as 
found in his Epistles to the Corinthians and to Timothy, be violated. To 
teach and exhort or to lead in prayer, in public and promiscuous assem- 
blies, is clearly forbidden to women in the holy oracles. — Pastoral Letter, 
1832, p. 378. 

[See under chap, xii., sec. v., Letter No. 11.] 

3. Education for the Ministry. 

[For a full history of the early efforts of the Presbyterian Church 
to enlarge her ministry by aiding pious youth needing assistance, see 
Baird's Digest, Revised Edition, pp. 388-399.] In 1819 the Assembly 
resolved to establish a General Board of Education. — Minutes, 1819, p. 
712, viz. : 

a. The Board of Education Established. 

The Committee appointed to draught a Constitution for establishing a 
General Board of Education, agreeably to the resolutions adopted by the 
Assembly on the subject, reported one, which being read and amended, 
was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

I. There shall be a General Board of Education, known by the name 
of The Board of Education, under the care of the General Assembly of 
the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. 

II. The Board shall consist of thirty-six members, of whom there shall 
be twenty ministers and sixteen elders, one minister and one elder to be 
chosen from each Synod, and the remainder from Philadelphia and from 
a distance convenient to it. Seven members, including the President or 
Vice President, shall be a quorum to transact business. • 

III. The whole number of members shall be divided into four classes, 
one-fourth to be annually elected. 

IV. The election of the members of the Board shall be made by nomi- 
nation and ballot by the General Assembly. 

V. The officers shall be a President, three Vice Presidents, a Recording 

45 



354 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

and a Corresponding Secretary, and a Treasurer, to be annually elected by 
the Board. 

VI. The objects of this Board shall be — 

1. To recognize such Presbyteries and other associations as may form 
themselves into education societies, as auxiliary to the General Board. 

2. To assist such Presbyteries and associations in educating pious youth 
for the gospel ministry, both in their academical and theological course. 

3. To assign according to their best discretion to the several auxiliary 
societies a just proportion of the whole disposable funds under their con- 
trol. 

4. To concert and execute such measures as they shall judge to be 
proper for increasing their funds and promoting the general object. 

VII. No young man shall be patronized or assisted by any auxiliary 
society unless he shall produce a testimonial of his hopeful piety and tai- 
ents from some Presbytery under whose care he shall have been taken. 

VIII. Auxiliary societies may make such arrangements and selection 
of a seminary for the young men under their patronage as in their opin- 
ion shall be most eligible for the prosecuting of their education, whether 
classical or theological. 

IX. The auxiliary societies shall send to the Board all the surplus 
funds in their hands which shall not be necessary for the accommodation 
of those immediately depending on them for support. 

X. Every auxiliary society shall annually forward a report of their 
proceedings to the Board, sufficiently early to enable the Board, whose 
duty it shall be, to report to the General Assembly. 

XL The Board shall have power to make such by-laws to regulate their 
own proceedings and effectually to accomplish the great objects of their 
appointment as shall not be inconsistent with this Constitution. 

XII. The Board may propose to the General Assembly from time to 
time such plans as they may consider useful and necessary for the success 
of this institution, to be recommended to the several societies or churches 
as the Assembly may think proper. 

XIII. No addition or amendment to the provisions of this Constitution 
shall be made unless by the consent of two-thirds of the members of the 
General Assembly present at any of their sessions, of which notice shall 
be given at least one day previous. — 1819, p. 714. 

[With such amendments as experience showed to be necessary, the above 
plan was used by the O. S. branch of the Church from 1838 to the Re- 
union.] 

In 1841 was obtained the following : 

b. CHARTEK OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. 

To all to whom these Presents shall come : 

Know ye, That whereas the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in (lie 
United States of America have a Board of Education, composed of ministers and lay- 
men, members of the Presbyterian Church, the design of which is to afford aid to poor 
and pious young men of good talents to procure a liberal education, as preparatory for 
the gospel ministry in the Presbyterian Church; and whereas, the aforesaid Board of 
Education labors under serious disadvantages as to receiving donations and bequest--, 
and as to # the management of funds entrusted to them .for the purpose designated in 
their Constitution, and in accordance with the benevolent intentions of those from 
whom such bequests and donations are received ; 

Therefore, Matthew L. Bevan, Stephen Colwell, Joseph B. Mitchell, Joel Jones, 
Alexander W. Mitchell, John McDowell, Francis McFarland, Henry A. Board man 
and Thomas L. Janeway, citizens of the United States and of the Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania, and their successors, are hereby constituted and declared to be a body 
politic and corporate, which shall henceforth be known by the name of ''The Trustees 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 6b0 

of the Board of Education of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of Amer- 
ica," and as such shall have perpetual succession, and be able to sue and be sued in 
all courts of record and elsewhere; and to purchase and receive, take and hold, to 
them and their successors for ever, lands, tenements, hereditaments, money, goods and 
chattels, and all kinds of estate which may be demised, bequeathed or given to them, 
and the same to sell, alien, demise and convey ; also to make a common seal, and the 
same to alter and renew at their pleasure; and also to make such rules, by-laws and 
ordinances as may be needful for the government of the said corporation, and not in- 
consistent with the constitution and laws of the United States and of this State ; Pro- 
vided always, that the clear yearly value of the real and personal estate held by the 
said corporation shall not at any time exceed the sum of two thousand dollars. 

The trustees above named shall hold their offices for one year from the date of this 
incorporation and until their successors are duly qualified to take their places, who 
shall be chosen by the aforesaid Board of Education at such times and in such way 
and manner as shall be provided by the said General Assembly of the Presbyterian 
Church of America; Provided, that not more than one-third of the trustees shall be 
removed in any one year. 

The trustees hereby incorporated and their successors shall, subject to the direction 
of the said Board of Education, have full power to manage the funds and property 
committed to their care in such manner as shall be deemed most advantageous, not 
being contrary to law. 

Pennsylvania, ss. Secretary's office. 

Enrolled in Charter Book No. 6, pages 442, 443 and 444, containing a record of 
acts incorporating sundry religious, literary and other charitable institutions. 

Witness my hand and the seal of the said office at Harrisbnrg, this 18th day of Feb- 
ruary, A. D. 1841. (Signed) FEANC1S R. SHUNK, 

Secretary of Commonwealth. 

AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER. 

2. That the Trustees of the Board of Education of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America be" and they are hereby authorized and empowered to take, 
receive and hold to them and their successors for ever, lands, tenements, heredita- 
ments, moneys, goods and chattels, and all kinds of estate which may be devised, be- 
queathed or given to them for the purpose of aiding schools, academies and colleges 
or the cause of education generally; Provided, that the clear yearly value of the real 
and personal estate held by the said corporation shall not at any time exceed the sum 
of live thousand dollars. 

Approved the tenth day of April, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, 
as the same remains on file in this office. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Sec- 
retary's office to be affixed at Harrisburg, the second day of August, A. D. one thou- 






nd eight hundred and fifty-two. E. S. GOODRICH, 

[seal.] Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth. 



c. The Permanent Committee of Education Established. 

From 1838 to 1854 the N. S. branch co-operated chiefly with the Amer- 
ican Education Society or its brauches. In 1854 the " Permanent Com- 
mittee of Education for the Ministry" was established. — Minutes, 1854, pp. 
o06, 507. By the Assembly of 1856 the plan was more fully matured. — 
pp. 222-224. See also 1857, pp. 388-392. A charter obtained from the 
Legislature of New York April 17, 1858, was accepted and approved by 
the Assembly. — 1858, pp. 597, 598. The charter is as follows, viz.: 

d. THE CHARTER, 

An Act to incorporate the Permanent Committee on Education for the Ministry of 
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. 

The people of the State of New "York, as represented in Senate and Assembly, do 
enact as follows : 

Sec. 1. John J. Owen, Asa D. Smith, George L. Prentiss, William A. Booth, Jo- 
seph B. Sheffield, Jesse W. Benedict, Walter S. Griffith, Anson G. Phelps, William 
Hogarth, Jonathan F. Stearns, Henry Smith, Harvey Curtis, John Jenkins, William 
Darling and William Jessnp (designated for the purpose by the General Assembk ol 



356 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

the Presbyterian Church, which met in Cleveland, Ohio, in May, eighteen hundred 
and fifty-seven), and their successors in office, are hereby constituted a body corporate 
and politic, by the name of "The Permanent Committee on Education for the Minis- 
try of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of 
America," whose duty it shall be to superintend the whole cause of education in be- 
half of the said General Assembly, as said General Assembly may from time to time 
direct; also to receive, take charge of and disburse any property or funds which, at 
any time and from time to time, may be entrusted to said General Assembly or said 
Permanent Committee for educational purposes. 

Sec. 2. The said corporation shall possess the general powers and be subject to the 
provisions contained in title three of chapter eighteen of the first part of the revised 
statutes, so far as the same are applicable, and have not been repealed or modified. 

Sec. 3. The management and disposition of the affairs and funds of said corporation 
shall be vested in the individuals named in the first section of this act, and their suc- 
cessors in office, wh*> shall remain in office for such period, and be displaced and suc- 
ceeded by others, to be elected at such time and in such manner as the said General 
Assembly shall direct and appoint. 

Sec. 4. The said corporation shall in law be capable of taking, receiving and hold- 
ing any real or personal estate which has been or may hereafter be given, devised or 
bequeathed to it or to said General Assembly for the purposes aforesaid, or which 
may accrue from the use of the same ; but the said corporation shall not take and hold 
real and personal estate above the sum of two hundred thousand dollars. 

Sec. 5. This act shall take effect immediately. 

Passed April 17, 1858. 

For a full history of the acts of the Assembly, N. S., on the subject see 
New Digest, pp. 410-423. For the plan which was adopted by the As- 
sembly in 1861 see 1861, pp. 475-477 ; 1862, p. 249 ; 1864, p. 471. 

4. The Board of Education of the Reunited Church. 

The Joint Committee appointed by the General Assembly of the Pres- 
byterian Church to adjust the affairs of the " Board of Education," and 
of the " Permanent Committee on Education/' so as to adapt them to the 
new condition of things in the now united Church, met, according to the 
call of the chairman of the respective Committees, in the rooms of the 
Board of Education in Philadelphia, February 9th, and also again at an 
adjourned meeting May 18th, and after mature consideration they have 
agreed upon and recommend the following Constitution for adoption by 
the General Assembly : 

a. CONSTITUTION OF THE BOAED OF EDUCATION. 

Article I. 

Title. There shall be a Board of Education under the corporate title of 
" The Board of Education of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States of America." 

Article II. 

Objects. The Board of Education shall be the organ of the General 
Assembly of the Church for the general superintendence of the Church's 
work in furnishing a pious, educated and efficient ministry, in sufficient 
numbers to meet the calls of its congregations, to supply the wants of the 
destitute classes and regions in our own country, and to go into all the 
world and preach the gospel to every creature. It shall provide for the 
collection and judicious distribution of the funds which may be requisite 
in the proper education of candidates for the ministry under its care, and 
it shall, in co-operation with the ecclesiastical courts, do whatever may be 
proper and necessary to develop an active interest in education through- 
out the Church. 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 357 



Article III. 



Members. The General Assembly shall elect the members of the Board. 
The Board shall consist of twelve members (besides those who shall be 
members ex officio), of whom six shall be ministers and six laymen of the 
Presbyterian Church. The members shall be divided into three equal 
classes, consisting of two ministers and two laymen each, to serve respect- 
ively for the terms of one, two and three years. At any meeting of the 
Board, regularly convened, five members shall constitute a quorum to 
transact business. The Board shall also have power to fill any vacancy by 
resignation, death or otherwise until the next meeting of the General 
Assembly. 

Article IV. 

Officers. Sec. 1. The Board shall elect its officers annually by ballot. 
They shall consist of a President, Vice President, Corresponding Secretary 
and Treasurer. The corresponding secretary and treasurer shall be ex 
officio members of the Board. All other officers must be members of the 
Board at the time of their election. The Board shall have power, at any 
of its regular meetings, to fill vacancies which may have occurred in any 
of the above offices by death, resignation or otherwise, when due notice 
of such election shall be given. 

Sec. 2. The Corresponding Secretary shall be the executive officer of the 
Board. He shall take charge of the office, conduct the correspondence 
and superintend the publications of the Board, prepare the regular busi- 
ness for its meetings, and always be considered as its official organ. He 
shall, as far as he can, visit the Synods and Presbyteries, for the purpose 
of awakening their interest and concentrating their energies in this work, 
visit the students aided by the Board, and exercise a general supervision 
over them, employ the means necessary to bring to the attention of young 
men the claims and ends of the ministry, and discharge such other duties 
as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board, in furtherance 
of the general object of education for the ministry. He shall also have 
authority to employ such assistance as in the judgment of the Board may 
be deemed necessary. 

Sec. 3. The Treasurer shall have charge of all the funds of the Board, 
and shall disburse the same under its direction. He shall keep a com- 
plete register of the students under the care of the Board, and an account 
with them individually. He shall give bonds for the proper discharge of 
his duties. 

Article V. 

Functions. Sec. 1. The Board shall act through the Presbyteries of 
the Church. Candidates for the ministry, when properly examined and 
received by the Presbyteries and recommended for aid to the Board, shall 
receive the amount specified, within the limits prescribed by the Assembly, 
provided in all cases that a discretionary power, necessary to the general 
trust committed, shall be exercised by the Board, and the Board shall re- 
quire that each recommendation shall be accompanied with such informa- 
tion as may be necessary to the intelligent and judicious performance of 
its duties. 

Sec. 2. It shall exercise a general supervisory care over the students, 
through annual renewals of recommendations from Presbyteries and quar- 
terly reports from instructors, through the correspondence of its secretary 
and his personal visits to literary and theological institutions and the ju- 
dicatories of the Church, and by other appropriate instrumentalities. 



358 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Sec. 3. It shall take all suitable means to inform the Church as to the 
duties and interests relating to the consecration of her young men to the 
office of the ministry and their sound and thorough education, and to urge 
the effective care of her judicatories over them, and it shall make such 
statements and appeals as are calculated to secure contributions sufficient 
for the accomplishment of its ends. It shall make a full annual report 
of its work to the General Assembly. 

Article VI. 

Relation of the Presbyteries to the Board. It shall be the duty of each 
Presbytery to see that collections are taken up annually for this cause in 
all the churches under its care ; to make the increase of candidates for 
the ministry a topic of serious consideration in its meetings, at least once 
a year ; to appoint a standing committee to act for the Presbytery in all 
matters pertaining to this cause when it is not in session ; to recommend 
to the Board proper cases for its aid, and to make an annual report of 
the transactions of the Presbytery on the whole subject to the Board, pre- 
vious to the meeting of the General Assembly. 

Article VII. 

Duties of Synods. It shall be the duty of the Synods to call up this 
subject annually, to inquire what the Presbyteries and churches under 
their care are doing in relation to it, and to adopt such measures as shall 
promote the interests of this department of Christian work. 

Article VIII. 

By-Laws. The Board shall have power to make for itself all necessary 
by-laws, not inconsistent with this Constitution, subject to the approval of 
the General Assembly. 

The Joint Committee present also for the consideration of the General 
Assembly the following resolutions : 

1. That the secretary shall have the privilege of a corresponding mem- 
ber of the General Assembly in the discussion of all matters pertaining to 
the work of education. 

2. That the Board of Education shall be located in the city of Phila- 
delphia, Pa. 

3. It is recommended to the General Assembly to instruct the Board 
of Education to take such legal steps as are necessary to secure to it the 
present property of the Board of Education located at Philadelphia, and 
of the Permanent Committee located at New York, so that this property, 
and any funds with which either is or may be entrusted, or which may 
hereafter be received by bequest or otherwise for purposes of ministerial 
education, shall be managed by one and the same Board and its succes- 
sors, as trustees thereof, and that said Board have authority to apply for 
and obtain a charter of incorporation or such modification of the existing 
charter as they may deem proper. It is further recommended that the 
organizations of the "Permanent Committee on Education" and the 
"Board of Education" be continued, so far as may be necessary for the 
purpose of holding and transferring to the Board of Education, as ar- 
ranged by the present General Assembly, such funds and trusts as may 
have been or shall be committed to them. 

Adopted.— 1870, pp. 81-84. 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 359 

b. ACT OF INCORPORATION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. 

LEGISLATURE OF PENNSYLVANIA. 

An Act to incorporate The Board of Education of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America, and to make them the successors of The Trustees of the 
Board of Education of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America, 
and of The Permanent Committee on Education for the Ministry, of the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. 
Whereas, The two religions bodies heretofore existing, each under the name of the 
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, have 
united the congregations under their care, and the General Assembly of the Church 
thus united, which met in Philadelphia on the nineteenth day of May, Anno Domini 
one thousand eight hundred and seventy, and which is the legal successor of both the 
former bodies, has directed that the work of assisting pious young men in their edu- 
cation for the ministry of the said Church shall be hereafter carried on under its direc- 
tion by one Board, the location of which has been fixed in the city of Philadelphia; 
therefore, 

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Common- 
wealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by authority of 
the same, That Herrick Johnson, Elias R. Beadle, Thomas J. Shepherd, Benjamin L. 
Agnew, Peter Stryker, Alexander Reed, Morris Patterson, Samuel Field, Benjamin 
B. Comegys, Henry D. Gregory, Benjamin Kendall and James F. Gay ley, who were 
elected at the said meeting of the said General Assembly in May, Anno Domini one 
thousand eight hundred and seventy, as The Board of Education of the said Church, 
and their successors, are hereby constituted and declared to be a body politic and cor- 
porate, which shall henceforth be known by the name of The Board of Education of 
the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, and as such shall have per- 
petual succession, and be able to sue and be sued in all the courts of record and else- 
where, and to purchase and receive, take and hold, to them and their successors for 
ever, lands, tenements, hereditaments, money, goods and chattels and all kinds of 
estates which may be devised, bequeathed, conveyed or given to them, and the same 
to sell, alien, demise and convey ; and also to make a common seal and the same to 
alter and renew at their pleasure ; and also to make such rules, by-laws and ordinances 
as may be needful for the government of the said corporation, and not inconsistent 
with the Constitution and laws of the United States and of this State; Provided, always, 
That the clear yearly value of the real and personal estate held by the said corpora- 
tion shall not at any time exceed the sum of twenty thousand dollars. 

Section 2. The corporators above named shall hold their office until their succes- 
sors are duly qualified to take their places, who shall be chosen by the said The Gene- 
ral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, at such 
time and in such a manner as it shall direct ; Provided not more than one-third of the 
said Board shall be removed in any one year. 

Section 3." The Board hereby incorporated and their successors shall, subject to 
the direction of the said General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States of America, have full power to manage the funds and property committed to 
their care in such manner as shall be deemed most advantageous, not being contrary 
to law. 

Section 4. That the Trustees of the Board of Education of the Presbyterian Church 
in the United States of America, heretofore incorporated under the laws of this Com- 
monwealth, are hereby authorized to assign, transfer and convey unto the corporation 
established by this act all the property, estates and rights of any and every descrip- 
tion now held or enjoyed, or which may hereafter be held or enjoyed by them, bv vir- 
tue of any grant, gift, bequest or devise, and the said The Board of Education of the 
•Presbyterian Church in the United States of America hereby established shall be ami 
become the full legal successor of all the corporate rights, franchises and privileges 
now belonging to the said The Trustees of the Board of Education of the Presbyte- 
rian Church in the United States of America, and shall and may hold, use and enjoy 
all the property, estates and rights assigned, transferred or conveyed, so as aforesaid, in 
the same manner and to the same extent, but subject to the same limitations and trusts, 
as the said The Trustees of the Board of Education of the Presbyterian Church in 
the United States of America might have done, and shall be entitled to receive, sue 
for and recover all legacies or devises which have heretofore been or may hereafter 
be made to the said The Trustees of the Board of Education of the Presbyterian 
Church in the United States of America. 



360 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Section 5. That in case the requisite power shall be given by the proper authority 
of the State of New York to the said The Permanent Committee on Education for 
the Ministry' of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States of America, a corporation established by the Legislature of the said State of 
New York, to assign, transfer and convey unto the corporation established by this act 
all the property, estates and rights, of any and every description, now held or enjoyed, 
or which may hereafter be held or enjoyed, by them, by virtue of any grant, gift or 
bequest or devise, and in case the said proper authority of the State of New York 
shall also give full power to the corporation hereby established, thereupon to be and 
become the legal successors of all corporate rights, franchises and privileges now 
belonging to the said The Permanent Committee on Education for the Ministry of 
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America 
to all intents and purposes, the said corporation hereby established is authorized to 
accept and receive the assignment, transfer and conveyance made as aforesaid, and 
upon such assignment, transfer or conveyance being made, and also upon the granting 
of power by the proper authority of the State of New York to the corporation hereby 
established to become the full legal successors as aforesaid of the said The Permanent 
Committee on Education for the Ministry of the General Assembly of the Presbyte- 
rian Church in the United States of America, the Board of Education of the Presby- 
terian Church in the United States of America hereby established shall be and become 
the full legal successors of all the corporate rights, franchises and privileges now 
belonging to said The Permanent Committee on Education for the Ministry of the 
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, and 
may and shall hold, use and enjoy all the properly, estates and rights assigned, trans- 
ferred or conveyed so as aforesaid in the same manner and to the same extent, but sub- 
ject to the same limitations and trusts, as the said The Permanent Committee on 
Education for the Ministry of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 
the United States of America might have done, and shall be entitled to receive, sue 
for and recover all legacies and devises which have heretofore been or may hereafter be 
made to the said The Permanent Committee on Education for the Ministry of the 
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. 

JAMES H. WEBB, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
WILLIAM H. WALLACE. 

Speaker of the Senate. 

Approved the twelfth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one. 

JOHN W. GEARY, Governor. 

c. ACT AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF PROPERTY OF THE PER- 
MANENT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION TO THE BOARD OF EDU- 
CATION. 

LEGISLATURE OF NEW YORK. 

An Act to enable "The Permanent Committee on Education for the Ministry of the 
Genera! Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America," 
to transfer its property to the new Board created by the General Assembly, when 
the same shall have been incorporated, and to vest in snch new incorporation the 
rights, franchises and privileges of the former body. 

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as 

follows ; 

Section 1. The said "Permanent Committee on Education for the Ministry of the 
General Assembly in the United States of America," are hereby authorized and em- 
powered to assign, transfer and convey to the said The Board of Education of the 
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, whenever the same shall have 
become duly incorporated, all the property, estates and rights of any and every de- 
scription now held or enjoyed, or which may hereafter be held or enjoyed, by them, by 
virtue of any grant, gift, bequest or devise, and the said The Board of Education of 
the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, whenever the same shall 
have become duly incorporated as aforesaid, shall thereupon be and become the full 
legal successors of all the corporate rights, franchises and privileges now belonging 
to the said "The Permanent Committee on Education for the Ministry of the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America." 

Section 2. This Act shall take effect whenever the several persons elected at the 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 361 

meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, in May, eighteen hun- 
dred and seventy, as the Board of Education, shall have been duly incorporated. 

Approved the twentieth day of April, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred 
and seventy -one. 

JOHN T. HOFFMAN, Governor. 

d, EULES OF THE BOAED OF EDUCATION EELATING TO CANDI- 
DATES FOE THE MINISTEY. 

I. Dependence of the Board of Education upon the Presby- 
teries of the Church. 

1. The Board of Education shall only receive and aid candidates for 
the ministry of the gospel upon the recommendation of a Presbytery of 
the Church ; and the Presbytery is responsible for their examination, sub- 
sequent care, and the designation of the annual amount of aid to be 
granted to them, within the limits set by the General Assembly. 

2. The Board will in each case look specially to the Education Com- 
mittee of the Presbytery for the notification of the recommendation of a 
candidate for aid, and for the information required for favorable action 
upon it ; and is to regard that Committee as the particular agency of the 
Presbytery for the pastoral care of those who are preparing for the minis- 
try until their entrance upon its duties. 

3. As a general rule, the Board will receive any young man of whose 
examination and recommendation in conformity with its requirements 
proper notification has been given, but it may exercise discretionary 
power to refuse to receive new candidates beyond its ability to support 
them. 

II. Reception of Candidates. 

1. The encouragement of a young man to undertake the office of the 
ministry is a matter of most serious concern to himself, the Church and 
many immortal souls, which should only be ventured upon by those who 
have sufficient knowledge of his religious and mental character and capa- 
bilities, with much counsel and prayer, and out of a single anxious desire 
for the glory of God. He should enter the Presbytery to which he would 
naturally belong ; and the application for his reception ought usually to 
be made by his pastor or a member of the Presbyterial Committee on Ed- 
ucation. 

2. The Presbytery, in examining students with a view to their recom- 
mendation for aid, must embrace such points as are indicated by the fol- 
lowing questions, to which definite answers by the direction of the Assem- 
bly will invariably be required by the Board : What is the candidate's 
name ? age ? residence ? Is the Presbytery satisfied as to his experimental 
piety? As to his motives for seeking the ministry? As to his talents? 
As to his health? As to his promise of practical efficiency? Is he free 
from expensive and injurious habits? What is the lowest amount of pe- 
cuniary aid required to supplement his really necessary expenses till the 
end of the present collegiate year? Of what congregation is he a mem- 
ber? How long has he been in the communion of the Church? What is 
his stage of study? Where engaged at present? Give the name of a 
responsible person (usually a member of the faculty of the institution or 
his pastor) through whom the appropriations can be sent. 

3. No candidate shall be received by the Board who has not been a 
member of the Presbyterian Church or some closely related body for at 
least one year, who has not been recommended to the Presbytery by the 

46 



362 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

session of the church of which he is a member, and who is not sufficiently 
advanced in study to enter college, except in extraordinary cases. 

III. Appropriations. 

1. The annual appropriations to candidates shall not in ordinary cir- 
cumstances exceed $150 to theological or $120 to collegiate students, and 
not more than $100 to extraordinary cases in the preparatory course. 

2. These appropriations shall only be paid to a student on the reception 
of particular and satisfactory reports from his professors, embracing the 
following points: Do you know of anything in him inconsistent with a 
high Christian character? What is his standing as to scholarship — high, 
medium or low? (Add if possible his grade.) Is he free from expensive 
and injurious habits? Are you so satisfied with his promise of future use- 
fulness that you can consistently recommend him for aid? 

3. The Board may increase or diminish, in a general ratio, the appro- 
priations, in case of unusual surplus or deficiency of funds. 

4. In order to suit the period when the students most need assistance, 
and when the reports from professors can be most satisfactorily made, the 
reports shall ordinarily be made on the first days of November, January, 
March and May. The appropriation of a student whose recommendation 
is made at any time between those days may be expected to commence 
with the date of it. 

5. The Board will in no case be responsible for debts of students, but it 
is expected of them that its appropriations shall be first applied to the 
payment of tuition and boarding. 

6. The appropriations to candidates shall cease regularly at the close 
of the collegiate year or earlier ; and they shall not be made in case of 
prolonged ill health which may unfit them for the work of the ministry ; 
when they are manifestly improvident, or contract debts without reasona- 
ble prospect of payment; when they marry; when they receive assistance 
from any other educational board or society ; or when from private cir- 
cumstances they cease to need aid. 

7. The sums of money appropriated by the Board shall be refunded to 
it with interest in case a student fail to enter on or continue in the work 
of the ministry, unless he can make it appear that he is providentially 
prevented; if he cease to adhere to the standards of the Presbyterian 
Church ; if he change his place of study contrary to the directions of his 
Presbytery, or continue to prosecute his studies at an institution not ap- 
proved by it or by the Board; or withdraw -his connection from the 
Church of which this Board is the organ without furnishing a satisfactory 
reason. 

8. The pecuniary assistance afforded by the Presbyterian Church, 
through her Board of Education, is not to be given or regarded as a loan 
to be refunded by those who comply with these rules and regularly enter 
the ministry, but as her cheerful contribution to facilitate and expedite 
their preparation for it ; and they are only obligated by it to warmer in- 
terest in her efforts for the advancement of the Kedeemer's kingdom, and 
especially to the use of the means necessary to instruct and stimulate h^r 
members in the duty of multiplying and sending forth preachers of tiie 
gospel of salvation to all the world. 

IV. Care of Candidates. 

1. Every student is required, except in unusual circumstances, and with 
the explicit permission of his Presbytery, to pursue a thorough course of 
study, preparatory to that of theology, and when prepared to pursue a 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 363 

three years' course of theological studies in a seminary connected with the 
Presbyterian Church; and no work of preaching is to be allowed to inter- 
fere with the diligent and faithful prosecution of their prescribed studies 
until their close. 

2. The Board can only rely upon the Education Committee of each 
Presbytery for the regular care of its own candidates, which should con- 
sist in the constant exercise of a parental oversight over them in spiritual 
things, and for the bestowment of the counsel they need, as to their mode 
of preparation, their places of study, their trials and the occupation of 
their time, while not engaged in study, in employments which shall tend to 
qualify them for effective usefulness as pastors or evangelists. 

3. The Board shall assist the Presbytery in its care of candidates, by 
furnishing annually to the Education Committee information from the 
Professor's reports as to the standing of each student; and the Corre- 
sponding Secretary shall exercise a general supervisory care over them, 
and visit and address them, when practicable, at the institutions of learn- 
ing, in regard to their duties and the claims of the office which they have 
in view. 

4. The recommendation of each candidate must be annually renewed by 
his Presbytery, if possible, at the fall meeting, in connection with one from 
the session of the church of which he is a member, and a specification 
must be made of the amount needed by him, and until the ratification of 
these has been received a student will not be considered as upon the roll 
for the year. 

5. Recommendations or renewals of them made by an Education Com- 
mittee in the interim of the sessions of a Presbytery shall be received as 
sufficient, provided its action is reported to the Presbytery at its next ses- 
sion, and not countermanded to the Board. 

6. If at any time there be discovered in a student such defect in capa- 
city, diligence, and especially in piety, as would render his introduction 
into the ministry a doubtful measure, it shall be considered the sacred 
duty of the Presbytery to cease to recommend him, and that of the Board 
to withdraw its appropriations. 

7. Special care should be exercised by the Presbytery in the examina- 
tion of students who are about to enter upon the theological course, ac- 
cording to the instructions of the Form of Government, chap, xiv., sec. iii. 
This should be conducted by the Presbytery, and be entirely satisfactory 
as to their " real piety," and " the motives which influence them to desire 
the sacred office," before they are allowed to take this final step toward 
assuming its great responsibilities. 

8. The periodical publications of this Board and a copy of the Confes- 
sion of Faith shall be sent gratis to all students under its care. 

V. Particular Duties of Candidates. 
1. Inasmuch as the great aim of the Church, in the establishment of 
its Board of Education, is the increase of holy and faithful preachers of 
the gospel, the young brethren who look to this work are earnestly and 
affectionately reminded that all intellectual acquisitions are of little value 
without the cultivation of piety, and that they are expected and required 
to pay special attention to the practical duties of religion, such as reading 
the Scriptures; secret prayer and meditation; occasional acts of special 
consecration of themselves to Christ and to his service as their Redeemer 
and as the Lord of all ; attendance on regular meetings on the. Sabbath 
and during the week ; endeavors to promote the salvation of others ; and 
the exhibition at all times of a pious and consistent example. 



364 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

2. As the appropriations of the Board necessarily fall short of the en- 
tire wants of the students, so the friends of each, and the student himself, 
will be expected to make all proper exertions in assisting to defray the 
expenses of his education. 

3. When a student shall find it necessary to relinquish study for a time 
in order to increase his means of support, by teaching or otherwise, he 
shall first obtain the consent of the Education Committee of the Presby- 
tery or of the Board; and if, when given, he shall not be absent from 
study more than three months, his appropriations will be continued ; but 
if longer, they will be discontinued or continued in part, according to 
circumstances. 

4. It shall be the duty of each candidate connected with the Board to 
report himself, soon after the meeting of the General Assembly, to the 
Education Committee of his Presbytery, as to his progress, wants and 
prospects ; and where any of the requisitions of the Board which affect 
him may not be carried out by teachers or others, it becomes his duty to 
see that they are attended to, that delays and losses to himself may be 
prevented. 

5. The reception of an appropriation by a student shall be considered 
as expressing a promise to comply with all the rules and regulations of 
the Board. 

II. Every candidate for licensure shall be taken on trials by that 
Presbytery to which he most naturally belongs, and he shall be con- 
sidered as most naturally belonging to that Presbytery within the 
bounds of which he has ordinarily resided. But in case any candi- 
date should find it more convenient to put himself under the care of 
a Presbytery at a distance from that to which he most naturally be- 
longs, he may be received by the said Presbytery on his producing 
testimonials, either from the Presbytery within the bounds of which 
he has commonly resided, or from any two ministers of that Presby- 
tery in good standing, of his exemplary piety and other requisite 
qualifications. 

1. The Usage in the Olden Time. 

In answer to the third query, the Synod judge that any student in 
divinity who professes a design to enter into the ministry has a right in 
our present situation to study for his improvement under the direction of 
any divine of reputation in the Synod, according to a former act; but that 
when he proposes to enter upon trials with a view to the ministry, he shall 
come under the care of that Presbytery to which he most naturally belongs, 
and he shall be deemed most naturally to belong to that Presbytery in whose 
bounds he has been brought up and lived for the most part, and where he 
is best known. But if another Presbytery desire that any student or stu- 
dents should come into their bounds, or if any such student or student*, 
for greater conveniency, or from any circumstances that make it necessary, 
desire to enter upon trials in a different Presbytery, upon his offering sat- 
isfactory reasons he may be dismissed ; but in either case the Presbytery 
to which he removes shall not receive nor admit him to come under trials 
upon his having a certificate as a regular church member only, but he 
shall bring a testimonial from the Presbytery or several neighboring min- 
isters where he lived, recommending him as a candidate for the ministry 



OF LICE^sSI2sG CANDIDATES. 365 

of exemplary piety and holiness of conversation, nor shall anything less 
be esteemed a sufficient recommendation. — 1764, p. 337. 

2. Licensure by Bodies other than those within whose Bounds 

the Candidate expects to Labor Disapproved. 

Though the Synod entertains a high regard for the associated churches 
of isew England, yet we cannot but judge that students who go to them 
or to any other than our own Presbyteries to obtain license in order to 
return and officiate among us act very irregularly, and are not to be ap- 
proved or employed by our Presbyteries, as hereby we are deprived of the 
right of trying and approving the qualifications of our own candidates ; 
yet if any case may happen wherein such conduct may in some circum- 
stances be thought necessary for the greater good of any congregation, it 
shall be laid before the Presbytery to -which the congregation belongs and 
approved of by them. — 1764, p. 338. 

[For action condemning the licensing of a candidate of one Presbytery 
by another without regular dismission, see chap, x., sec. viii.] 

3. Candidates should be Placed under the Care of Presbytery. 

a. It is recommended to the agencies and committees to endeavor to 
have the young men aided by the Church, especially in their theological 
studies, placed under the care of Presbyteries, and that in all ordinary 
cases they be licensed by those Presbyteries to which they naturally be- 
long.— 1854, p. 507, K S. 

b. It is recommended that the young men aided by the Assembly's 
Committee be ordinarily placed, as soon as possible, under the care of 
Presbyteries, and that in all ordinary cases they be licensed, if convenient, 
by the Presbyteries to which they naturally belong. — 1856, p. 224, N. S. 

c. Resolved, That candidates should be required to put themselves under 
the care of Presbytery as soon as possible, and receive careful supervision 
during their entire course, and that whatever arrangements the Presby- 
teries may deem expedient to facilitate their training, these arrangements 
should not be such as will tend to shorten the full term of study or induce 
an absence from their classes at either the opening or closing of the semi- 
nary sessions. — 1857, p. 31, O. S. 

See also 1864, p. 315, O. S. 

4. Careful Supervision to be Exercised in Receiving Candidates 
and over their Studies. 

Resolved, That this Assembly renew the resolution of the Assembly of 
last year (minutes, p. 524), and " earnestly urge all our Presbyteries and 
Committees ad interim to guard with a becoming caution and a firm vigi- 
lance the door to the holy office of the ministry, so as not to admit to that 
sacred calling men wanting in mental and moral qualifications for its high 
and holy functions." And furthermore, as a means of excluding improper 
persons, that this Assembly enjoins upon every Presbytery which has not 
so done to appoint a Committee, whose duty it shall be to make careful 
inquiry as to the conduct and progress in study of all the candidates under 
its care, and to make report to their Presbytery at every stated meeting, 
or oftener if presbyterial action is needed. — 1860, p. 25, O. S. 






366 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

5. No Candidate to be Received by the Board until he has been 
a Church Member one year and pursued Classical Studies for 
one year. 

That it be recommended that the Board of Education hereafter receive 
no candidate for the ministry until he has been a member of the Church 
at least one year, and has also passed his classical studies for an academic 
year, except in extraordinary cases to be determined by the Board. 

That increased care be enjoined upon the Presbyteries in bringing for- 
ward or recommending candidates for the sacred ministry. — 1872, p. 19. 

6. Candidates must Connect Themselves -with the Presbytery to 

•which they Naturally Belong. 

That the candidates of the Board be required to connect themselves 
with the Presbyteries to which they naturally belong, unless for extraor- 
dinary reasons, of which the Presbyteries must be the judge. — 1872, p. 19. 

III. It is proper and requisite that candidates applying to the 
Presbytery to be licensed to preach the gospel produce satisfactory 
testimonials of their good moral character and of their being regular 
members of some particular church. And it is the duty of the Pres- 
bytery, for their satisfaction with regard to the real piety of such can- 
didates, to examine them respecting their experimental acquaintance 
with religion and the motives which influence them to desire the sa- 
cred office. This examination shall be close and particular, and in 
most cases may best be conducted in the presence of the Presbytery 
only. And it is recommended that the candidate be also required to 
produce a diploma of bachelor or master of arts from some college 
or university, or, at least, authentic testimonials of his having gone 
through a regular course of learning. 

1. A Liberal Education Required. 

a. Through the Committee of Overtures it was requested by the first 
Presbytery of Philadelphia that the Synod declare to them their sense on 
this point, viz., whether a person without a liberal education may be taken 
on trials or licensed to preach the gospel. The question being put, it was 
carried in the negative. — 1783, p. 499. 

b. An overture was brought in in the following terms, viz.: "Whether 
in the present state of the Church in America, and the scarcity of minis- 
ters to fill our numerous congregations, the Synod or Presbyteries ought 
therefore to relax, in any degree, in the literary qualifications required of 
intrants into the ministry," and it was carried in the negative by a great 
majority. — 1785, p. 511. 

c. To keep Pace with the Progress of Society and Letters. 

Your Committee recommend to the General Assembly to enjoin it upon 
all their Presbyteries to take the most effectual order in their power to 
increase, if possible, the qualifications of candidates for the gospel minis- 
try with regard both to sincere piety and solid and extensive learning, 
that the improvements of the pulpit may keep full pace with the progress 
of society and letters. — 1799, p. 181. 






OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 367 

2. Letter to Rev. David Rice on Thorough Literary Training for 

the Ministry. 

Dear Sir: Your letter of the 18th of April has been regularly laid 
before the General Assembly ; and although it ought to have been accom- 
panied with an extract from the minutes of the Presbytery of Transylva- 
nia, yet the Assembly, having perfect confidence in you, easily waived 
that formality. 

The inquiry which you propose in the name of the Presbytery concern- 
ing the propriety in your present circumstances of licensing and ordain- 
ing men to the work of the gospel ministry without a liberal education is 
certainly of great magnitude. Considering the great and ardent zeal on 
the subject of religion which has been awakened throughout so large a 
portion of the United States, the multitudes who are earnestly demanding 
of you the bread of life, and the few, comparatively, who are regularly 
ordained to break it among them, the reasoning seems specious at first 
which would encourage us, in the instances you mention, to depart from 
the spirit of our standards on this subject, and some plausible facts fre- 
quently occur which appear to confirm this reasoning and mislead the 
judgments of many honest and well-meaning men. On all subjects on 
which the human mind is roused to uncommon exertions and inflamed 
with uncommon ardor, men become eloquent for a season, and even the 
most weak and ignorant often surprise us by the fluency and pertinency as 
well as fervor of their expressions. And in general revivals of the spirit of 
religion that copiousness and pathos in prayer and exhortation which are 
not uncommonly to be found among men who are destitute of any liberal 
culture of mind, and often even of any considerable natural talents, may 
tempt themselves and lead others to conclude that they are endued with 
peculiar and extraordinary gifts for the service of the Church which ought 
not to be suifered to lie useless and unemployed. 

An ardent zeal, too often united with a certain spiritual pride and strong 
self-love, is apt to inspire some weak persons of an enthusiastic temper- 
ament with vehement impulses to preach the gospel, which they flatter 
themselves are calls from heaven, but experience has repeatedly shown us 
that these inward impulses most commonly affect men of great imbecility 
of mind or of strong vanity. Experience further shows that when this 
fervor is somewhat abated, all their barrenness and defect of furniture for 
the holy ministry, and the sound interpretation of the sacred Scriptures, 
become manifest, and too many unhappy examples have occurred of those 
who have abandoned good morals when deserted by their zeal. And with 
regard to supposed calls to preach the gospel, no man can be rightly called 
to that sacred office out of the regular order which Christ has established 
in his Church ; no such inward call can be judged of by any church judi- 
catory, nor distinguished by any certain criterion from the visionary im- 
pulses of enthusiasm. The judicatories of the Church can judge only of the 
life aud conversation of men, their knowledge and their talents to teach. 

Besides, we know that the nature of true religion is to render men hum- 
ble. And such is the solemnity and importance of the duty of interpret- 
ing the word of God to the people, and speaking in his name, that a sincere 
peuitent will rather wait to be sought out than forwardly intrude himself 
into so holy a calling. And do we not find in fact that they are not usually 
the most prudent, judicious and qualified to teach among the laity who 
are most solicitous to be constituted public guides and instructors in the 
Church? 

We do not say that a liberal education is absolutely essential to a man's 



368 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

usefulness in the ministry of the gospel, but reason and experience both 
demonstrate its high importance and utility. And where ignorant men 
are permitted to explain the Holy Scriptures, it ought to be subject to 
the direction and control of others of greater knowledge. But this is an 
order which it has not been thought proper to adopt in the Presbyterian 
Church. And the superior comparative prosperity and usefulness of our 
Church and that of our eastern brethren, which is similarly constituted, is 
a demonstration by no means equivocal of the approbation and smiles of 
Heaven upon us in the exercise of our present form of government and dis- 
cipline. But were our opinion on this subject different from what it is, we 
cannot lawfully and conscientiously depart from our present standards till 
they be changed in an orderly manner by the consent of a majority of 
the Presbyteries which compose the body of the General Assembly. 

You express your apprehensions lest, if certain illiterate and unquali- 
fied men should not be admitted to the ministry of the gospel among you, 
they may withdraw from the Church and become the promoters of dan- 
gerous schisms. We answer, The path of duty is a safe path. Do what is 
right, and commit the event to God. If they are men of such a spirit, it 
is only a new proof that they are most unfit for the office to which they 
aspire. Parties created by them will neither be important nor durable. 
But if the gates of the Church are opened to weakness and ignorance, she 
will soon be overflowed with errors and with the wildest disorders. We 
shall bring the ministry into disgrace and contempt which should be, like 
the priesthood of Aaron, without blemish. If men are sincerely desirous of 
promoting the glory of God, let them first bestow the necessary pains and 
time to acquire the requisite qualifications for feeding and leading the 
flock of Christ ; let them be regularly initiated in the priesthood, and not 
hasten to offer unhallowed fire on God's altar. If they are sincerely desir- 
ous of doing good, let them do it in that sphere in which they appear des- 
tined by Providence to move. In this every Christian, the poorest and 
humblest, has ample scope to exercise his pious and benevolent disposi- 
tions, and to exert his talents, whatever they may be. — 1804, p. 299. 

3. Liberal Education "Waived in Certain Cases. 

a. Several very earnest applications were made to the Synod by Welsh 
people in different parts, representing that many among them understand 
not the English tongue, and unless they have a pastor capable of speak- 
ing in their own language they must live entirely destitute of ordinances ; 
that a certain Mr. John Griffith came some years ago from Wales, with 
good certificates of his Christian knowledge and piety, though he has not 
had a liberal education, and of being there licensed to preach the gospel ; 
that he has preached among them to their great satisfaction, and therefore 
pray the Synod to ordain him to the ministry that he may both preach 
and also administer the sacraments among them. 

Upon considering the case, the Synod find that several members have 
seen his certificates from Wales, that some have conversed with him and 
were much satisfied with his Christian knowledge and acquaintance with 
experimental religion ; that those of the Welsh here who testify to the 
Synod concerning his useful preaching and pious conduct are known to 
be men of judgment and integrity ; and as the circumstances of that peo- 
ple are singular, and no other way appears in which they can enjoy ordi- 
nances, the Synod agree that the said Mr. John Griffith, though he has 
not the measure of school learning usually required, and which they judge 
to be ordinarily requisite, be ordained to the work of the ministry, and ap- 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 369 

point Messrs. Samuel Davies, Dr. Allison, Treat, Hunter and Kettletas to 
be a Presbytery "pro re nata" to ordain him to-morrow at 11 o'clock. — 
1758, p. 289. 

[Mr. Griffith was accordingly ordained.] 

b. Whereas, From the communications from the Presbytery of Union it 
appears that the said John Gloucester has been for some time under the 
care of the Presbytery of Union ; that, in the opinion of that Presbytery, 
he possesses promising talents and eminent piety ; that he has been for sev- 
eral years engaged in the study of literature and theology, but has not yet 
obtained all the literary qualifications usually required in candidates for 
licensure; and that if he were licensed there is much reason to believe he 
might be highly useful in preaching the gospel among those of his own 
color ; and whereas, said Presbytery requests the advice of the General 
Assembly; therefore, 

Resolved, 1. That the General Assembly highly approve the caution and 
prudence of the Presbytery of Union in this case. 2. That considering 
the circumstances of this particular case — viz., the evidence of unusual 
talents, discretion and piety possessed by John Gloucester — the good reason 
there is to believe that he may be highly useful in preaching the gospel 
among those of his own color, and the various difficulties likely to attend 
a further delay in proceeding in this case, the General Assembly did and 
hereby do authorize the Presbytery of Philadelphia to consider the case 
of John Gloucester, and if they think proper to license him to preach the 
gospel.— 1807, p. 387. 

4. Theological Instruction. 
a. Overtures for the Establishment of a Theological School. 

The Committee [of Bills and Overtures] laid before the Assembly an 
overture from the Presbytery of Philadelphia for the establishment of a 
theological school. 

The overture was read, and the Eev. Dr. D wight* and the Kev. Messrs. 
Irwin, Hosack, Romeyn, Anderson, Lyle, Burch, Lacy, and Messrs. Bay- 
ard, Slaymaker and Harrison, elders, were appointed a Committee to take 
the overture into consideration and report upon it. — 1809, p. 417. 

The Committee to which was referred the overture in relation to the 
establishment of a theological school brought in the following report, 
which, being read, was adopted, viz. : 

The Committee appointed on the subject of a theological school over- 
timed from the Presbytery of Philadelphia, report: 

That three modes of compassing this important object have presented 
themselves to their consideration. 

The first is to establish one great school in some convenient place near 
the centre of the bounds of our Church. 

The second is to establish two schools in such places as may best accom- 
modate the northern and southern divisions of the Church. 

The third is to establish such a school within the bounds of each of the 
Synods. In this case your Committee suggest the propriety of leaving it 
to each Synod to direct the mode of forming the school and the place 
where it shall be established. 

The advantages attending the first of the proposed modes are that it 
would be furnished with larger funds, and therefore with a more extensive 

* President of Yale College, who sat in the Assembly as a delegate from the 
General Association of Connecticut. 

47 



370 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

library and a greater number of professors. The system of education 
pursued in it would, therefore, be more extensive and more perfect; the 
youths educated in it would also be more united in the same views, and 
contract an early and lasting friendship for each other — circumstances 
which could not fail of promoting harmony and prosperity in the Church. 
The disadvantages attending this mode would be principally those derived 
from the distance of its position from the extremities of the Presbyterian 
bounds. 

The advantages attending the second of the proposed modes and the 
disadvantages will readily suggest themselves from a comparison of this 
with the other two. 

The advantages which attend the third — to wit, the establishment of 
theological schools by the respective Synods — would be the following : The 
local situation of the respective schools would be peculiarly convenient 
for the several parts of a country so extensive as that for the benefit of 
which they were designed. The inhabitants, having the seminaries brought 
near to them, would feel a peculiar interest in their prosperity, and may be 
rationally expected to contribute to it much more liberally and generally 
than to a single school, or even to two. The Synods also, having the im- 
mediate care of them, and directing either in person or by delegation all 
their concerns, would feel a similar interest, and would probably be better 
pleased with a system formed by themselves, and therefore peculiarly suited 
to the wishes and interests of the several parts of the Church immediately 
under their direction. Greater efforts, therefore, may be expected from 
ministers and people to promote the prosperity of these schools than of any 
other. The disadvantages of this mode would be the inferiority of the 
funds, a smaller number of professors, a smaller library and a more lim- 
ited system of education in each. The students also would, as now, be 
strangers to each other. 

Should the last of these modes be adopted, your Committee are of opin- 
ion that everything pertaining to the erection and conduct of each school 
should be left to the direction of the respective Synods. If either of the 
first, the whole should be subject to the control of the General Assembly. 

Your Committee also suggest that in the former of these cases the 
funds for each school should be raised within the bounds of the Synod 
within which it was stationed. In the latter they should be collected from 
ihe whole body of the Church. 

Your Committee therefore submit the following resolution, to wit: 

Resolved, That the above plan be submitted to all the Presbyteries 
within the bounds of the General Assembly for their consideration, and 
that they be careful to send up to the next Assembly, at their sessions in 
May, 1810, their opinions on the subject. — 1809, p. 430. 

b. Plans Proposed. 

The Committee appointed to examine the reports of the several Presby- 
teries on the subject of theological schools, and to report to the Assembly 
the opinions expressed by them severally on the three different plans sent 
down for their consideration, reported that after carefully examining the 
reports of the several Presbyteries on this subject they find the following 
results : Ten Presbyteries have expressed an opinion in favor of the first 
plan, viz., the establishment of a single school. One Presbytery has 
given an opinion in favor of the second plan, viz., the establishment of 
two schools. Ten Presbyteries have expressed a judgment in favor of the 
third ,plan, viz., the establishment of a school in each Synod. Six Pres- 
byteries have expressed an opinion that it is not expedient at present to 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 371 

attempt the establishment of any school ; and from the remaining Pres- 
byteries no report has been received. — 1810, p. 439. 

e. Act Establishing the Seminary. 

The Committee appointed further to consider the subject of theological 
schools reported, and the report, being read and amended, was adopted, 
and is as follows, viz. : 

That after maturely deliberating on the subject committed to them 
they submit to the Assembly the following results : 

1. It is evident that not only a majority of the Presbyteries which 
have reported on this subject, but also a majority of all the Presbyteries 
under the care of this Assembly, have expressed a decided opinion in 
favor of the establishment of a theological school or schools in our 
Church. 

2. It appears to the Committee that although according to the state- 
ment already reported to the Assembly there is an equal number of Pres- 
byteries in favor of the first plan, which contemplates a single school for 
the whole Church, and in favor of the third plan, which contemplates the 
erection of a school in each Synod, yet, as several of the objections made 
to the first plan are founded entirely on misconception and will be com- 
pletely obviated by developing the details of that plan, it seems fairly to 
follow that there is a greater amount of presbyterial suffrage in favor of a 
single school than any other plan. 

3. Under these circumstances the Committee are of opinion that as 
much light has been obtained from the reports of Presbyteries on this 
subject as would be likely to result from a renewal of the reference, that 
no advantage will probably arise from further delay in this important 
concern, but on the contrary much serious inconvenience and evil, that 
the present Assembly is bound to attempt to carry into execution some 
one of the plans proposed, and that the first plan, appearing to have on 
the whole the greatest share of public sentiment in its favor, ought of 
course to be adopted. 

4. Your Committee therefore recommend that the present General 
Assembly declare its approbation and adoption of this plan, and immedi- 
ately commence a course of measures for carrying it into execution as 
promptly and extensively as possible ; and for this purpose they recom- 
mend to the Assembly the adoption of the following resolution : 

1. Resolved, That the state of our churches, the loud and affecting calls 
of destitute frontier settlements, and the laudable exertions of various 
Christian denominations around us, all demand that the collected wisdom, 
piety and zeal of the Presbyterian Church be without delay called into 
action for furnishing the Church with a large supply of able and faithful 
ministers. 

2. That the General Assembly will, in the name of the great Head of 
the Church, immediately attempt to establish a seminary for securing to 
candidates for the ministry more extensive and efficient theological in- 
struction than they have heretofore enjoyed. The local situation of this 
seminary is hereafter to be determined. 

3. That in this seminary, when completely organized, there shall be at 
least three professors, who shall be elected by and hold their offices during 
the pleasure of the General Assembly, and who shall give a regular course 
of instruction in divinity, Oriental and biblical literature, and in ecclesi- 
astical history and church government, and on such other subjects as may 
be deemed necessary. It being, however, understood that until sufficient 
funds can be obtained for the complete organization and support of the 



372 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

proposed seminary a smaller number of professors than three may be ap- 
pointed to commence the system of instruction. 

4. That exertion be made to provide such an amount of funds for this 
seminary as will enable its conductors to afford gratuitous instruction, and 
when it is necessary gratuitous support, to all such students as may not 
themselves possess adequate pecuniary means. 

5. That the Eev. Drs. Green, Woodhull, Eomeyn and Miller, the Rev. 
Messrs. Archibald Alexander, James Richards and Amzi Armstrong, be a 
Committee to digest and prepare a plan of a theological seminary, em- 
bracing in detail the fundamental principles of the institution, together 
with regulations for guiding the conduct of the instructors and the stu- 
dents, and prescribing the best mode of visiting, of controlling and sup- 
porting the whole system. This plan is to be reported to the next Gen- 
eral Assembly. 

6. That the Rev. Messrs. Jedediah Chapman, Jonas Coe, William Mor- 
rison, James Carnahan and Mr. Isaac Hutton of the Synod of Albany; 
Rev. Drs. Samuel Miller, Philip Milledoler, John B. Romeyn and Aaron 
Woolw r orth, the Rev. Messrs. James Richards, Comfort and Isaac Van- 
doren and Col. Henry Rutgers of the Synod of New York and New Jer- 
sey ; Rev. Drs. Ashbel Green, John McKnight and James Muir, the Rev. 
Messrs. Nathaniel Irwin, John Glendy, Archibald Alexander, John E. 
Latta, John B. Slemmons, John B. Patterson and James Inglis and Mr. 
Robert Ralston of the Synod of Philadelphia ; the Rev. John D. Blair, 
William Williamson, Samuel Houston, Samuel Doake and Benjamin 
Grigsby of the Synod of Virginia ; the Rev. Samuel Ralston, James 
Guthrie, William Speer and James Hughes of the Synod of Pittsburg ; 
the Rev. Robert G. Wilson, James Blythe, Archibald Cameron and 
Joshua L. Wilson of the Synod of Kentucky ; the Rev. Drs. James Hall, 
Henry Kollock and the Rev. Messrs. Malcolm McNair, James Mcllhenny 
and Andrew Flinn of the Synod of the Carolinas, be and they hereby are 
appointed agents to solicit donations in the course of the current year, 
within the bounds of their respective Synods, for the establishment and 
support of the proposed seminary ; and if any of said agents should be 
unable or unwilling to act in this case, it will be his or their duty to in- 
form the moderator of his or their Synod, for the time being, who is 
hereby authorized, if he think proper, to appoint a substitute or substi- 
tutes, as the case may require. These agents are to report to the next 
General Assembly. 

Resolved, That the members of this Assembly generally, and all the 
clergy of our denomination within our bounds, do aid the exertions of 
those who shall go on in this business. 

7. That as filling the church with a learned and able ministry, without a 
corresponding portion of real piety, would be a curse to the world and an 
offence to God and his people, so the General Assembly think it their duty 
to state that, in establishing a seminary for training up ministers, it is 
their earnest desire to guard as far as possible against so great an evil ; 
they do hereby solemnly pledge themselves to the churches under their 
care that, in forming and carrying into execution the plan of the proposed 
seminary, it will be their endeavor to make it, under the blessing of God, 
a nursery of vital piety as well as of sound theological learning, and to 
train up persons for the ministry who shall be lovers as well as defenders 
of the truth as it is in Jesus, friends of revivals of religion, and a blessing 
to the Church of God. 

8. That as the Constitution of our Church guarantees to every Presby- 
tery the right of judging of its own candidates for licensure and ordina- 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 373 

tioD, so the Assembly think it proper to state most explicitly that every 
Presbytery and Synod will, of course, be left at full liberty to countenance 
the proposed plan or not at pleasure, and to send their students to the pro- 
jected seminary, or keep them as heretofore within their own bounds, as 
they think most conducive to the prosperity of the Church. 

9. That the professors in the seminary shall not in any case be consid- 
ered as having a right to license candidates to preach the gospel, but that 
all such candidates shall be remitted to their respective Presbyteries to be 
examined and licensed as heretofore. 

10. Resolved finally, That Dr. Samuel Miller and Rev. James Richards 
be a Committee to prepare a draught of an address from this Assembly to 
the churches under our care, calling their attention to the subject of a 
theological school, and earnestly soliciting their patronage and support in 
the execution of the plan now proposed. — 1810, p. 453. 

d. Agreement with the Trustees of New Jersey College. 

a. An extract from the minutes of the trustees of the college of New 
Jersey, stating the appointment of a Committee of their Board to confer 
with a Committee of this Assembly on the establishment of a theological 
school, being received, was read, and Drs. Alexander and Nott, the Rev. 
John P. Campbell, Messrs. Connelly and Bethune, were appointed a Com- 
mittee to confer with the Committee of the trustees. — 1811, p. 466. 

b. This Committee reported among other things that they deem it expe- 
dient on the part of this Assembly to appoint a Committee, with ample 
powers, to meet a Committee on the part of the trustees of the college of 
New Jersey, invested with similar powers, to frame the plan of a constitu- 
tion for the theological seminary, containing the fundamental principles 
of a union with the trustees of that college and the seminary already es- 
tablished by them, which shall never be changed or altered without the 
mutual consent of both parties, provided that it should be deemed proper 
to locate the Assembly's seminary at the same place with that of the col- 
lege. [The Committee was appointed.] — 1811, pp. 470, 471. 

e. Terms of Agreement. 

The following plan of an agreement between a Committee appointed by 
the last General Assembly and a Committee of the trustees of the college 
of New Jersey for the location and establishment of a theological semi- 
nary, was submitted to this Assembly, and was adopted : 

1. That the theological seminary about to be erected by the General 
Assembly shall have its location iu Princeton or its immediate vicinity, in 
the State of New Jersey, and in such connection with the college of New 
Jersey as is implied in the following articles: 

2. That the trustees of the college engage that the General Assembly 
and directors, to be by them appointed, shall carry into full and complete 
effect, without any interposition, interference, let or hindrance from them, 
the trustees or their successors, the whole plan of a theological seminary, 
as laid down and agreed upon at a meeting of the Assembly in the present 
year of our Lord, 1811. That is to say, that the said General Assembly 
shall appoint their directors, choose their professors, carry on their instruc- 
tion, govern their pupils and manage their funds as to them shall appear 
best. 

3. That the trustees of the college engage to the General Assembly 
freely to allow them to erect at their own expense, on the grounds belong- 
ing to the college, such buildings for the accommodation of pupils and 



374 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

professors as they may judge proper, and which may not interfere with the 
buildings and their conveniences already erected by the trustees ; and to 
prevent all future dissatisfaction on this subject, that it be agreed that 
when the General Assembly or the directors of the theological seminary 
may wish to erect any building on the college grounds, and there shall be 
any discordance of views relative to the same, then the General Assembly 
or the directors aforesaid shall appoint three men and the Board of Trus- 
tees the same number, and these six shall choose one man not belonging 
to either body; and these seven men, by a majority of votes, shall deter- 
mine whether said building can be properly erected on said grounds, and 
if so, what shall be the site and size of the same; and that this determina- 
tion shall be conclusive and final with both parties. Provided nothing 
contained in this article shall be understood to prohibit the General As- 
sembly or the directors of the theological seminary from making use of 
any other ground, within the limits prescribed in article first, for the pur- 
poses aforesaid. 

4. That the trustees engage to the General Assembly to grant them 
every practicable accommodation in the buildings now existing, not only 
till others may be erected by the Assembly, but afterward, so long as the 
same may be desirable. 

5. That the trustees engage to endeavor to receive into the college all 
the youth whom the Assembly, or the directors by them appointed, may 
send to it for the purpose of education, subject to such examination at 
entrance and to such discipline during their residence in college as the 
other pupils of the college are subjected to, the trustees to receive for the 
expenses of board, tuition and room-rent the same as for others, and giv- 
ing to the Assembly the assurance that as pupils increase and the funds of 
the college will permit, they will reduce as low as possible all the expenses 
of the pupils under their care. 

6. That the trustees agree to receive and hold for the use of the Assem- 
bly such sums of money as they may voluntarily choose to deposit in the 
hands of the trustees for improvement, so as to incur no inconvenience to 
such trustees from the limitation of their charter, and that such sums of 
money be accordingly invested in such funds as the Assembly shall direct; 
that the trustees pay the interest thereof, when received, to the order of the 
Assembly, keep it wholly separate from the funds of the college, and pay 
over or transfer to the order of the Assembly the principal sum when- 
ever they shall so direct. 

7. That the trustees grant to the professors and pupils of the theologi- 
cal seminary the free use of the college library, subject to such rules as 
may be adopted for the preservation of the books and the good order of 
the same. 

8. That if the General Assembly shall wish to establish at Princeton an 
elementary school for the instruction of youth in such learning as usually 
precedes their entrance into college, the trustees agree to aid them in this 
undertaking by every accommodation and all the patronage in their 
power, so, however, as not to engage to make drafts on the funds of the 
college for that purpose. 

9. That if at any time the General Assembly shall find that the connec- 
tion between their seminary and the college does not conduce sufficiently 
to the great purposes contemplated to be answered by the said seminary, 
they shall be at liberty to remove it to some other place ; and the trustees 
engage that while the theological seminary shall remain at Princeton no 
professorship of theology shall be established in the college. 

10. That whereas the trustees of the college have in their hands a fund, 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 375 

the annual income of which is nearly eighteen hundred dollars, appropri- 
ated by the donors to the education of poor and pious youth for the gos- 
pel ministry of the Presbyterian denomination, the trustees give an assur- 
ance to the Assembly that if the first of these articles take effect they will 
pay a high regard to the recommendation of the Assembly or of their 
directors as to the youth who shall receive the benefit of this fund. 

Ashbel Green, John Woodhull, 

Richard Stockton, 

Committee of the Trustees of New Jersey College. 
Archibald Alexander, Robert Ralston, 
Jacob J. Janeway, John McDowell, 

Committee of the General Assembly. 
Princeton, June 26, 1811. —1812, p. 499. 

/. The Location fixed at Princeton. 

The resolution for locating the theological seminary was again resumed, 
and after considerable discussion and special prayer for direction on the 
important subject, was adopted, and is as follows, viz.: 

Resolved, That Princeton be the site of the theological seminary, leav- 
ing the subject open as to its permanency, agreeably to the stipulations 
agreed upon by the joint Committees of the last Assembly and the trustees 
of the college of New Jersey. — 1812, p. 497. 

Resolved, That the permanent location of the theological seminary be 
in the borough of Princeton, New Jersey, in conformity with the agree- 
ment with the trustees of the college signed at Princeton, June 26, 1811, 
and ratified by the General Assembly at their sessions in May, 1812. — 
1813, p. 533. 

5. The Seminaries. 

I. PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 

[The following are all the provisions of the plan of the seminary that 
are of general interest. Such as relate to the mere internal management 
are omitted. The plan was drawn up by a Committee (see above, tftle 2, 
sec. v.) and adopted by the Assembly (Minutes, 1811, p. 472), and subse- 
quently, by occasional amendments, modified to its present form. In the 
following articles those sections which have no reference affixed to them 
stand as originally adopted. All the other seminaries of our Church are 
organized upon the same essential plan. See Baird, Rev. Ed., pp. 434- 
438.] 

Article I. — Of the General Assembly. 

Section 1. As this institution derives its origin from the General As- 
sembly, so that body is to be considered at all times as its patron and the 
fountain of its powers. The Assembly shall accordingly ultimately sanc- 
tion all its laws, direct its instructions and appoint its principal officers. 

Sec. 2. The General Assembly shall choose a Board of Directors, con- 
sisting of twenty-one ministers and nine ruling elders, by whom the semi- 
nary shall be inspected and conducted. Of this number one-third, or seven 
ministers and three elders, shall be chosen annually, to continue in office 
three years; and if any vacancy shall occur in the Board by death, resig- 
nation or incapacity to serve, the Assembly may annually fill up such 
vacancies. — 1815, p. 581. 

Sec. 3. All professors of the seminary shall be appointed by the Assem- 
bly. But in cases of necessity the Board of Directors may employ a suit- 



376 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

able person to perform the duties of a professor till a meeting of the As- 
sembly shall take place. 

Sec. 4. The General Assembly shall at all times have the power of 
adding to the constitutional articles of the seminary, and abrogating, 
altering or amending them ; but in the exercise of this power the contem- 
plated additions, abrogations, alterations or amendments shall in every 
case be proposed at one Assembly, and not adopted till the Assembly of 
the subsequent year, except by a unanimous vote. 

Article II. — Of the Board of Directors. 

Sec. 1. The Board of Directors shall meet statedly once in each year 
at the close of the session, and oftener on their own adjournment if they 
shall judge it expedient. Nine members of the Board shall be a quorum, 
provided always, that of this number five at least be ministers of the gos- 
pel, and the president, or, in case of his absence, one of the vice presidents, 
be one.— 1841, p. 436. 

Sec. 2. The Board shall choose out of their own number a President, 
two Vice Presidents and a Secretary. In the absence of the President 
and Vice Presidents the senior member shall preside. 

Sec. 3. The President of the Board, or, in the event of his death, ab- 
sence or inability to act, the first Vice President, shall, at the request of 
any three members, expressed to him in writing, call a special meeting of 
the Board of Directors by a circular letter addressed to each ; in which 
letter notice shall be given not only of the place and time of meeting, but 
of the business intended to be transacted at the meeting notified ; and this 
letter shall be sent at least twenty days before the time of said meeting. — 
1812, p. 508. 

Sec. 4. The Secretary of the Board shall keep accurate records of all 
the proceedings of the directors; and it shall be his duty to lay these 
records, or a faithful transcript of the same, before the General Assembly 
annually, for the unrestrained inspection of all the members. 

Sec. 7. The Board shall direct the professors of the seminary in regard 
to the subjects and topics on which they are severally to give instruction 
to the pupils, so far as the same shall not be prescribed by this plan or by 
the orders of the General Assembly. 

Sec. 8. It shall be the duty of the Board of Directors to inaugurate 
the professors of the seminary, and to direct what forms shall be used, 
and what services performed, on such occasions. 

Sec. 9. Every director, previously to his taking his seat as a member 
of the Board, shall solemnly subscribe the following formula, viz. : "Ap- 
proving the plan of the theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church 
in the United States of America, I solemnly declare and promise, in the 
presence of God and of this Board, that I will faithfully endeavor to carry 
into effect all the articles and provisions of said plan, and to promote the 
great design of the seminary." 

Sec. 10. The Board of Directors shall inspect the fidelity of the pro- 
fessors, especially in regard to the doctrines actually taught ; and if, after 
due inquiry and examination, they shall judge that any professor is either 
unsound in the faith, opposed to the fundamental principles of Presby- 
terian Church government, immoral in his conduct, unfaithful to his trust 
or incompetent to the discharge of his duties, they shall faithfully report 
him as such to the General Assembly. Or if the longer continuance of a 
professor be judged highly dangerous, the directors may immediately sus- 
>end him, and appoint another in his place, till the whole business can be 
reported and submitted to the Assembly. 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 377 

Sec. 11. It shall be the duty of the Board of Directors to watch over 
the conduct of the students ; to redress grievances ; to examine into the 
whole course of instruction and study in the seminary ; and generally to 
superintend and endeavor to promote all its interests. 

Sec. 12. The Board of Directors shall make in writing a detailed and 
faithful report of the state of the seminary to every General Assembly, 
and they may at the same time recommend such measures for the advan- 
tage of the seminary as to them may appear proper. 

Article III. — Of the Professors. 

Sec. 1. The number of the professors in the seminary shall be increased 
or diminished as the Assembly may from time to time direct. Bat when 
the seminary shall be completely organized, there shall not be less than 
three professors. 

Sec. 2. No person shall be inducted into the office of professor of divin- 
ity but an ordained minister of the gospel. 

Sec. 3. Every person elected to a professorship in this seminary shall, 
on being inaugurated, solemnly subscribe the Confession of Faith, Cate- 
chisms and Form of Government of the Presbyterian Church, agreeably 
to the following formula, viz. : " In the presence of God and of the direct- 
ors of this seminary, I do solemnly and ex animo adopt, receive and sub- 
scribe the Confession of Faith and Catechisms of the Presbyterian Church 
in the United States of America as the confession of my faith, or as a 
summary and just exhibition of that system of doctrine and religious be- 
lief which is contained in Holy Scripture, and therein revealed by God to 
man for his salvation ; and I do solemnly ex animo profess to receive the 
Form of Government of said Church as agreeable to the inspired oracles. 
And I do solemnly promise and engage not to inculcate, teach or insinuate 
anything which shall appear to me to contradict or contravene, either di- 
rectly or impliedly, anything taught in the said Confession of Faith or 
Catechisms, nor to oppose any of the fundamental principles of Presby- 
terian Church government, while I shall continue a professor in this semi- 
nary." 

Sec. 4. The salaries of the professors shall be recommended by the di- 
rectors, but they shall be fixed only by a vote of the General Assembly. 

Sec. 6. Each professor shall lay before the Board of Directors, as soon 
as practicable after his appointment, a detailed exhibition of the system 
and method which he proposes to pursue, and the subjects which he pro- 
poses to discuss, in conducting the studies of the youth that shall come 
under his care, and in this system he shall make such alterations or ad- 
ditions as the Board shall direct ; so that, eventually, the whole course 
through which the pupils shall be carried shall be no other than that 
which the Board of Directors shall have approved and sanctioned, con- 
formably to sec. 8, art. ii. And as often as any professor shall think that 
variations and additions of importance may be advantageously introduced 
into his course of teaching, he shall submit the same to the Board of Di- 
rectors for their approbation or rejection. 

Sec. 8. Any professor intending to resign his office shall give six 
months' notice of such intention to the Board of Directors. 

Sec. 9. The professors of the institution shall be considered as a faculty. 
They shall meet at such seasons as they may judge proper. In every 
meeting the senior professor present shall preside. The faculty shall 
choose a clerk, and keep accurate records of all their proceedings; which 
records shall be laid before the directors at every meeting of the Board. 

48 



378 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

The president of the faculty shall call a meeting whenever he shall judge 
it expedient, and whenever he shall be requested to do so by any other 
member. By the faculty, regularly convened, shall be determined the 
hours and seasons at which the classes shall attend the professors severally, 
so as to prevent interference and confusion, and to aiford to the pupils the 
best opportunities of improvement. The faculty shall attend to and de- 
cide on all cases of discipline and all questions of order, as they shall 
arise. They shall agree on the rules of order, decorum and duty (not in- 
consistent with any provision in the plan of the seminary, nor with any 
order of the Board of Directors) to which the students shall be subjected; 
and these they shall reduce to writing, and cause to be publicly and fre- 
quently read. They shall determine the hours at which the whole of the 
pupils shall, morning and evening, attend for social worship, and the man- 
ner in which, and the person or persons of their own number by whom, 
the exercises of devotion shall be conducted. — 1840, p. 293, O. S. 

Sec. 10. The faculty shall be empowered to dismiss from the seminary 
any student who shall prove unsound in his religious sentiments, immoral 
or disorderly in his conduct, or who may be, in their opinion, on any 
account whatsoever, a dangerous or unprofitable member of the institu- 
tion. 

Sec. 12. It shall be the duty of the professors, under the direction of 
the Board of Directors, to supply the pupils of the institution with the 
preaching of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments of the 
Christian Church, if this supply shall not, in the judgment of the direct- 
ors, be satisfactorily furnished by a church or churches in the place where 
the institution shall be established. 

Article IV. — Of Study and Attainments. 

Sec. 1. Every student, at the close of his course, must have made the 
following attainments, viz. : He must be well skilled in the original lan- 
guages of the Holy Scriptures. He must be able to explain the principal 
difficulties which arise in the perusal of the Scriptures, either from erro- 
neous translations, apparent inconsistencies, real obscurities or objections 
arising from history, reason or argument. He must be versed in Jewish 
and Christian antiquities which serve to explain and illustrate Scripture. 
He must have an acquaintance with ancient geography, and with Oriental 
customs which throw light on the sacred records. Thus he will have laid 
the foundation for becoming a sound biblical critic. 

He must have read and digested the principal arguments and writings 
relative to what has been called the deistical controversy. Thus will he 
be qualified to become a defender of the Christian faith. 

He must be able to support the doctrines of the Confession of Faith 
and Catechisms by a ready, pertinent and abundant quotation of Scrip- 
ture texts for that purpose. He must have studied, carefully and cor- 
rectly, natural, didactic, polemic and casuistic theology. He must have 
a considerable acquaintance with general history and chronology, and a 
particular acquaintance with the history of the Christian Church. Thus 
he will be preparing to become an able and sound divine and casuist. 

He must have read a considerable number of the best practical writers 
on the subject of religion. He must have learned to compose with cor- 
rectness and readiness in his own language, and to deliver what he has 
composed to others in a natural and acceptable manner. He must be well 
acquainted with the several parts and the proper structure of popular 
lectures and sermons. He must have composed at least two lectures and 
four popular sermons that shall have been approved by the professors. 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 379 

He must have carefully studied the duties of the pastoral care. Thus he 
will be prepared to become a useful preacher and a faithful pastor. 

He must have studied attentively the Form of Church Government, 
authorized by the Scriptures, aud the administration of it as it has taken 
place in Protestant churches. Thus he will be qualified to exercise dis- 
cipline, and to take part in the government of the Church in all its judi- 
catories. 

Sec. 2. The period of continuance in the theological seminary shall in 
no case be less than three years previously to an examination for a certifi- 
cate of approbation. But students may enter the seminary and enjoy the 
course of instruction for a shorter time than three years, provided they in 
all other respects submit to the laws of the seminary, of which facts they 
may receive a written declaration from the professors. 

Sec. 3. There shall be an examination of all the pupils in the seminary 
at every stated meeting of the Board of Directors. Those pupils who 
shall have regularly and diligently studied for three years shall be ad- 
mitted to an examination on the subjects specified in this article. All 
examinations shall be conducted by the professors in the presence of the 
directors or a Committee of them. Every director present shall be at lib- 
erty, during the progress of any examination or after the same shall have 
been closed by the professors, to put to any pupils such questions as he 
shall deem proper. Every pupil that shall have passed his final exami- 
nation to the satisfaction of the directors present shall receive a certificate 
of the same, signed by the professors, with which he shall be remitted to 
the Presbytery under whose care he is placed, to be disposed of as such 
Presbytery shall direct. Those who do not pass a satisfactory examina- 
tion shall remain a longer space in the seminary. — 1819, p. 707. 

Sec. 4. It shall be the object of the professors to make such arrange- 
ments in the instruction of their pupils as shall be best adapted to enable 
them, in the space of three years, to be examined with advantage on the 
subjects specified in this article. 

Article V. — Of Devotion and Improvement in Practical Piety. 

[Omitted.] 

Article VI. — Of the Students. 

Sec. 1. Every student applying for admission to the theological semi- 
nary shall produce satisfactory testimonials that he possesses good natural 
talents, and is of a prudent and discreet deportment ; that he is in full 
communion with some regular church ; that he has passed through a reg- 
ular course of academical study; or, wanting this, he shall submit himself 
to an examination in regard to the branches of literature taught in such a 
course. 

Sec. 2. The first six months of every student in- the seminary shall be 
considered as probationary; and if, at the end of this period, any student 
shall appear to the professors not qualified to proceed in his studies, they 
shall so report him to the Board of Directors, who, if they are of the same 
opinion with the professors, shall dismiss him from the seminary. 

Sec. 3. The hours of study and of recreation for the students shall be 
fixed by the professors, with the concurrence of the directors, and every 
student shall pay a strict regard to the rules established relative to this 
subject. 

Sec. 4. Every student shall be obliged to write on such theological and 
other subjects as may be prescribed to him by the professors once a month, 
and shall also commit to memory a piece of his own composition, and 



380 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

pronounce it in public before the professors and students. — 1840, p. 293, 
O.S. 

Sec. 9. Every student, before he takes his standing in the seminary, 
shall subscribe the following declaration, viz. : " Deeply impressed with a 
sense of the importance of improving in knowledge, prudence and piety 
and in my preparation for the gospel ministry, I solemnly promise, in a 
reliance on divine grace, that I will faithfully and diligently attend on all 
the instructions of this seminary, and that I will conscientiously and vigi- 
lantly observe all the rules and regulations specified in the plan for its 
instruction and government, so far as the same relate to the students, and 
that I will obey all the lawful requisitions and readily yield to all the 
wholesome admonitions of the professors and directors of the seminary 
while I shall continue a member of it." 

Sec. 10. The exercises of the seminary shall be suspended during four- 
teen weeks in every year, the number of vacations and the times at which 
they shall begin and end to be determined by the Board of Directors. — 
1840, p. 293, O. S. 

Article VII. — Of the funds. 

Sec. 1. The funds of the institution shall be kept at all times entirely dis- 
tinct and separate from all other moneys or funds whatsoever, and they 
shall be deposited in the hands of such corporation, or disposed of for safe 
keeping and improvement in such other manner, as the General Assembly 
shall direct. 

Sec. 2. The Board of Directors shall from time to time, as they may 
see proper, lay before the Assembly plans for the improvement of the 
funds, and propositions for the appropriation of such sums as they may 
think necessary for particular purposes. 

Sec. 3. No money shall at any time be drawn from the funds but by an 
appropriation and order of the Assembly for the purpose. 

Sec. 4. A fair statement shall annually be laid before the Assembly by 
the proper officer of the amount of the funds belonging to the seminary, 
of the items which constitute that amount, and of the expenditures in 
detail for the preceding year. 

Sec. 5. The intention and directions of testators or donors, in regard to 
moneys or other property left or given to the seminary, shall at all times 
be sacredly regarded. And if any individual, or any number of individu- 
als, not greater than three, shall will, or during his or their lives found or 
endow a professorship or professorships, a scholarship or scholarships, or 
a fund or funds destined to special purposes, said professorships, scholar- 
ships or funds shall for ever afterward be called and know T n by the name 
or names of those who founded or endowed them ; and if any congregation, 
Presbytery, Synod or Association shall found a professorship or professor- 
ships, or scholarship or scholarships, or a fund or funds, said professor- 
ships, scholarships or funds shall for ever afterward be called and known 
by such names as the body founding them shall give. 

Sec. 6. After supporting the professor, and defraying the other neces- 
sary charges of the seminary, the funds shall be applied, as far as 
circumstances will admit, to defray or diminish the expenses of those 
students who may need pecuniary aid, as well as to lessen generally the 
expense of a residence at the seminary. 

b. Election of Directors. 

That when the Assembly shall proceed to the election of directors of 
the theological seminary, the clerk shall call on the members severally to 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 381 

nominate any number of persons, not exceeding the number to be elected, 
if he shall think it expedient to make any nomination. 

2. That when the members have been severally called upon in the order 
of the roll to make a nomination agreeably to the above rule, the names 
of the persons nominated shall be immediately read by the clerk for the 
information of the members, and that on the day following the Assembly 
proceed to elect by ballot the whole number of directors to be chosen. 

3. That two members be appointed to take an account of the votes 
given for the candidates nominated for directors of said theological semi- 
nary, and to report to the Assembly the number of votes for each of the 
said candidates who have a plurality of votes, who shall be declared duly 
elected; but if the whole number to be elected should not be elected, and 
two or more of the candidates should have an equal number of votes, 
then in that case the house shall proceed to elect from the nomination a 
sufficient number to complete the Board, and shall continue to vote in this 
manner until the full number specified by the constitution of the theolo- 
gical seminary be completed. 

4. When the votes shall have been counted, and the requisite number 
of directors shall have been elected in the manner above specified, the 
moderator shall announce to the Assembly the names of those persons 
who shall appear to have the highest number of votes and are thus 
elected.— 1812, p. 503. 

e. Manner of Electing Professors. 

That whenever a professor or professors are to be elected, the Assembly 
by a vote shall determine the day when said election shall be held, which 
day shall be at least two days after the above determination has been 
made. Immediately after the vote fixing the day has passed, the Assem- 
bly shall have a season for special prayer for direction in their choice. 
The election in all cases shall be made by ballot. The ballots having been 
counted by two members previously appointed, they shall report a state- 
ment of said votes to the moderator, and in case there shall appear to be 
an equal number of votes for any two or more candidates, the Assembly 
shall proceed either immediately or at some subsequent period of their 
sessions to a new election. The choice being made, it shall be announced 
to the Assembly by the moderator. — 1812, p. 503. 

d. Plan as Amended by the Assembly of 1870. 

The Committee on Theological Seminaries presented a report on the 
memorial of the directors of Princeton seminary, with the following reso- 
lutions, which were unanimously adopted : 

Resolved, 1. That the plan of the theological seminary at Princeton be 
changed as follows, viz. : 

In Article I. — Of the General Assembly. 

Section 1 shall hereafter read as follows: "As this institution derives its 
origin from the General Assembly, that body is to be considered its patron 
and the fountain of its powers." 

Section 2 shall hereafter read as follows: "The Board of Directors 
appointed by the Assembly shall have the immediate control of the 
seminary." 

Section 3 shall be omitted. 

Section 4 shall remain as it is. 



382 FORM OF GOVERNMENT, 

In Article II.— Of the Board of Directors. 

* Section 1 shall hereafter be as follows: "The Board of Directors shall 
consist of twenty-one ministers and nine ruling elders, and shall have 
power to fill any vacancies which may hereafter occur in its body, subject 
always, however, to the veto of the General Assembly." 

Section 2 shall hereafter be as follows: "The Board of Directors shall 
have power to elect the professors and to remove them from office, such 
election and removal to be subject to the veto of the General Assembly. 
The said Board shall also have power to suspend temporarily a professor, 
preliminary to and pending an investigation of charges against his life or 
doctrine." 

Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 of this article shall hereafter be respect- 
ively Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. 

Section 10 of this article, as it stands, shall hereafter be omitted. 

Article III. — Of the Professors. 

Section 1 shall hereafter be as follows : " The number of professors in 
the seminary shall be increased or diminished as the Board of Directors 
shall from time to time direct." 

Section 2 shall remain as it is. 

Section 3 shall remain as it is. 

Section 4 shall hereafter be as follows : " The salaries of the professors 
shall be fixed by the Board of Directors." 

Sections 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12 of this article shall hereafter be respectively 
Sections 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. 

Resolved, 2. That the salary of each professor be increased to three 
thousand dollars per annum from May 1, 1869, the increase to be paid 
out of any unappropriated funds of the seminary in the hands of its 
trustees. 

The following changes in Article VII., on the suggestion of the Com- 
mittee appointed by the Board of Directors of the Princeton theological 
seminary to examine Article VII. of the plan of the seminary, and to pro- 
pose to the Assembly such alterations as may bring that article into har- 
mony with the other alterations proposed in the report of the Board of 
Directors to the Assembly, were adopted, viz.: 

Omit Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4, and in lieu thereof insert the follow- 
ing, viz. : 

Sec. 1. The Board of Directors are authorized to exercise all the con- 
trol of the funds belonging to this institution, hitherto exercised by the 
General Assembly, as far as this can be done consistently with the will of the 
testators and donors, such as fixing the salary of the professors, regulat- 
ing the amount required for endowment of scholarships or professorships, 
and keeping sacred and distinct the different funds already created, or to 
be hereafter created, for the specific objects for which they are given. 

Sec. 2. All matters relating to the finances, fixing the salaries of profes- 
sors, the extent of endowment and the aid of students shall be by the Board 
of Directors submitted to the trustees of the seminary for their approval. 

Sec. 3. Fair statements shall be annually presented to the Assembly 
by the Board of Directors and by the trustees of the amount of funds 
belonging to the seminary, of the items which constitute that amount, 
and of the expenditures in detail for the preceding year. 

Sections 5 and 6 to remain as heretofore, and to be numbered respect- 
ively 4 and 5.— 1870, pp. 65, (jQ. 

* See e, below. 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 383 



e. Substitute for Article 2, Section 1, of the Plan above. 

That to prevent a possible ambiguity, this Committee, with the appro- 
bation of the directors and professors of Princeton seminary, propose the 
following as a substitute for Section 1, Article 2, of the plan of that insti- 
tution, viz. : "The Board of Directors shall consist of twenty-one ministers 
and nine ruling elders, of whom one-third, or seven ministers and three 
elders, shall be chosen by' said Board annually, to continue in office three 
years ; and the Board shall also have power to fill all vacancies which 
may occur in its body; all of these elections, however, shall be subject to 
the veto of the General Assembly, to whom they shall be reported at the 
next meeting thereafter." Adopted. — 1871, p. 579. 

[The following report made to the Assembly in 1870 gives in detail 
the origin of the several seminaries, and their relations to the Assembly 
at the time of the reunion.] 

Keport on Theological Seminaries, 1870. 

The Committee on Theological Seminaries presented a report, which was 
adopted, as follows : 

The number of theological seminaries connected with the General As- 
sembly, directly or indirectly, is seven. 

These were founded after different methods and at different epochs, 
thus representing more or less important changes of sentiments and events 
in the history of the Church and the country. 

I. The seminary at Princeton was founded by the General Assembly it- 
self in the year 1812. Coming into existence in the early part of this cen- 
tury, immediately after the organization of the American Board of For- 
eign Missions and the seminary at Andover, when there was a very general 
unity and co-operation of good men throughout the land, it must be re- 
garded and honored as the first of those great movements in the Presby- 
terian Church which looked to the spreading of the kingdom of Christ at 
home and abroad. 

II. The seminary at Auburn was founded in the year 1819, for the 
purpose of training up a ministry in what was then known as " the West- 
ern country." 

III. The seminary at Allegheny was established in 1825. Lane Semi- 
nary, at Cincinnati, in 1829. 

IV. These three seminaries are associated with two things : 1. The 
beginning of that tide of emigration from the East to the West which has 
been rolling and surging onward ever since ; and 2. That spirit of active 
evangelism which most happily was simultaneous with westward emigra- 
tion, a new power and life of religion distinguishing that memorable 
period. 

V. Union theological seminary, in New York, was founded in the year 
1836, one year preceding the disruption of the Church. Coming into 
existence at that extraordinary time, the design of its founders, who were 
then largely members of churches known after the division as Old School, 
was, in their own language, "to provide a seminary which might commend 
itself to all men of moderate views and feelings desiring to live free from 
party strife, and to stand aloof from all extremes of doctrine and of 
practice." 

VI. The seminary at Danville, Ky., was founded in the year 1853. 

VII. That now at Chicago, 111., was established in that city in the year 
1859 by removal from New Albany — dates sufficiently distinct to rcpre- 



384 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

sent advanced stages in those conflicts of opinion which subsequently 
convulsed the country and the Church, and which have not as yet entirely 
passed away. 

The seminaries now enumerated were founded not only at different 
times, but after different methods. Those at Princeton, Allegheny, Dan- 
ville and Chicago were established by the General Assembly, and are 
under its direct supervision and control. 

The seminary at Auburn is controlled by a Board of Commissioners, 
elected by certain Presbyteries in Central and Western New York, and 
a Board of Trustees elected by the commissioners. Its faculty, appointed 
by the Commissioners, report to the General Assembly. 

Lane seminary, at Cincinnati, and Union seminary, at New York, were 
founded by individuals, members of the Presbyterian Church, and by 
their charters, most cautiously prepared, are made Presbyterian institu- 
tions, recognizing our standards of doctrine and polity, though not under 
any ecclesiastical control. 

The administration of these seminaries is after different methods, though 
in some cases the difference is more in name and form than in essential 
fact. 

Princeton seminary is administered by two boards, known as the Board 
of Directors and the Board of Trustees. The former are elected by the 
General Assembly in annual classes. The latter, having control of the 
property, is a close corporation, filling its own vacancies. In like manner, 
the seminaries at Allegheny, Danville and Chicago have each two ad- 
ministrative boards — a Board of Directors and a Board of Trustees. 

Lane and Union seminaries have each but one board — a Board of Trus- 
tees at Lane, a Board of Directors at Union — by which the property is 
held and the general control of the seminary is administered, certainly 
a simpler method, by which all differences of opinion are avoided, such 
as have arisen and are likely to arise in other seminaries between two 
separate Boards, one of trust and the other of direction. 

That the relations of these several theological seminaries, differing in 
origin and administration, to the reunited Church should be regarded as 
a matter of no little delicacy and difficulty, was inevitable. On the one 
hand, it is obvious that a matter so important as the education of its min- 
istry should in some way be under the supervision and control of the 
Church, so as to secure the entire and cordial confidence of the Church. 
On the other hand, there is a liberty and flexibility in the matter which 
must be respected and allowed. If individuals or associations are dis- 
posed to found and endow seminaries of their own, there is no power 
in the Presbyterian Church to forbid it. 

The difficult task of undertaking to reconcile these ideas and principles 
received the early and careful attention of the joint Committee on Re- 
union, as appears from one of the concurrent declarations adopted by 
both Assemblies, providing for the transfer of those seminaries now under 
the control of the Assembly to the care and control of one or more 
adjacent Synods, if they should so elect. The object was to allay 
the apprehensions of any who might imagine that the sudden acces- 
sion and intermingling of great numbers might overbear those who 
had hitherto administered those seminaries which had been under the 
control of one branch of the Church. It was intended as a measure 
for the maintenance of confidence and harmony, and not as indicating 
the best method for all future time. 

As to any project by which the entire control and administration of all 
our theological seminaries — for example, as to the election of trustees — 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 385 

can be transferred to the General Assembly, on an}' principle of complete 
uniformity, your Committee regard it as wholly impracticable, and the 
attempt to accomplish it altogether undesirable. To bring it about, 
should it be undertaken, would require an amount of legislation, in six 
or seven different States, which would be portentous. 

In some cases alterations of existing charters are impossible, by reason, 
as in Ohio, of changes in the constitution enacted subsequently to the 
granting of that charter upon which Lane seminary was incorporated. 
Surely it would be to the last degree unwise to attempt such alterations 
in so many charters, putting in jeopardy so large an amount of property, 
when the object contemplated may be secured in another and better 
way. 

Besides, the intentions and wishes of benevolent men, who have founded 
and endowed some of these seminaries, and aided others on their present 
footing, should be honorably and zealously protected. 

Your Committee, therefore, would recommend no change, and no at- 
tempt at change, in this direction, save such as may safely and wisely be 
effected under existing charters. 

For example, the directors of the seminary at Princeton have memo* 
rialized this Assembly, with the request that the Assembly would so far 
change its " plan " of control over that institution as to give the Board 
of Directors enlarged rights in several specified particulars, subject to the 
veto of the General Assembly. 

Your Committee are unanimously of the opinion that the changes asked 
for are eminently wise and proper. If it were within the power of the 
General Assembly to remit the entire administration of this venerable 
institution to its Board of Directors, without any of the restrictions they 
have mentioned as to the supply of their own vacancies, they would cor- 
dially recommend it. But inasmuch as the endowments of this seminary 
are held on the condition that it should be the property and under the 
control of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States, that trust cannot be vacated nor transferred to any other 
body. The method desired and proposed by the directors themselves is 
open to no such objection, and is believed to be quite within the pro- 
visions of the law as now defined, being only a convenient and wise 
mode of executing by the General Assembly itself the trust which it 
now holds. 

A memorial has been presented to this Assembly from the directors of 
Union theological seminary, in New York, bearing upon the point of 
uniformity as to a certain kind and amount of ecclesiastical supervision. 

It had appeared to them — many of them having taken an active part 
in founding that seminary thirty-three years ago, in a time, as already 
noticed, of memorable excitement — that there were great disadvantages 
and perils in electing professors and teachers by the Assembly itself, with- 
out sufficient time or opportunity for acquaintance with the qualifications 
of men to be appointed to offices of such responsibility. 

It is self-evident, as your Committee are agreed, that a body so large as 
the General Assembly, and composed of men resident, most of them, at so 
great a distance from the several seminaries, is not so competent to arrange 
for their interests and usefulness as those having local and personal inti- 
macy with them. Desirous of bringing about as much uniformity as was 
possible in the relation of the seminaries to the General Assembly of the 
Church, the directors of Union seminary have memorialized this Assem- 
bly to the effect that the Assembly would commit, so far as practicable, 
the general administration of all seminaries now under the control of the 
49 



386 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Assembly to their several Boards of Directors, proposing, if this be done, 
to give to the General Assembly what it does not now possess — the right 
of veto in the election of professors at Union. In this generous offer, 
looking solely to the peace and harmony of the Church, the memorialists 
did not include the same veto in regard to the election of their own direct- 
ors, inasmuch as these 'directors hold the property of the seminary in 
trust. The trustees of Princeton seminary, being one of two Boards, are 
a close corporation. The directors of Union seminary in New York, 
being but one Board, are the trustees. 

Leaving all the diversities of method and administration in the several 
seminaries intact, save in the particulars hereinafter provided for, your 
Committee are happy to report that there is one mode of unifying all the 
seminaries of the Presbyterian Church as to ecclesiastical supervision, so far 
as unification is in any way desirable. It is the mode suggested in the seve- 
ral memorials of the directors of Union and Princeton, and approved, or 
likely to be approved, from information in our possession, by the directors 
of Auburn and Lane. This is to give to the General Assembly a veto 
power upon the appointment of professors in all these several institutions. 
This seems to your Committee to secure all the uniformity, as to the rela- 
tion of these seminaries to the Church, which can be necessary to ensure 
general confidence and satisfaction. Less than this might excite jealousy, 
more than this is cumbersome and undesirable. 

Your Committee, in accordance with these views, report the following 
plan and resolutions: 

1. Accepting the offer so generously made by the directors of the Union 
theological seminary, in New York — a seminary independent hitherto of 
all direct ecclesiastical control — to invest the General Assembly, with the 
right of a veto in the election of professors in that institution, this Assem- 
bly would invite all those theological seminaries not now under the con- 
trol of the General Assembly to adopt at their earliest convenience the 
same rule and method, to the end that, throughout the whole Presbyterian 
Church, there may be uniform and complete confidence in those entrusted 
with the training of our candidates for the ministry. 

2. That the several Boards of Directors of those seminaries which are 
now under the control of the General Assembly shall be authorized to 
elect, suspend and displace the professors of the seminaries under their 
ca-re, subject in all cases to the veto* of the General Assembly, to whom 
they shall annually make a full report of their proceedings, and to whom 
their minutes shall be submitted whenever the Assembly shall require 
them to be produced. These Boards shall further be authorized to fix 
the salaries of the professors, and to fill their own vacancies, subject in all 
cases to the veto of the General Assembly. 

3. Resolved, That a Committee of five be appointed by the Assembly to 
propose such alterations in the "plans" of the seminaries now under the 
control of the Assembly as shall be deemed necessary to carry into effect 
the principles above stated, and that said Committee report to this or to 
the next succeeding Assembly. 

4. In case the Board of Directors of any theological seminary now 
under the control of the General Assembly should prefer to retain their 
present relation to this body, the plan of such seminary shall remain 
unaltered— 1870, pp. 50-64. 

The following report details the progress of the plan for uniformity in 
the relations of the seminaries to the Assembly: 

* For time within which the veto may be exercised, see below, 7, 1871, p. 581. 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 387 

II. AUBURN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 

At the annual meeting of the trustees and commissioners of the theo- 
logical seminary at Auburn, May 11, 1871, it was 

Resolved, That the Boards of commissioners and trustees of the Auburn 
theological seminary are anxious to comply with the proposal of the last 
General Assembly to submit the election of professors in this institution 
to the concurrence of that body, and that a joint Committee be appointed 
to consider whether the proposal of the General Assembly can be complied 
with without a change of the charter of this seminary; and if in the judg- 
ment of this Committee such a change in the charter is necessary, the 
Prudential Committee is hereby authorized to apply to the coming Legis- 
lature in the name of these two Boards to make it. 

They further intimate that one of the embarrassments in their action 
was that no time was fixed for the action of the General Assembly in the 
exercise of their proposed veto power. — 1871, p. 579. 

III. THE WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 

At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Western theological sem- 
inary, October 14, 1870, it was 

Resolved, That we accept the powers and authority offered by the action 
of the General Assembly to the theological seminaries now under the con- 
trol of the General Assembly, as contained in the second resolution of the 
report of the Committee on Theological Seminaries, recorded on page 63 
of the minutes of 1870.— 1871, p. 579. 

Plan of the Western Seminary. 
Introduction. 

With alterations, as in Baird's Digest, p. 427, Rev. Ed., p. 434. See 
above, under Princeton seminary, xiv., sec. iii. 

Article I. — Of the General Assembly. 

Sec. 1. As this institution derives its origin from the General Assembly, 
that body is to be considered its patron and the fountain of its power. 

Sec. 2. The Board of Directors shall have the immediate control of the 
seminary. 

Sec. 3. (Now Section 4.) 

Article II. — Of the Board of Directors. 

Sec. 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of forty members — twenty- 
eight ministers and twelve ruling elders — one-fourth to be chosen annually, 
aud shall have pow v er to fill any vacancies which may hereafter occur in 
the body, subject always, however, to the veto of the General Assembly, 
the election to be at the regular annual meeting. 

Sec. 2. The Board of Directors shall have power to elect the professors 
and to remove them from office, such election and removal to be subject to 
the veto of the General Assembly. The said Board shall also have power 
to suspend temporarily a professor preliminary to and pending an investi- 
gation of charges against his life or doctrine. 

Secs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 to consist of Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 
11 and 12, as in Beard' s Digest, pp. 413 and 414; except, 

Sec. 3. Strike out the clause requiring the president or one of the vice 
presidents to be necessary to constitute a quorum. 

Sec. 5; Strike out "twenty days," and insert "ten days." 



388 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Sec. 6. Strike out "annually," and insert "when required." 
Sec. 7. Strike out " or by the order of the General Assembly." 
Sec. 11. Strike out the last clause. 

Article III. — Of the Professors. 

Sec. 1. The number of professors in the seminary shall be increased or 
diminished as the Board of Directors shall from time to time direct. 

Secs. 2 and 3. (As now.) 

Sec. 4. The salaries of the professors shall be fixed by the Board of 
Directors. 

Secs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 to consist of 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12. — BairoVs Digest, 
pp. 415 and 416. 

Article IV. — Of Study and Attainments. 

Article V. — Of Devotion and Improvement in Practical Piety. 

Article VI. — Of the Students. 

Article VII. — Of the Funds. 

Sec. 1. The Board of Directors shall exercise all the control of the 
funds belonging to this institution hitherto exercised by the General As- 
sembly, as far as this can be done consistently with the will of the testa- 
tors and donors, such as fixing the salaries of the professors, regulating 
the amount required for the endowment of scholarships and professorships, 
and keeping sacred and distinct the different funds already created, or to 
be hereafter created, for the specific objects for which they are given. 

Sec. 2. All matters relating to the finances, except the fixing the sala- 
ries of the professors, the extent of endowment and the aid of students, 
shall be by the Board of Directors submitted to the Board of Trustees of 
the seminary for their approval. 

Sec. 3. Fair and full statements shall be annually presented to the Gen- 
eral Assembly by the Board of Directors or by the trustees of the amount 
of funds belonging to the seminary, of the items which constitute that 
amount, and of the receipts and expenditures in detail for the preceding 
year. 

Secs. 4 and 5 to consist of sections 5 and 6 (Baird's Digest, p. 418), ex- 
cepting to insert "unless otherwise directed" after the words "endowed 
them," in Section 4. 

Article VIII. — Of the Board of Trustees. 

Sec. 1. The Board of Trustees of the Western theological seminary, as 
incorporated by the Legislature of the State of Pennsylvania, consists of 
thirty members, to be elected by the General Assembly when meeting in 
the State of Pennsylvania, and no more than one-third to be changed in 
any one year. 

Sec. 2. To the trustees is committed the custody and disbursement of 
the funds of the institution for the purposes for which appropriated by 
the donors, or according to the plan of the seminary. 

Sec. 3. The Board of Trustees shall meet twice in each year, in April 
and November, at such times as may be designated, and oftener on their 
own adjournment or the call of the president. 

8ec. 4. The officers of the Board shall consist of a President, Vice 
President, Secretary and Treasurer, to be chosen annually at the spring 
meeting of the Board, to continue in office till their successors are elected. — 
1872, pp. 113-115. 

Adopted by the Assembly. — 1872, p. 59. 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 389 



c. A Change of Name Authorized. 

The following resolution also was adopted : 

Resolved, That the directors and trustees of the Western Theological 
Seminary be and they are hereby authorized to change the name of the 
seminary to the Allegheny or Pittsburg theological seminary, and to 
obtain the necessary legislation, if in their judgment the same be expe- 
dient.— 1872, p. 93. 

IV. LANE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 

The Board of Trustees of the Lane theological seminary report that 
they have most cordially adopted this plan by the following action : 

Every election of a professor in this institution shall be reported to the 
next General Assembly ; and if said Assembly shall by vote express its 
disapprobation of the election, the professorship in question shall be ipso 
facto vacant from and after such vote of the General Assembly, it being 
understood that in such case it is not the pleasure of this Board that such 
professor shall continue in office. — 1871, p. 580. 

V. UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 

a. A communication was received by the Rev. William Adams, D. D., 
from the directors of the Union theological seminary in the city of New 
York, proposing on certain terms to place their institution under the care 
of the General Assembly. 

A communication was also received from the directors of the theologi- 
cal seminary at Princeton, asking that the change contemplated in the 
above communication may be made, and proposing other matters of inte- 
rest to the seminary. 

These communications were referred to the Standing Committee on 
Theological Seminaries. — 1870 p. 17. 

The Committee subsequently reported inter alia, as follows : 

b. Your Committee, in accordance with these views, report the follow- 
ing plan and resolutions : 

Accepting the offer so generously made by the directors of the Union 
theological seminary in New York — a seminary independent hitherto of 
all direct ecclesiastical control — to invest the General Assembly with the 
right of a veto in the election of professors in that institution, this Assem- 
bly would invite all those theological seminaries not now under the con- 
trol of the General Assembly to adopt at their earliest convenience the 
same rule and method, to the end that throughout the whole Presbyterian 
Church there may be uniform and complete confidence in those entrusted 
with the training of our candidates for the ministry. — 1870, p. 63. 

c. Memorial of the Directors of Union Theological Seminary in the City of 
New York to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America, New York, May 18, 1870. 

Whereas, In the recent negotiations for reuniting the two branches of 
the Presbyterian Church, great importance was attached to some uniform 
system of ecclesiastical supervision over the several theological seminaries 
of the denomination ; and 

Whereas,^ The directors of the Union theological seminary in New 
York — an institution founded before the disruption of the Presbyterian 
Church, belonging exclusively to neither of its branches, and administered 
upon its own independent charter — are desirous of doing all in their power 



390 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

to establish confidence and harmony throughout the whole Church, in 
respect to the education of its members ; and 

Whereas, It has appeared to many, and especially to those who took an 
active part in founding the Union theological seminary, that there are 
many disadvantages, infelicities, not to say at times perils, in the election 
of professors of those seminaries directly and immediately by the General 
Assembly itself — a body so large, in session for so short a time, and com- 
posed of members to so great an extent resident at a distance from the 
seminaries themselves, and therefore personally unacquainted with many 
things which pertain to their true interest and usefulness — therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Board of directors of the Union theological semi- 
nary in the city of New York, being all of them ministers or members 
of the Presbyterian Church, do hereby memorialize the General Assembly 
to the following effect, viz. : That the General Assembly may be pleased 
to adopt it as a rule and plan, in the exercise of the proprietorship and 
control over the several theological seminaries, that so far as the election 
of professors is concerned the Assembly will commit the same to their 
respective Boards of Directors on the following terms and conditions : 

First, That the Board of Directors of each theological seminary shall 
be authorized to appoint all professors for the same. 

Second, That all such appointments shall be reported to the General 
Assembly, and no such appointment of professor shall be considered as a 
complete election if disapproved by a majority vote of the Assembly. 

And further be it resolved, That the Board of Directors of the Union 
theological seminary in the city of New York, persuaded that the plan 
proposed in the memorial will meet the cordial approval of the patrons, 
donors and friends of all these seminaries, and contribute to the peace and 
prosperity of the Church, do hereby agree, if the said plan shall be adopted 
by the General Assembly, that they will agree to conform to the same, 
the Union seminary in New York being in this respect on the same ground 
with other theological seminaries of the Presbyterian Church. — 1870, 
pp. 148, 149. 

The Assembly complied with this request. See pp. 60-64. 

VI. DANVILLE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. . 

Danville. — The Board of Directors cordially approve the plan of the 
General Assembly as to harmonious operations of all the theological semi- 
naries within their jurisdiction, and simply ask further time to perfect the 
same in their relations to the Assembly. To effect this a Committee has 
been appointed to investigate the whole subject, and to report to the direct- 
ors at their next meeting whether they can legally adopt the plan of the 
Assembly.— 1871, p. 580. 

In 1872 they report that changes made at this time might affect legal 
rights, but " that bv another year these changes may be safely made." — 
1872, p. 120. 

The Board of Directors of the theological seminary of Danville, Ky., 
make the following annual report to the General Assembly : 

The difficulties in the way of our adopting the plan of control recom- 
mended by the Assembly being removed, we are now prepared to adopt 
said plan, and suggest the following necessary changes in the present plan 
of the seminary : 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 391 

Amendments to the Plan of the Danville Theological Semi- 
nary. 

Second Article. Amend section third, paragraph first, so as to read as fol- 
lows : " As this institution derives its origin from the General Assembly, 
that body is to be considered its patron and the fountain of its powers, 
and it shall be conducted under the authority, oversight and care of the 
General Assembly." 

Third Article. Amend by substituting the following instead of para- 
graphs first and second of section first: " 1. The Board of Directors, as 
constituted at the expiration of the sessions of the General Assembly of 
1873, and their successors appointed in the manner hereafter provided for, 
shall have the immediate control of the seminary, and are authorized to 
exercise all the control of the funds belonging to the institution hitherto 
exercised by the Assembly, as far as can be done consistently with the will 
of the testators or donors, and consistently with the objects and purposes 
of the covenants and agreements referred to in the plan of the seminary, 
the exercise, however, of such control of the funds by the Board of Direct- 
ors hereby authorized being always subject to the veto of the General 
Assembly. But all matters relating to finance, such as fixing the salary 
of professors and the extent of aid to be given to students, shall be sub- 
mitted by the Board of Directors to the trustees of the seminary for their 
approval. 

The true and only intent and meaning of the amendments and changes 
now made in the plan of the seminary are, through the enlarged powers 
of general administration herein conferred upon the Board of Directors, 
to provide a more convenient and effective mode of executing by the 
General Assembly, through said Board, the trust it now holds in reference 
to the seminary and its funds, and to increase by a more efficient local 
administration the usefulness of the institution for the purposes for which 
it was established. 

The Board of Directors shall consist of thirty members, of whom one- 
half shall be ministers of the gospel, and the other half ruling elders in 
good standing in the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. 

These directors shall be divided into three sections of ten persons each, 
one-half of each section being ministers of the gospel and the other half 
ruling elders, and one of these sections of ten persons shall be elected by 
the Board of Directors and all vacancies filled in the other two sections 
at each annual meeting of the Board, in such manner that each section 
shall serve three years and until their successors are elected, and the third 
part of the whole Board shall be elected every year. The form of the elec- 
tion shall be as the Board shall from time to time prescribe, and all these 
elections shall be subject to the veto of the General Assembly, to which 
body they shall be reported at its next meeting thereafter. The members 
of the Board appointed by the General Assemblies of 1871, 1872 and 187o 
shall serve out the terms for which they were respectively appointed, and 
the first election by the Board itself shall be made at the annual meet- 
ing in 1874 to fill all vacancies that may exist at that time in its body. 

In section first, paragraph third, omit all after the word "vacant" in 
last line but one of the paragraph, and in the next paragraph substitute 
six for "nine" at the beginning of the third sentence, and add tiie words 
' w not specially excepted" after the word "business," at the end of that sen- 
tence. 

Transfer paragraph first of section second to the end of the article, 
and substitute in its place the following: "2. The Board of Directors 



392 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

shall have power to elect the professors, and to remove them from office, 
such election and removal being subject to the veto of the General Assem- 
bly. The said Board shall also have power to suspend temporarily a pro- 
fessor, preliminary to and pending an investigation of charges against his 
life or doctrine. In the event of a vacancy in any chair of the seminary, 
they may employ any suitable person to give instruction temporarily in 
the vacant department, and they may also, upon the recommendation of 
the Faculty of the seminary, engage the services of any suitable person 
to give occasional instruction to the pupils upon any particular subject. 

In section third, paragraph first, line first, strike out the word " espe- 
cially" 

In section fourth, omit paragraphs second, third and fourth. 

In section fifth, paragraph second, line first, substitute six for "nine" 
and in the following paragraph strike out the word "particular" in the 
first line, and in the fifth substitute the word "filled" for the words 
"brought to the notice of the Assembly." 

Fourth Article. Instead of the first two paragraphs of section first, sub- 
stitute the following : 

1. The professors of this seminary shall be elected by the Board of 
Directors at any of their regular meetings, or at a meeting specially called 
for that purpose, and of which due notice shall have been given. The 
manner of the election shall be as the Board shall deem proper at the 
time. 

They shall hold their respective offices during the pleasure of the Board 
of Directors. But a quorum of the Board competent to dismiss a pro- 
fessor shall consist of not less than one-half of all the members. 

In section second, paragraph first, line second, substitute " Board of 
Directors" for "General Assembly," and in the third line " Board shall" 
for " Assembly will," and in the last paragraph of the same section strike 
out after the word " unless," so that the clause will read, " unless by the 
consent of the Board of Directors in some lawful meeting." 

Instead of section third, paragraph first, substitute the following: 

3. The professors shall be of equal rank and authority one with another. 
But when they meet as a Faculty, and when they act jointly upon any 
occasion, the senior professor present shall preside, and he shall perform, 
in the name of the whole, all joint official acts. If two or move profes- 
sors were elected at the same time, the one longest in the ministerial office 
shall be considered the senior one of them. The Faculty shall elect one 
of their number to act as their stated clerk, who shall perform the duties 
proper to that office. 

To paragraph second of section third add the following words : " the 
presiding professor having always a right to vote," and in the following 
paragraph, line third, insert "advisory" between the words "joint" and 
" oversight." 

In section fourth, paragraph first, line first, substitute "Board of Direct- 
ors" for " Assembly," and in the third line "said Board" for " the Assem- 
bly," and from the enumeration of subjects assigned to the chair first 
named, strike out the word " Exegetical," and change the title of the chair 
named last to "Biblical Literature and Exegetical Theology." 

To paragraph fourth of section fifth add the following sentence : 
" Moreover, they shall always meet as a Faculty at the request of any 
member, whose duty it shall then be to notify his fellow-members of his 
desire for such a meeting." 

For paragraph third, section seventh, substitute the following: 

" It shall be the duty of the professors, under the direction of the Board 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 393 

of Directors, to supply the pupils of the institution with the preaching of 
the gospel and the administration of the sacraments of the Christian 
Church, if this supply shall not, in the judgment of the directors, be satis- 
factorily furnished by some neighboring church or churches." 

For paragraph first, section ninth, substitute the following : " The sala- 
ries of the professors shall be fixed by the Board of Directors." 

In the first line of the following paragraph strike out the words " fur- 
ther" and "same," and insert the words "of 1853" after the word "As- 
sembly." 

At the end of the article add the following as an additional section : 

" 10. No professor shall be a member of either the Board of Directors 
or the Board of Trustees, and the acceptance of a professorship by any 
member of either of the Boards named shall be regarded as ipso facto the 
resignation of his seat therein." 

Seventh Article. In the second section strike out all after the word 
"begin" in the fourth line, and insert in place thereof the following: 
" On the first Thursday in September, and terminate on the last Thurs- 
day in April, with a short recess at the discretion of the Faculty about 
Christmas."— 1873, pp. 592, 594. 

Action on the Report. 

Reports have been received from the directors and trustees of this insti- 
tution. The directors report that, the difficulties in the way of their adop- 
tion of the plan of control recommended by the Assembly being removed, 
they have approved and adopted said plan, subject to the approval of the 
Assembly. The necessary changes in the present plan of the seminary 
are presented, and after close and careful scrutiny of them the Committee 
recommend to the Assembly that they be approved, and that the guardian- 
ship and control of the Danville theological seminary be remitted to the 
Board of Directors as soon as the existing vacancies shall have been filled, 
the Assembly being still considered as the patron of the seminary and the 
fountain of its powers, and retaining a veto power in the election of its 
directors and professors, and over all the acts of the directors in financial 
affairs.— 1873, pp. 530, 531. 

VII. NORTH-WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 

a. 3. The Board of Directors of the North-western theological sem- 
inary report, ... "In regard to the relations of the seminary to the 
General Assembly, the Board, finding that there are legal points involved 
in this question which require careful investigation, referred the whole 
matter to a Committee, with instructions to report to the directors at their 
next annual meeting in April, 1872." — 1871, p. 580. 

b. The following Plan of the Seminary was approved by the Assembly. 
—1872, p. 62. 

In regard to the relation of the seminary to the General Assembly, the 
Board have carefully considered the same ; and with entire unanimity, 
and with the consent and approval of Mr. McCormick, have adopted a 
report and resolutions, not only approving of the principles of the request 
and suggestion of the Assembly, but embodying the necessary amendments 
to the constitution in form, and requesting the Assembly to adopt them. 
The resolutions and amendments are as follows, viz. : 

The Committee on the relations of the seminary to the General Assem- 
bly presented their report, through the Hon. Samuel M. Moore, as fol- 
lows : 

50 



394 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Your Committee, to whom was referred the propriety of suggesting such 
amendments and changes of the constitution of our seminary as may bring 
the same in harmony with the expressed views of the General Assembly 
of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, would re- 
port that they have considered the matter, and that they find no objections 
thereto. They understand that the generous and Christian-spirited donor 
of the only portion of our property and funds that is held subject to the 
continuance of the relations of the seminary to the General Assembly con- 
sents that the management and control may be transferred to the Board 
of Directors, the Assembly reserving the right to disapprove and forbid 
in certain matters. We believe the change will redound to the benefit and 
efficiency of the seminary. 

Therefore, your Committee recommend the adoption of the following 
resolutions by this Board, to wit: 

Resolved, That this Board respectfully request the General Assembly of 
the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America to consider and 
adopt the following amendments and changes of the constitution of the 
Presbyterian theological seminary of the North-west, viz. : 

1st. The second, tenth and eleventh articles of said constitution are 
hereby stricken out. 

2d. Sections one, two, three, thirteen and fourteen of the third article 
are hereby stricken out ; and in lieu of said sections one, two and three, 
the following are substituted and adopted, to wit : 

Sec. 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of twenty ministers and 
twenty ruling elders, of whom one-fourth, or five ministers and five elders, 
shall be chosen by said Board annually, to continue in office four years 
and until their successors are elected and qualified. And the Board shall 
also have power to receive resignations and declinatures, and to fill all 
vacancies which may occur in its body. All of these elections, however, 
shall be subject to the veto of the General Assembly, to which they shall 
be reported at its next meeting. 

Sec. 2. The Board of Directors shall have power to elect and duly in- 
duct and inaugurate into office the professors of the. seminary, and to re- 
ceive their resignations ; also to remove them from office, such elections 
and removals to be subject to the veio of the General Assembly. The 
Board shall also have power to suspend, temporarily, a professor, prelim- 
inary to and pending an investigation of charges against his conduct or 
doctrine. 

Sec. 3. The Board of Directors shall have the superintendence and 
control of the seminary and its funds and property. 

3d. Articles three, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine are hereby so 
changed as to be known and designated as articles two, three, four, five, 
six, seven and eight respectively. 

4th. The following is substituted for sub-section three of section twelve, 
in article three : 

3. To make annually to the General Assembly, in writing, a full and 
faithful report of the whole state of the seminary, and of the transactions 
of the Board, and also to submit their records, when required, for the 
inspection of the Assembly. 

5th. The following is adopted and designated as 

Article Nine. 

This constitution may be altered or amended by a vote of three-fourths 
of the directors present and voting at a regular annual meeting of the 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 395 

Board, such alterations or amendments to take effect and be in force 
only when the same shall be approved by the General Assembly. 

Resolved, That directors heretofore appointed whose terms of service 
have not expired shall serve until the end thereof and until their succes- 
sors are elected and qualified. And directors appointed by the present 
General Assembly shall serve as if elected and appointed by the Board 
of Directors. 

All of which is respectfully submitted. 

(Signed) R. W. Patterson, 

S. M. Moore, 
H. G. Miller. 
This report was accepted, considered and adopted. 
Respectfully submitted by order of the Board of Directors. 

S. M. Moore, Chairman Executive Committee. 

—1872, pp. 124-126. 

VIII. GERMAN THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL, NEWARK, N. J. 

The Board of Directors of the German theological school, Newark, 
N. J., report that the requirements of the Assembly were met by the pro- 
curement of a charter, in which the following provisions were inserted: 
" The first Board of Directors of said corporation shall be divided into 
three classes, to be numbered one, two and three ; the term of the first 
shall expire in one, the second in two and the third in three years from 
the first day of May last." ..." Each class of directors shall hereafter 
be chosen for and hold their office during three years, and until a new 
election to supply the place of such class." The election of three di- 
rectors to fill vacancies " at the stated spring meeting shall be subject to 
review at the next General Assembly ; . . . and in case the said General 
Assembly shall disapprove of such election, the office of the director or 
directors disapproved of shall thereupon become vacant." The provisions 
with respect to the relations of the regularly appointed professors the 
Board propose to incorporate in the constitution of the school. — 1871, 
p. 580. 

IX. GERMAN THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL OF THE NORTH-WEST. 

The constitution of the German theological seminary of the North- 
west, at Dubuque, Iowa, prescribes that . . . " it shall be hereafter the 
duty of the Board itself to fill the vacancies occurring in their number, 
whether by expiration of term of office, by resignation, death or other- 
wise. Said election, however, shall only be deemed valid, and those 
elected enter upon their office, after approval by the General Assembly." 
Also, " The Board of Directors . . . shall establish the professorships 
and appoint the professors and instructors, . . . and always subject to the 
approval and control of the General Assembly." — 1871, p. 580. 

X. LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, THEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 

Lincoln University. — Since the last meeting of the General Assembly 
the charter of Lincoln university has been so amended, by special act of 
the Legislature of Pennsylvania, as to place the theological department of 
that institution under the care of the General Assembly, in accordance 
with the general plan adopted for the supervision of theological sem- 
inaries. 

Resolved, That the General Assembly accept the oversight of the the- 



396 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

ological department of Lincoln university, as provided in the amended 
charter of that institution, and approve the appointments and proceed- 
ings of the Board of Trustees as reported at this time. — 1871, p. 581. 

XL SAN FRANCISCO SEMINARY. 

The Synod of the Pacific resolved upon the immediate organization of 
this seminary at its session in Oakland, Cal., in 1871. San Francisco 
was selected as a suitable location. Fifteen persons were elected direct- 
ors, viz. : 

Ministers — Rev. William A. Scott, D. D., Thomas M. Cunningham, 
D. D., William W. Brier, Aaron L. Lindsley, D. D., Daniel W. Poor, 
D. D., Sylvester Woodbridge, D. D., Albert F. White, LL.D., William 
Alexander, and Edward B. Walsworth, D. D. 

Elders — Hon. H. P. Coon, S. Franklin, C. W. Armes, A. Hemme, S. 
I. C. Sweezey, and R. J. Trumbull. 

This Board was organized November 7th, 1871, the Rev. William A. 
Scott, D. D., being appointed president. The directors were divided into 
three classes by lot. 

The following were elected as a provisional faculty : 

Rev. William A. Scott, D. D., Professor of Mental Science, Moral 
Philosophy and Theology. 

Rev. George Burrowes, D. D., Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament 
Literature. 

Rev. Daniel W. Poor, D. D., Professor of Biblical and Ecclesiastical 
History. 

Rev. William Alexander, Professor of Biblical Greek and New Testa- 
ment Literature. 

The plan of the seminary is entirely in conformity with the pattern of 
the older and approved institutions of the Church. The directors ask 
to be received under the care of the Assembly, and in all matters to re- 
ceive its sanction, in accordance with the action of the Assembly of 1870, 
as recorded on page 63 of the printed Minutes. 

Four students have been in attendance upon the instruction of the 
professors this the first year. 

Your Committee recommend, 

1. The approval of the action of the Synod of the Pacific coast in the 
organization of the seminary at San Francisco. 

2. The confirmation of the appointment of the Board of Directors. 

3. The acceptance of the seminary, as so organized, under the care and 
supervision of the Assembly. — 1872, p. 64. 

XII. BLACKBURN UNIVERSITY. 

The trustees of Blackburn university, at their annual meeting, held 
in June, 1871, adopted the plan recommended by the Assembly of 1870, 
by incorporating into the constitution of the university the following 
section : " Whenever hereafter any person shall be elected by the trus- 
tees to fill any professorship in the theological department of the 
university, the trustees shall report their election to the next General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States ; and if the 
General Assembly at that meeting shall, by formal vote, refuse to approve 
of such election, then the person elected by the trustees shall cease to be 
a professor." 

The following additional facts respecting Blackburn university will be 
of interest to this Assembly : 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 397 

The institution was founded by Rev. Gideon Blackburn, D. D., who, in 
the year 1838, conveyed to a Board of Trustees several thousand acres of 
land, for the purpose of founding " an institution of learning, the object 
of which shall be to promote the general interests of education, and to 
qualify young men for the office of the gospel ministry." The institution 
was located at Carlinville, 111. 

The trustees were incorporated in the year 1857 by the Legislature of 
Illinois, with the name of " The Blackburn Theological Seminary," and 
at about the same time an academic department was established. In 
A. D. 1867, the institution was organized as a university, and the follow- 
ing year its corporate name was changed by the Legislature to that of 
" Blackburn University." The Board consists of thirteen members, who 
must be residents of the State of Illinois. At least nine of this number 
must " be chosen from among persons who are regular members of the 
Presbyterian Church ; and if any trustee thus chosen shall, at any time, 
cease to be a regular member of the Presbyterian Church, he shall, ipso 
facto, cease to be a trustee." 

Every professor appointed in the theological department, also every 
professor in the collegiate department, whose professorship shall include 
mental or moral science or metaphysics, and also the president of the 
university, are required, before they can enter upon the duties of their 
office, to subscribe their names to the following declaration : 

" I do hereby avow my sincere belief in the Bible as the word of God, 
and in the system of doctrines contained in the Westminster Confession of 
Faith as the system which accords with the word of God ; and I do sol- 
emnly pledge myself, in all my duties as an instructor and officer in 
Blackburn university, never knowingly to teach anything in conflict with 
such system of doctrines." 

Every other professor or instructor in any department is required also 
to affirm his " belief in the Bible as the word of God." 

Thus every department of instruction is secured from all danger from 
infidel teachings. 

In view of these facts, your Committee gladly commend the Blackburn 
university to the Presbyterian Church, and recommend that it be recog- 
nized and reported as one of the institutions in connection with the Gen- 
eral Assembly. Adopted. — 1872, p. 65. 

7. Limitations of the Time -within "which the Assembly may exer- 
cise its Veto in the Election of a Professor. 

That the Assembly declare that the true meaning of the act subjecting 
the election of a professor to the veto of the Assembly is that such elec- 
tion be reported to the next General Assembly thereafter; and if not 
vetoed by that Assembly, the election shall be regarded as complete, ac- 
cording to the plan ratified by the Assembly of 1870 ; see Minutes, pp. 
M, 65, 148.— 1871, p. 581. 

IV. Because it is highly reproachful to religion and dangerous to 
the Church to entrust the holy ministry to weak and ignorant men, 
the Presbytery shall try each candidate as to his knowledge of the 
Latin language and the original languages in which the holy Scrip- 
tures were written. They shall also examine him on the arts and 
sciences, on theology, natural and revealed, and on ecclesiastical his- 
tory, the sacraments and church government. And in order to make 



398 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

trial of his talents to explain and vindicate, and practically to enforce 
the doctrines of the gospel, the Presbytery shall require of him — 

1. A Latin exegesis on some common head in divinity. 

2. A critical exercise, in which the candidate shall give a specimen 
of his taste and judgment in sacred criticism, presenting an explica- 
tion of the original text, stating its connection, illustrating its force 
and beauties, removing its difficulties and solving any important 
questions which it may present. 

3. A lecture or exposition of several verses of Scripture; and, 

4. A popular sermon. 

[On the waiving a liberal education in certain cases, see above, III., 
3, a, b.~] 

V. These, or other similar exercises, at the discretion of the Pres- 
bytery, shall be exhibited until they shall have obtained satisfaction 
as to the candidate's piety, literature and aptness to teach in the 
churches. The lecture and popular sermon, if the Presbytery think 
proper, may be delivered in the presence of a congregation. 

That the Presbyteries be required to see that the candidates for licen- 
sure be well versed in the Catechisms and well furnished with Scripture 
proof texts. Adopted.— 1868, p. 654, O. S. 

VI. That the most effectual measures may be taken to guard 
against the admission of insufficient men into the sacred office, it is 
recommended that no candidate, except in extraordinary cases, be 
licensed unless, after his having completed the usual course of aca- 
demical studies, he shall have studied divinity at least two years 
under some approved divine or professor of theology. 

1. Effort to Extend the Time of Study to Three Years. 

a. On motion, Resolved, That it be recommended to the several Presby- 
teries of this Church to consider whether it would be proper to extend the 
time necessary for young men to apply to the study of divinity before they 
be taken on trials to three years at least, and to send up a report of their 
opinion to the next General Assembly. — 1792, p. 60. 

[No action of Presbyteries is reported.] 

Rule of a Lower Judicature Unconstitutional. 

b. The records (of the Synod of New York and New Jersey) were ap- 
proved, except a vote of that Synod by which they determine it to be 
constitutional for that Synod to enact, " That, in future, candidates who 
have the gospel ministry in view be required to attend to the study of 
divinity at least three years before licensure," which vote was determined 
by the Assembly to be unconstitutional. — 1792, p. 59. 

c. Overture Sent Down, but not Adopted. 

Overture No. 6 was taken up, viz. : Bequests from several Presbyteries 
that the sixth section of chapter xiv. of our Form of Government might 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 399 

be sent down to the Presbyteries to be so altered as to read " to study 
theology at least three years, etc." The overtures were read, and it was 
resolved that the proposed alteration be sent down as an overture to the 
Presbyteries, and that the Presbyteries be required to send up their answer 
to this overture in writing to the next General Assembly. — 1835, p. 475. 

[To this overture, in 1836, thirty-five answered in the affirmative and 
twenty in the negative. Not a majority. The overture was again referred 
to the Presbyteries, and in 1837 fifty-huo Presbyteries reported in favor 
and thirty-eight against. Still not a majority, and the matter was dropped. — 
1836, p. 276; 1837, p. 438.] 

2. Full Term of Three Years Urgently Recommended. 

a. Resolved, That this Assembly entirely concur in the opinion expressed 
in the report of the Board of Directors of the theological seminary at 
Princeton, that it is highly important that theological students continue 
the full time of three years in the seminary, and complete the whole 
course of studies prescribed in the plan. — 1834, p. 437. 

b. Resolved, 1. That this Assembly do approve of the resolution passed 
by the Board of Directors at their late meeting, with a view of securing 
the attendance of students during a full course of theological instruction 
in our seminary. 

Resolved, 2. That the Assembly notice with regret the prevalence of 
what they deem a serious evil, not only to the seminary, but to the Church 
at large, in the number of students who annually leave the institution 
before the prescribed course of studies is completed. And they do earn- 
estly recommend to the students, if practicable, to continue the fall time 
prescribed in the plan. — 1826, p. 179. 

c. Resolved, That in the opinion of this house it is in general highly 
inexpedient for candidates for the ministry to apply for licensure at such 
a period of their course of study as would prevent them from finishing 
the three vears' plan of studies adopted and approved by former xissem- 
blies.— 1843, p. 187, O. S. 

3. A Pledge to a Three Years' Course not Unconstitutional. 

Resolved, That the General Assembly are deeply impressed with the im- 
portance of a thorough course of theological study, and would earnestly 
recommend to their Presbyteries to elevate the standard of education, and 
that the rule of the Board of Education does not conflict with the Con- 
stitution when it prescribes the time of study, inasmuch as the Constitu- 
tion makes two years the shortest time allowed to complete the course of 
theological study, but does not prescribe the maximum. — 1844, p. 375, O. S. 

VII. If the Presbytery be satisfied with his trials, they shall then 
proceed to license him in the following manner: The moderator shall 
propose to him the following questions, viz.: 

1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments 
to be the word of God, and only infallible rule of faith and practice'.' 

2. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith of 
this Church as containing the system of doctrine taught in the holy 
Scriptures? 

3. Do you promise to study the peace, unity and purity of the 
Church ? 



400 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

4. Do you promise to submit yourself in the Lord to the govern- 
ment of this Presbytery, or of any other Presbytery in the bounds of 
which you may be called ? 

VIII. The candidate having answered these questions in the af- 
firmative, and the moderator having offered up a prayer suitable to 
the occasion, he shall address himself to the candidate to the follow- 
ing purpose : " In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by that 
authority which he hath given to the Church for its edification, we 
do license you to preach the gospel wherever God in his providence 
may call you, and for this purpose may the blessing of God rest upon 
you and the Spirit of Christ fill your heart ! Amen." And record 
shall be made of the licensure in the following or like form, viz. : 

At the day of the Presby- 

tery of having received testimonials in favor of 

of his having gone through a regular course of literature, of 
his good moral character, and of his being in the communion of the 
Church, proceeded to take the usual parts of trial for his licensure; 
and he having given satisfaction as to his accomplishments in litera- 
ture, as to his experimental acquaintance with religion, and as to 
his proficiency in divinity and other studies, the Presbytery did, 
and hereby do, express their approbation of all these parts of trial ; 
and he having adopted the Confession of Faith of this Church, and 
satisfactorily answered the questions appointed to be put to candidates 
to be licensed, the Presbytery did, and hereby do, license him, the said 
, to preach the gospel of Christ as a probationer for the 
holy ministry within the bounds of this Presbytery or wherever else 
he shall be orderly called. 

Is it right for a clerk of Presbytery, in recording the licensure of a can- 
didate, to use any other form than that prescribed in the book ? 

Answered in the affirmative. See above: "And record shall be made 
of the licensure in the following or like jorm^ — 1866, p. 54, O. S. 

IX. When any candidate for licensure shall have occasion, while 
his trials are going on, to remove from the bounds of his own Pres- 
bytery into those of another, it shall be considered as regular for the 
latter Presbytery, on his producing proper testimonials from the 
former, to take up his trials at the point at which they were left and 
conduct them to a conclusion in the same manner as if they had been 
commenced by themselves. 

X. In like manner, when any candidate, after licensure, shall, by 
the permission of his Presbytery, remove without its limits, an extract 
of the record of his licensure, accompanied with a presbyterial recom- 
mendation, signed by the clerk, shall be his testimonials to the Pres- 
bytery under whose care he shall come. 



OF LICENSING CANDIDATES. 401 

XI. When a licentiate shall have been preaching for a considerable 
time and his services do not appear to be edifying to the churches, 
the Presbytery may, if they think proper, recall his license. 

1. Limitation of the Time to -which a License shall Extend to 

Four Years. 

Overture No. 19, from the Synod of Philadelphia, asking the Assembly 
to define more explicitly the relations of Presbyteries to their licentiates. 
Also No. 20, from the "Presbytery of Philadelphia, North, and No. 21, 
from the Presbytery of Northumberland, on the same subject. 

The Committee recommend the Assembly to adopt the following rules: 

1. Every license to preach the gospel shall expire at the end of the 
period of four years, unless the candidate holding the same shall, before 
the expiration of that time, be called to permanent labor in the work of 
the Church. But the Presbytery under whose care such licentiate may 
be may, in its discretion, extend his license for the period of one year. 

2. The Presbyteries are enjoined to take the oversight of their licen- 
tiates and their vacant churches, bringing in the one for the supply of the 
other, and, through the Home Missionary Committees of the Synods to 
which the Presbyteries belong, to seek to introduce their candidates to the 
widest fields of labor, and to furnish them full opportunity of practically 
showing their fitness for the Christian ministry. 

Adopted.— 1872, p. 87. 

2. The above Rule does not Abridge the Power of the Presby- 
teries to License in Extraordinary Cases. 

The Standing Committee on the Polity of the Church reported — 

1. A memorial from the Presbytery of Columbus, asking this General 
Assembly to define the action of the last General Assembly " in limiting 
the term of licensure (min., p. 87) as not referring to the cases of laymen 
w T ho are licensed with a view of their higher usefulness, and not with a 
view to ordination." 

The Committee recommend this minute as an answer, viz.: The Gene- 
ral Assembly cannot sanction the practice of licensure as a means to attain 
a higher measure of usefulness merely, without aiming to reach ordination, 
as tlris would be virtually to make two grades of preaching officers. But 
the rules adopted by the last Assembly, to which the memorial refers, 
should not be construed as abridging the power and discretion of the 
Presbyteries to license probationers "in extraordinary cases." Form of 
Government, xiv., vi. 

Adopted.— 1873, p. 524. 

3. Licentiates Belong to the Laity, and are Subject to the Session. 

a. The Committee to whom was recommitted Overture No. 1, viz.: The 
question at what period of their preparatory course are candidates for the 
Christian ministry to be considered as dismissed from the jurisdiction of 
the session and transferred to the Presbytery ? made a report, which, being 
read and amended, was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

Whereas, It appears necessary, in order to preserve the purity of the 
Church, and uniformity of procedure in the judicatories under the care of 
the General Assembly, that the manner of administering discipline to 
candidates and licentiates for the gospel ministry, should be distinctly spe- 
cified ; therefore, 

51 



402 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Resolved, 1. That as the word of God and the Constitution of the Pres- 
byterian Church recognize the distinction of laity and clergy, and a sys- 
tem of procedure in discipline in some respects diverse, as the one or the 
other of these orders of men is concerned, it becomes the judicatories of 
the Church to guard against the violation of this principle in the admin- 
istration of discipline. 

2. That although candidates and licentiates are in training for the gos- 
pel ministry, and in consequence of this are placed under the care of 
Presbyteries, and in certain respects become immediately responsible to 
them, yet they are to be regarded as belonging to the order of the laity 
till they receive ordination to the whole work of the gospel ministry. 

3. That it follows, from the last resolution, that when candidates for the 
gospel ministry are discovered to be unfit to be proceeded with in trials 
for the sacred office, it shall be the duty of the Presbytery to arrest their 
progress, and if further discipline be necessary, to remit them for that pur- 
pose to the sessions of the churches to which they properly belong, and 
that when licentiates are found unworthy to be permitted further to preach 
the gospel, it shall be the duty of the Presbytery to deprive them of their 
license, and if further discipline be necessary, to remit them for that pur- 
pose to the sessions of the churches to which they properly belong. 

4. That in order to ensure the proper effect of discipline in the perform- 
ance of the duties which severally belong to sessions and Presbyteries, it 
will be incumbent on church sessions, when they shall see cause to com- 
mence process against candidates or licentiates, before Presbytery has 
arrested the trials of the one or taken away the licensure of the other, 
to give immediate notice to the moderator of the Presbytery to which the 
candidates or licentiates are amenable that such process has been com- 
menced, to the intent that the impropriety may be prevented of an indi- 
vidual proceeding on trials or continuing to preach, after committing an 
offence that ought to arrest him in his progress to an investiture with the 
sacred office; and when Presbyteries shall enter upon an investigation, 
with the view of stopping the trials of a candidate or taking away the 
license of a licentiate, the session to which such candidates or licentiates 
are amenable shall be immediately informed of what the Presbytery is 
doing, that the session may if requisite commence process and inflict the 
discipline which it is their province to administer. — 1829, pp. 263, 264. 

b. But may Solemnize Marriage if Authorized by Law. 

Resolved, That while our Form of Government does not recognize licen- 
tiates as ministers of the gospel, yet this Assembly do not consider them 
as violating any rules of the Church by solemnizing marriages in those 
States where the civil laws expressly authorize them to do it. — 1844, p. 377. 



OF ELECTION AND ORDINATION. 403 



CHAPTER XV. 



OF THE ELECTION AND ORDINATION OF BISHOPS OR PASTORS 
AND EVANGELISTS. 

I. When any probationer shall have preached so much to the sat- 
isfaction of any congregation as that the people appear prepared to 
elect a pastor, the session shall take measures to convene them for 
this purpose ; and it shall always be the duty of the session to con- 
vene them, when a majority of the persons entitled to vote in the 
case shall, by a petition, request that a meeting may be called. 

1. Steps to be taken by a Vacant Congregation looking- to the 
Election of a Pastor. 

The business left unfinished in the morning was resumed, and after a 
full discussion of the subject, the motion to sustain the appeal of the ses- 
sion of the Third Presbyterian Church in this city from the decision of the 
Synod of Philadelphia, affirming a decision of the Presbytery of Philadel- 
phia, by which the Presbytery directed the said session, within twenty 
days from the date of their decision, or after the final determination of 
the case, to convene the congregation for the purpose of electing a pastor, 
was determined in the affirmative ; and Dr. Green, Dr. Neill and Mr. 
Richards were appointed a Committee to prepare a minute stating the 
principles on which the Assembly sustained the appeal. 

The Committee appointed to prepare a statement of the principles and 
grounds upon which the Assembly sustained the appeal of the session of 
the Third Presbyterian Church in this city reported, and their report, 
being read and amended, was adopted in the words following, viz. : 

That both to prevent misapprehension and to aid the congregations and 
judicatures of this Church in deciding on any similar cases that may 
arise, the Assembly therefore declare, 

I. That in vacant congregations which are fully organized the session 
of each congregation are to determine, under their responsibility to the 
higher judicatures, when the congregation are prepared to elect a pastor, 
as directed in the Form of Government of this Church, chap, xv., sec. i. 

II. That it is the duty of the session, when a congregation is vacant, to 
use their best endeavors to promote the settlement of a pastor in the same, 
in the speediest manner possible, consistently with the peace, order and 
edification of the congregation ; and it is the privilege of the people, or 
of any portion of them, to complain to the Presbytery when they think 
that the session, after being suitably requested, neglect or refuse to con- 
vene the congregation to elect a pastor. 

III. That it belongs to the Presbyteries to take cognizance of the pro- 
ceedings of sessions and congregations in the important concern of settling 
pastors, and to adopt the most effectual measures on the one hand to pre- 
vent all undue delay by the session or the people, and on the other to pre- 
vent all precipitancy in the settlement of any minister or the adoption of 
any system of proceedings in the congregation inconsistent with the real 
and permanent edification of the people. 

IV. That by the due and discreet observance of these principles by all 



404 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

concerned it will be found that, so far from the session of a congregation 
having it in their power to deprive a majority of a congregation of their 
right to make an election of a pastor when sought in an orderly and Chris- 
tian manner, or to keep a congregation unsettled for an indefinite length 
of time, the rights of the people will be most effectually secured, and their 
precious and inalienable privilege of choosing their own pastor will be 
exercised by them in the shortest period which their own real benefit will 
permit. 

V. That the conviction of this Assembly that the foregoing obvious 
and constitutional principles had not been duly adhered to in the case be- 
fore them, that the congregation had not proceeded with a suitable respect 
to the session, and that the Presbytery did not adopt the most suitable 
measure when they advised and directed the session to convene the con- 
gregation in twenty days, has led the Assembly to sustain this appeal as 
the measure most constitutional, best calculated on the whole to do justice 
to all the parties concerned, and to point the way to the most speedy set* 
tlement of the unhappy differences and disorders which have so long ex- 
isted in the particular congregation immediately concerned. — 1814, pp. 
559, 560. 

II. When such a meeting is intended, the session shall solicit the 
presence and counsel of some neighboring minister to assist them in 
conducting the election contemplated, unless highly inconvenient on 
account of distance; in which case they may proceed without such 
assistance. 

[For answer to the question who may moderate a session, see under 
Form of Government, chap, ix., sec. iv., 2, a, b, c] 

III. On a Lord's day, immediately after public worship, it shall be 
intimated from the pulpit that all the members of that congregation 
are requested to meet on ensuing, at the church or 
usual place for holding public worship; then and there, if it be agree- 
able to them, to proceed to the election of a pastor for that congre- 
gation. 

IV. On the day appointed, the minister invited to preside, if he 
be present, shall, if it be deemed expedient, preach a sermon ; and 
after sermon he shall announce to the people that he will immediately 
proceed to take the votes of the electors of that congregation for a 
pastor, if such be their desire, and when this desire shall be expressed 
by a majority of voices, he shall then proceed to take votes accord- 
ingly. In this election no person shall be entitled to vote who re- 
fuses to submit to the censures of the Church regularly administered, 
or who does not contribute his just proportion according to his own 
engagements or the rules of that congregation to all its necessary ex- 
penses. 

a. Who may Vote in the Election of a Pastor. 

Agreed that none shall be allowed to vote for the calling of a minister 
but those that shall contribute for the maintenance of him, and that the 
major vote of these shall be determinative. — 1711, p. 24. 



OP ELECTION AND ORDINATION. 405 

[As adopted by the Synod in 1788, the margin for the direction of the 
presiding minister read, " The minister shall receive the votes of none but 
regular members, and who punctually pay toward the support of the 
Church." This was stricken out in the revision of 1820.] 

b. Right of Voting not limited to Communicants unless expressly so Declared. 

[In sustaining a complaint of K. J. Breckenridge, D. D., et al., "against 
the Synod of Kentucky in its action limiting the right of voting in the 
election of a pastor to communicating members of the Church," the As- 
sembly — ] 

Resolved, That the complaint be sustained ; but the Assembly in this 
judgment does not intend to condemn a practice prevalent in some of our ■ 
congregations in which the right of voting for pastor is confined to com- 
municants. — 1863, p. 71, O. S. 

c. Overture Confining the Vote to Communicants not Adopted. 

Overture No. 3, being an overture from the Presbytery of Saline, " in 
favor of the enactment of a law requiring that in the election of pastors, 
none be permitted to vote except communicants in good and regular stand- 
ing;" also, "that when any candidate is before a church, the church shall 
determine whether he shall be called to the pastorate before any other 
candidate shall be heard." 

The Committee recommend for answer : That, in regard to the first 
point, the enactment of such a law would prohibit a usage quite extensive 
among the churches, founded upon an interpretation of the present law 
which has heretofore been sanctioned by the General Assembly. It is, 
therefore, deemed inexpedient upon the application of a single Presbytery 
to recommend such alteration in the Form of Government. In regard to 
the second point it need only be said that the authority asked for is now 
possessed by each congregation, and may be exercised or not at its plea- 
sure ; while to make such exercise binding by positive law would deprive 
all congregations of a present liberty the use of which seems wisely left 
to their discretion. 

The report was adopted.— 1867, p. 320, O. S. 

V. When the votes are taken, if it appear that a large minority of 
the people are averse from the candidate who has a majority of votes, 
and cannot be induced to concur in the call, the presiding minister 
shall endeavor to dissuade the congregation from prosecuting it fur- 
ther. But if the people be nearly or entirely unanimous, or if the 
majority shall insist upon their right to call a pastor, the presiding 
minister, in that case, after using his utmost endeavors to persuade 
the congregation to unanimity, shall proceed to draw a call in due 
form, and to have it subscribed by the electors, certifying at the same 
time in writing the number and circumstances of those who do not 
concur in the call; all which proceedings shall be laid before the* 
Presbytery, together with the call. 

VI. The call shall be in the following, or like form, namely: 
The congregation of being, on sufficient grounds, well 

satisfied of the ministerial qualifications of you and 



406 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

having good hopes from our past experience of your labors that your 
ministrations in the gospel will be profitable to our spiritual interests, 
do earnestly call and desire you to undertake the pastoral office in 
said congregation ; promising you, in the discharge of your duty, all 
proper support, encouragement and obedience in the Lord. And that 
you may be free from worldly cares and avocations, we hereby prom- 
ise and oblige ourselves to pay to you the sum of in reg- 
ular quarterly (or half yearly or yearly) payments during the time of 
your being and continuing the regular pastor of this church. In tes- 
timony whereof we have respectively submitted our names this 
day of A. T>. 

Attested by A. C, moderator of the meeting. 

1. Early Action.— Glebe and Parsonage Recommended. 

a. That in every congregation a Committee be appointed, who shall twice 
in every year collect the minister's stipend and lay his receipts before the 
Presbytery preceding the Synod, and at the same time that ministers 
give an account of their diligence in visiting and catechising their 
people. 

The Synod recommends that a glebe, with a convenient house and ne- 
cessary improvements, be provided for every minister. — 1766, p. 359. 

b. As it appears the interest of religion is in danger of suffering greatly 
at present from the many discouragements under which the ministers of 
the gospel labor from the want of a sufficient support and liberal mainte- 
nance from the congregations they serve, the Synod appoint a Committee 
to take this matter into, consideration and report thereon to the next 
Synod. 

Ordered, That Drs. Witherspoon, Ewing and Spencer be a Committee 
for this purpose. — 1782, p. 495. 

Said Committee brought in their report, which was read and consid- 
ered ; whereupon, 

Ordered, That Drs. Witherspoon and Spencer, with Mr. S. Smith, be a 
Committee to prepare a draught of a pastoral letter to the congregation 
under the inspection of Synod, as also to prepare some resolves to be 
passed by Synod and accompany said letter, the whole to be brought in 
to-morrow morning. — 1783, p. 499. 

[The letter was brought in, amended and ordered to be published.] 

2. Adequate Provision to be Urged. 

a. [The Assembly enjoins it upon all the Presbyteries] "that they will 
endeavor, as far as the state of society in different parts of our Church 
will permit, to withdraw the ministers of the gospel from every worldly 
avocation for the maintenance of themselves and families, that they may 
devote themselves entirely to the work of the ministry; and that for this 
end they labor to convince the people of the advantage that will accrue 
to themselves from making such adequate provision for the support of 
their teachers and pastors, that they may be employed wholly in their 
sacred calling ; and in those places where it may be found prudent and 
practicable, that they devise means to have the contracts between congre- 
gations and pastors examined in the Presbyteries at stated periods, in- 
quiries instituted with regard to the reciprocal fulfillment of duties and 



OF ELECTION AND ORDINATION. 407 

engagements, and endeavors used to promote punctuality and fidelity in 
both parties, before distress on one side or complaint on the other grow to 
a height unfavorable to the interests of religion. — 1799, p. 181. 

b. With pain we have heard that in some parts of our Church the dis- 
position to support the gospel ministry is becoming cold. We lament this 
appearance the more because we learn that there is no backwardness to 
advance money for objects which, though laudable in themselves, are sub- 
ordinate in importance to the preaching of the word. 

We trust that our people possess too much good sense and too much 
respect for the God who made and redeemed them to listen to the dreams 
of men who neither know what they say nor whereof they affirm. These 
do not hesitate to libel an ordinance of the living God to promote their 
selfish views, their degrading prejudices. God hath said, " Whosoever 
serveth at the altar shall live of the altar." But these say, No ; the min- 
istry must be kept in want that they may be kept humble. 

We fervently wish that the men who thus act toward the ministry 
would, to be consistent, apply their reasoning to themselves. We do not 
hesitate to say that the profession of religion which is connected with the 
disposition to abridge the means of supporting the gospel is at best suspi- 
cious. Men who do so practically say, We love our bodies more than our 
souls — our temporal substance more than our eternal inheritance. It is 
among the foulest blots of the Christian name that in so many instances 
the confession is made of the heart being opened to receive the truth in 
the love of it, whilst at the same time great reluctance is displayed in 
giving worldly substance for the service of Him who alone changes the 
heart. 

One of the best evidences of the power of religion is an increase of lib- 
erality in relation to all those objects which regard the salvation of souls 
and the liberality of Zion. We hope that they who have in this respect 
gone back will, without delay, retrace their steps and redeem their name 
from reproach or suspicion. — 1811, p. 485. 

3. Liberality in Support of the Ministry Urged. 

a. The following preamble and resolution, proposed by Elder Walter S. 
Griffith, was unanimously adopted : 

Whereas, It is highly important to our churches that they be served by 
competent ministers, who shall be free from worldly cares and avocations; 
whereas, the law of Christ expressly declares " that they which preach the 
gospel should live of the gospel," and that he "that is taught in the word" 
should "communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things," thus 
making it the solemn duty, as it is clearly the interest, of Christian churches 
to provide for their ministers a competent and liberal support ; whereas, 
the cost of the necessities of life has advanced so greatly as to render the 
salaries heretofore paid to many of our ministers entirely inadequate, 
causing to them and to their families great anxiety and distress ; and 
whereas, this subject demands at this time, and should not fail to attract, 
the special attention of every Christian ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the General Assembly earnestly exhort all the churches 
under their care to consider this question in the spirit of Christian fidelity 
and liberality, and to make ample provision for those who minister to 
them in word and doctrine, stipulating so to increase their compensa- 
tion, when necessary, as to make their salaries fully adequate to their 
comfortable support, in view of the enhanced expenses of living, and pay- 
ing the amount agreed upon with honorable and Christian promptitude. — 
1854, p. 499, N. S. 



408 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

b. [A memorial from the Synod of New York on the subject of minis- 
terial support was referred to a Committee exclusively of elders, one from 
each Synod.] 

Judge Fine, from the Special Committee on Ministerial Support, pre- 
sented a report, which was read, amended and adopted, the resolutions 
being as follows, viz.: 

1. Resolved, That we affectionately and earnestly recommend to the 
churches under our care that they scrupulously avoid holding out any 
inducements to a minister to become their stated supply, or settled pastor, 
which will not be realized. 

2. Resolved, That we earnestly recommend to every Presbytery that, 
unless suitable provision be made for the support of a minister or stated 
supply, they decline to give their aid or sanction, as a Presbytery, to settle 
him in any congregation which is able to furnish such suitable provision. 

3. Resolved, That we recommend to the elders and deacons and trus- 
tees of our churches and congregations to meet together on some day be- 
fore the first of November next, and yearly thereafter, or oftener if neces- 
sary, and institute the inquiry whether the minister or stated supply is 
properly and fully supported, and if they find that he is not so supported, 
to take immediate measures to increase his support, and report to their 
Presbytery at its next meeting. 

4. Resolved, That we recommend to the Presbyteries to require of every 
minister to preach on the subject of ministerial support — "that, laying 
aside all false delicacy, they enlighten their people upon this as upon any 
other branch of Christian duty, pleading not for themselves, but for their 
Master, if happily they may reclaim their respective charges from a griev- 
ous sin which must bring down God's displeasure" — and that the Presby- 
teries call upon every minister to answer whether he has complied with 
their injunction. — 1854, p. 40, O. S. 

[For the report accompanying the resolutions and ordered to be pub- 
lished and read in the churches, see Baird's Collection, Revised Edition, 
pp. 199-203.] 

4. Presbytery may Refuse to Install when the Salary is Insuffi- 
cient. 

From 'the church of Paris, Illinois : " When a congregation and minis- 
ter agree on the amount of salary to be paid and received, and both par- 
ties, being fully satisfied, request that the pastoral relation be constituted 
according to the order of the Presbyterian Church, has Presbytery the 
right to refuse to install because, in their judgment, the salary is insuffi- 
cient ?" Answered in the affirmative.— 1855, pp. 272-282, O. S. 

5. Congregations Urged to Procure Parsonages. 

a. For the purpose of facilitating the settlement and support of pastors 
and to guard more effectually against the temptation, or almost necessity, 
as in some cases seems to exist, for ministers to involve themselves, to the 
injury of their usefulness, in procuring accommodations for themselves 
■and families, 

1. Resolved, That it be earnestly recommended to our churches, wherever 
it is expedient. and practicable, to provide suitable parsonages for the ac- 
commodation of their pastors. 

2. Resolved, That great care be taken to have these parsonages so 
guarded by legal arrangements as most effectually to prevent controversy 
and secure their perpetual enjoyment by the churches providing them for 



OF ELECTION AND OKDINATION. 409 

the continued support of the gospel through coming generations. — 1843, 
p. 193, O. S. 

b. Resolved, 2. That the Presbyteries be instructed to appoint Standing 
Committees on Manses, so that the subject may be brought regularly and 
statedly before them for consideration-, and that information may be dis- 
seminated widely among the churches. 

Resolved, 3. That ministers and elders be requested to press this matter 
upon the attention of the churches and people, and strive to create and 
extend a healthy state of mind and feeling on the subject, and stimulate 
them in the effort to provide manses, and, even in those churches where the 
way may not be clear to build at once, urge upon them the work of prep- 
aration by securing suitable lots of ground for building when the proper 
time may come, and that such provision of ground, whether in town or 
country, should be on a liberal scale. — 1872, p. 37. 

VII. But if any congregation shall choose to subscribe their call 
by their elders and deacons, or by their trustees, or by a select com- 
mittee, they shall be at liberty to do so. But it shall, in such case, be 
fully certified to the Presbytery by the minister, or other person who 
presided, that the persons signing have been appointed for that pur- 
pose by a public vote of the congregation, and that the call has been 
in all other respects prepared as above directed. 

VIII. When a call shall be presented to any minister or candidate, 
it shall ahvays be viewed as a sufficient petition from the people for 
his installment. The acceptance of a call by a minister or candidate 
shall always be considered as a request on his part to be installed at 
the same time, and when a candidate shall be ordained in consequence 
of a call from any congregation, the Presbytery shall at the same time, 
if practicable, install him pastor of that congregation. 

IX. The call, thus prepared, shall be presented to the Presbytery 
under whose care the person called shall be; that if the Presbytery 
think it expedient to present the call to him, it may be accordingly 
presented, and no minister or candidate shall receive a call but 
through the hands of the Presbytery. 

X. If the call be to a licentiate of another Presbytery, in that case 
the commissioners deputed from the congregation to prosecute the call 
shall produce to that judicatory a certificate from their own Presby- 
tery, regularly attested by the moderator and clerk, that the call has 
been laid before them, and that it is in order. If that Presbytery 
present the call to their licentiate and he be disposed to accept it, they 
shall then dismiss him from their jurisdiction and require him to 
repair to that Presbytery into the bounds of which he is called, and 
there to submit himself to the usual trials preparatory to ordination. 

[To facilitate the business and avoid expense and delay, it has become 
common usage for the candidate to obtain a dismission to the Presbytery 
52 



410 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

within whose bounds is the congregation seeking his services ; being re- 
ceived by that Presbytery, the proceedings are as in the case of their own 
candidates. See IX., above, M.] 

XI. Trials for ordination, especially in a different Presbytery from 
that in which the candidate was licensed, shall consist of a careful 
examination as to his acquaintance with experimental religion ; as to 
his knowledge of philosophy, theology, ecclesiastical history, the Greek 
and Hebrew languages, and such other branches of learning as to the 
Presbytery may appear requisite; and as to his knowledge of the con- 
stitution, the rules and principles of the government and discipline 
of the church; together with such written discourse or discourses 
founded on the word of God as to the Presbytery shall seem proper. 
The Presbytery, being fully satisfied with his qualifications for the 
sacred office, shall appoint a day for his ordination, which ought to 
be, if convenient, in that church of which he is to be the minister. 
It is also recommended that a fast day be observed in the congregation 
previous to the day of ordination. 

I. Ordination on the Sabbath Discouraged, but at the Discretion 

of the Presbytery. 

An overture was received from the Presbytery of Orange, requesting 
the opinion of the General Assembly on the question whether it be proper 
to ordain licentiates to the office of the gospel ministry on the Sabbath 
day. The General Assembly think it would not be for edification to adopt 
a uniform rule on the subject. In general they think it is not expedient 
that ordinations should take place on the Sabbath, yet that there may be 
cases in which urgent or peculiar circumstances may demand them. The 
Assembly, therefore, judged it best to leave it to the Presbyteries to act in 
this concern as they may judge that their duty requires. — 1821, p. 10. 

[For qualifications of the candidate in knowledge of and assent to 
the Confession, Catechisms, etc., see under Form of Government, chap, i., 

II, 12 and 13.] 

XII. The day appointed for ordination being come, and the Pres- 
bytery convened, a member of the Presbytery, previously appointed 
to that duty, shall preach a sermon adapted to the occasion. The 
same, or another member appointed to preside, shall afterward briefly 
recite from the pulpit, in the audience of the people, the proceedings 
of the Presbytery preparatory to this transaction. He shall point out 
the nature and importance of the ordinance, and endeavor to impress 
the audience with a proper sense of the solemnity of the transaction. 

Then, addressing himself to the candidate, he shall propose to him 
the following questions, viz. : 

1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments 
to be the word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice? 

2. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith of 



OF ELECTION AND ORDINATION. 411 

this Church as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy 
Scriptures ? 

3. Do you approve of the government and discipline of the Pres- 
byterian Church in these United States? 

4. Do you promise subjection to your brethren in the Lord ? 

5. Have you been induced, as far as you know your own heart, to 
seek the office of the holy ministry from love to God, and a sincere 
desire to promote his glory in the gospel of his Son ? 

6. Do you promise to be zealous and faithful in maintaining the 
truths of the gospel and the purity and peace of the Church, what- 
ever persecution or opposition may arise unto you on that account ? 

7. Do you engage to be faithful and diligent in the exercise of all 
private and personal duties which become you as a Christian and a 
minister of the gospel, as well as in all relative duties and the public 
duties of your office, endeavoring to adorn the profession of the gos- 
pel by your conversation, and walking with exemplary piety before 
the flock over which God shall make you overseer? 

8. Are you now willing to take the charge of this congregation, 
agreeably to your declaration at accepting their call ? And do you 
promise to discharge the duties of a pastor to them as God shall give 
you strength ? 

The Assent Embraces the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. 

Overture No. 1. The following inquiry from members of the Presby- 
tery of Nashville : " When ministers and other officers are ordained in 
the Presbyterian Church, and give an affirmative answer to the question, 
Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of this Church as con- 
taining the system of doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures ? are such 
ministers and officers to be understood as embracing and assenting to the 
doctrines, principles, precepts and statements contained in the Larger and 
Shorter Catechisms in the same unqualified sense in which they are under- 
stood to embrace and assent to the doctrines, principles, precepts and 
statements contained in other parts of the Confession of Faith ?" 

The Committee recommended that the question be answered in the 
affirmative ; and the recommendation was adopted. — 1848, p, 18, O. S. 

XIII. The candidate having answered these questions in the affirm- 
ative, the presiding minister shall propose to the people the following 
questions : 

1. Do you, the people of this congregation, continue to profess your 
readiness to receive whom you have called to be your 
minister? 

2. Do you promise to receive the word of truth from his mouth 
with meekness and love, and to submit to him in the due exercise of 
discipline? 



412 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

3. Do you promise to encourage him in his arduous labor, and to 
assist his endeavors for your instruction and spiritual edification ? 

4. And do you engage to continue to him, while he is your pastor, 
that competent worldly maintenance which you have promised, and 
whatever else you may see needful for the honor of religion and his 
comfort among you ? 

XIV. The people having answered these questions in the affirma- 
tive, by holding up their right hands, the candidate shall kneel down 
in the most convenient part of the church. Then the presiding min- 
ister shall by prayer, and with the laying on of the hands of the 
Presbytery, according to the apostolic example, solemnly ordain him 
to the holy office of the gospel ministry. Prayer being ended, he 
shall rise from his knees ; and the minister who presides shall first, 
and afterward all the members of the Presbytery in their order, take 
him by the right hand, saying, in words to this purpose, " We give 
you the right hand of fellowship to take part of this ministry with 
us." After which the minister presiding, or some other appointed for 
the purpose, shall give a solemn charge in the name of God, to the 
newly ordained bishop, and to the people, to persevere in the dis- 
charge of their mutual duties ; and shall then by prayer recommend 
them both to the grace of God and his holy keeping, and finally, after 
singing a psalm, shall dismiss the congregation with the usual bless- 
ing. And the Presbytery shall duly record the transaction. 

XV. As it is sometimes desirable and important that a candidate 
who has not received a call to be the pastor of a particular congrega- 
tion should, nevertheless, be ordained to the work of the gospel min- 
istry, as an evangelist, to preach the gospel, administer sealing ordin- 
ances arid organize churches in frontier or destitute settlements ; in 
this case the last of the preceding questions shall be omitted, and 
the following used as a substitute, namely : 

Are you now willing to undertake the work of an evangelist ; and 
do you promise to discharge the duties which may be incumbent on 
you in this character as God shall give you strength? 

1. Ordination as an Evangelist to Labor in Feeble Churches. 

Is it or is it not in accordance with the principles of the Presbyterian 
Church to ordain evangelists to labor in fields having feeble churches 
which are not able to support a pastor, and are too remote conveniently 
to secure the services of an ordained minister? 

To ordain evangelists under the specified circumstances is in accordance 
with the practice of the Church, and is no infraction of any of its laws.— 
1850, p. 454, O. S. 



OF ELECTION AND ORDINATION. 413 

2. Ordination of a Licentiate who Proposed to Continue Teaching. 

The Presbytery of Philadelphia submitted to the Assembly for their 
decision the case of Mr. John Jones, a licentiate under their care, who at 
their last sessions had requested that the Presbytery would take measures 
to ordain him sine iitirfo. The Presbytery stated that Mr. Jones had been 
a licensed candidate for a number of years ; that he had always sustained 
a good and consistent character; that he was engaged in teaching an 
academy, and was so circumstanced that his being ordained might render 
him more extensively useful. The Assembly having considered the case, 

Resolved, That the Presbytery of Philadelphia be permitted and au- 
thorized to ordain Mr. Jones to the work of the gospel ministry sine titulo, 
provided the Presbytery, from a full view of his qualifications and other 
attending circumstances shall think it expedient so to ordain him. — 1807, 
p. 386. 

3. Presbyteries should not Ordain the Candidates of other Pres- 

byteries. 

1. That it be earnestly recommended to all our Presbyteries not to or- 
dain sine titulo any men who propose to pursue the work of their ministry 
in any sections of the country where a Presbytery is already organized to 
which they may go as licentiates and receive ordination. 

2. That the several bodies with which we are in friendly correspondence 
in the New England States be respectfully requested to use their counsel 
and influence to prevent the ordination, by any of their councils or con- 
sociations, of men who propose to pursue the work of the ministry within 
the bounds of any Presbytery belonging to the General Assembly of the 
Presbyterian Church, and that the delegates from this Assembly to those 
bodies respectively be charged with communicating this resolution. — 
1834, p. 428. 

4. Ordination sine titulo. 

a. The Synod would bear testimony against the late too common, and 
now altogether unnecessary, practice of some Presbyteries in the north of 
Ireland, viz., their ordaining men to the ministry sine titulo immediately 
before they come oyer hither, thereby depriving us of our just rights, viz., 
that we, unto whom they are designed to be co-presbyters, and among 
whom they design to bestow their labors, should have just and fair inspect- 
ing into their qualifications; we say it seems necessary that the Synod bear 
testimony against such practice by writing home to the General Synod, 
thereby signifying our dissatisfaction with the same. . . . The Synod do 
agree that no minister ordained in Ireland sine titulo be for the future 
received to the exercise of his ministry among us until he submit to such 
trials as the Presbytery among whom he resides shall think proper to 
order and appoint. And that the Synod do also advertise the General 
Synod in Ireland that the ordaining any such to the ministry sine titulo, 
before their sending them hither, for the future will be very disagreeable 
and disobliging to us. — 1735, p. 119. 

b. A question was proposed, Whether it be proper to ordain to the 
ministry sine titulo, except for some particular mission? The considera- 
tion of which is deferred till our next sederunt. — 1762, p. 314. 

The question, Ought ministers to be ordained sine titulo? — i. e., without 
relation or probable view had to a particular charge — resumed, and after 
further deliberation, we judge as follows : 



414 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

That in ordinary cases, where churches are properly regulated and or- 
ganized, it is a practice highly inexpedient and of dangerous consequences, 
not to be allowed in our body except in some special cases, as missions to 
the Indians and some distant places that regularly apply for ministers. 
But as the honor and reputation of the Synod is much interested in the 
conduct of Presbyteries in such special cases, it is judged that they should 
previously apply to the Synod and take their advice therein, unless the 
cases require such haste as would necessarily prevent the benefit of such a 
mission if delayed to the next session of Synod, in which cases the Presby- 
teries shall report to the next Synod the state of the cases and the reasons 
for their conduct— 1764, p. 337. 

c. Application was made to the Synod by the Presbytery of New Cas- 
tle for advice respecting the propriety of Mr. Samuel Smith's being or- 
dained by said Presbytery of New Castle, under whose care he is, in con- 
sequence of his having accepted a call from a congregation within the 
bounds of the Presbytery of Hanover. 

The Synod, having heard all the circumstances relative to this case and 
deliberated thereon, agree that it is not expedient for the Presbytery of 
New Castle to ordain Mr. Smith as the matter now stands. — 1775, p. 465. 

d. The Presbytery of Lewes, by their commissioner, Mr. Slemons, re- 
quested leave to ordain a certain Mr. James Lang, a licentiate under their 
care, sine titulo. 

Resolved, That the reasons offered for this measure are not sufficient, 
and therefore that the request be not granted. — 1800, p. 199. 

e. The following request was overtured by the Committee of Bills and 
Overtures : 

That the Synods of Virginia and the Carolinas have liberty to direct 
their Presbyteries to ordain such candidates as they may judge necessary 
to appoint on missions to preach the gospel ; whereupon, 

Resolved, That the above request be granted, the Synods being careful 
to restrict the permission to the ordination of such candidates only as are 
engaged to be sent on missions to preach the gospel. — 1795, p. 98. 

/. The Presbytery of Baltimore directed their commissioners to solicit 
the permission of the General Assembly to ordain Mr. William Maffit, a 
licentiate under their care, to the office of the gospel ministry, if upon 
examination he should appear qualified. The request was made at the 
particular instance of the church of Bladensburg, where Mr. Maffit offi- 
ciates as a stated supply. 

Resolved, That said request be granted. — 1798, p. 146. 

g. Mr. Robert Smith was appointed a missionary to the western and 
northern frontiers of the State of New York, provided he shall be or- 
dained by the Presbytery of New Castle for that purpose. — 1794, p. 86. 

[See also Minutes'1799, p. 172; 1809, p. 415; 1810, p. 459.] 

h. A reference from the Synod of Philadelphia was laid before the As- 
sembly. By an extract from the minutes of that Synod it appeared that 
Mr. John Waugh, a licentiate under the care of the Presbytery of New 
Castle, had, for special reasons, requested' the Presbytery to take measures 
for his ordination sine titulo. The Presbytery accordingly presented the 
request to Synod, and the Synod, finding that the authority in this case is 
by the Constitution expressly vested in the General Assembly, agree to 
refer the matter to them for their decision. The Assembly having taken 
the subject into consideration, 

Resolved, That the Presbytery of New Castle be, and they hereby are 
permitted and authorized, to ordain the said Mr. Waugh to the work of 
the gospel ministry sine titulo; provided that the Presbytery, from a full 



OF ELECTION AND OEDINATION. 415 

view of his qualifications and other attending circumstances, shall think it 
expedient. — 1805, p. 337. 

5. Ordination sine titulo.— Overture on Rejected. 

a. The following overture was brought in and read, viz. : 

In what cases, except the one provided for in the seventeenth chapter 
of the Constitution of our Church, may a Presbytery ordain a man to the 
work of the gospel ministry without a call to a particular charge? — 1810, 
p. 456. 

This overture was referred to Drs. Miller and Green, Messrs. Nathan, 
Grier, Anderson and Campbell, as a Committee. — 1811, p. 464. 

This Committee reported as follows, viz.: 

Whereas, There may exist cases in which it may be needful for Pres- 
byteries to ordain without a regular call ; but as the frequent exercise of 
this power may be dangerous to the Church, and as this case does not 
appear to be fully provided for in our Constitution and Book of Disci- 
pline, 

Resolved, That the following rule be submitted to the Presbyteries for 
their opinion and approbation, which, when sanctioned by a majority of 
the Presbyteries belonging to the Church, shall become a constitutional 
rule, viz. : 

That it shall be the duty of Presbyteries, when they think it necessary 
to ordain a candidate without a call to a particular congregation or con- 
gregations, to take the advice of their respective Synods, or of the General 
Assembly, before they proceed to this ordination. — 1811, p. 474. 

[Answered in the negative — 11 to 7 — and the subject dismissed.] — 
1812, p. 494. 

b. [In 1813 another rule was proposed,] viz.: The rule proposed, and 
on w 7 hich an affirmative or negative vote of the Presbyteries is required, 
is in the following words, viz. : 

It shall be the duty of Presbyteries, when they think it necessary to 
ordain a candidate without a call to a particular pastoral charge, to take 
the advice of a Synod, or of the General Assembly, before they proceed 
to such ordination. — 1813, p. 524. 

[Of the Presbyteries answering this overture, twenty-six replied in the 
negative and four in the affirmative.] — 1814, p. 558. 

6. Censure of Synod for Ordination sine titulo not Sustained. 

The records of the Synod of Illinois were, on the recommendation of 
the Committee, approved, with the exception of a censure on p. 209, of 
the action of Knox Presbytery, for ordaining a man when there was no 
call from any part of the Church.— 1843, p. 17, N. S. 



416 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

OF TRANSLATION OR REMOVING A MINISTER FROM ONE 
CHARGE TO ANOTHER. 

I. No bishop shall be translated from one church to another, nor 
shall he receive any call for that purpose, but by permission of the 
Presbytery. 

1. Removal without Consent of Presbytery. 

The Presbytery of East Jersey having reported that Mr. John Cross 
has, without the concurrence of Presbytery, removed from one congrega- 
tion to another, the Synod do declare that the conduct of such ministers . . . 
that take charge of any congregation without the Presbyteries' concurrence, 
to be disorderly and justly worthy of presbyterial Censure, and do admonish 
said Mr. Cross to be no further chargeable with such irregularities in the 
future.— 1735, p. 115. 

2. The Irregularity Excused, but Caution Enjoined. 

The Synod having deliberately considered the affair of Mr. Allison's 
removal to Philadelphia, referred to them by the Presbytery of New Cas- 
tle, judge that the method he used is contrary to the Presbyterian plan. 
Yet considering that the circumstances which urged him to take the 
method he used were very pressing, and that it was indeed almost imprac- 
ticable to him to apply for the consent of Presbytery or Synod in the 
orderly way, and further being persuaded that Mr. Allison's being em- 
ployed in such a station in the academy has a favorable aspect in several 
respects, and a very probable tendency not only to promote the good of 
the public, but also of the Church, as he may be serviceable to the inte- 
rests thereof in teaching philosophy and divinity as far as his obligations 
to the academy will permit, we judge that his proceedings in said affair 
are in a great measure excusable. Withal, the Synod advises that for the 
future its members be very cautious, and guard against such proceedings 
as are contrary to our known approved methods in such cases. — 1752, 
p. 206. 

II. Any church desiring to call a settled minister from his present 
charge shall, by commissioners properly authorized, represent to the 
Presbytery the ground on which they plead his removal. The Pres- 
bytery, having maturely considered their plea, may, according as it 
appears more or less reasonable, either recommend to them to desist 
from prosecuting the call, or may order it to be delivered to the min- 
ister to whom it is directed. If the parties be not prepared to have 
the matter issued at that Presbytery, a written citation shall be given 
to the minister and his congregation to appear before the Presbytery 
at their next meeting. This citation shall be read from the pulpit in 
that church by a member of the Presbytery appointed for that pur- 



OF TRANSLATION. 417 

pose immediately after public worship, so that at least two Sabbaths 
shall intervene betwixt the citation and the meeting of the Presby- 
tery at which the cause of translation is to be considered. The Pres- 
bytery being met, and having heard the parties, shall upon the whole 
view of the case either continue him in his former charge or trans- 
late him, as they shall deem to be most for the peace and edification 
of the Church, or refer the whole affair to the Synod at their next 
meeting; for their advice and direction. 

1. Consent of the Parties may Shorten the Process. 

[In the Constitution, as originally adopted, citation of the parties was 
required in all cases. By the Assembly of 1804, p. 305, it was proposed 
to strike out "together with a written citation" and insert ".if the parties be 
not prepared to have the matter issued at that Presbytery, a written citation 
shall be given to the minister." 

The amendment was adopted. — 1805, p. 333. In a note accompanying 
the overture the Assembly say, " This amendment is intended to provide 
that consent of parties shall shorten the constitutional process for translat- 
ing a minister." — 1804, p. 305.] 

Overture No. 11, from the Synod of New Jersey, proposing the follow- 
ing query : " Is it the intent of chapter xvii., Form of Government, that 
a minister desiring to resign his pastoral charge shall in all cases first 
make his request known to the Presbytery ?" 

The Committee recommend that it be answered in the negative, for the 
reason that chapter xvi., section ii., provides that where the parties are pre- 
pared for the dissolution of a pastoral relation it may be dissolved at the 
first meeting of Presbytery. 

The report was adopted. — 1866, p. 47, O. S. 

III. When the congregation calling any settled minister is within 
the limits of another Presbytery, that congregation shall obtain leave 
from the Presbytery to which they belong, to apply to the Presbytery 
of which he is a member; and that Presbytery, having cited him and 
his congregation as before directed, shall proceed to hear and issue the 
cause. If they agree to the translation, they shall release him from 
his present charge ; and having given him proper testimonials shall 
require him to repair to that Presbytery within the bounds of which 
the congregation calling him lies, that the proper steps may be taken 
for his regular settlement in that congregation ; and the Presbytery to 
which the congregation belongs, having received an authenticated cer- 
tificate of his release under the hand of the clerk of that Presbytery, 
shall proceed to install him in the congregation as soon as convenient, 
provided always that no bishop or pastor shall be translated without 
his own consent previously obtained. 

1. Pastor and Church must Belong to the. same Presbytery. 

Overture No. 19. From a member of the Presbytery of Lexington, 
asking whether a minister who is a member of one Presbytery can be iu- 
53 



418 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

stalled as pastor over a church in another Presbytery ; and if so, what are 
the proceedings proper in the case. The Committee recommend the As- 
sembly to answer that he should not be installed in such a case. Adopted. 
—1854, p. 46, O. S. 

See under chap, x., viii. 

IV. When any minister is to be settled in a congregation, the in- 
stallment, which consists in constituting a pastoral relation between 
him and the people of that particular church, may be performed either 
by the Presbytery or by a Committee appointed for that purpose, as 
may appear most expedient; and the following order shall be observed 
therein : 

V. A day shall be appointed for the installment, at such time as 
may appear most convenient, and due notice thereof given to the con- 
gregation. 

VI. When the Presbytery or Committee shall be convened and 
constituted, on the day appointed, a sermon shall be delivered by some 
one of the members previously appointed thereto ; immediately after 
which the bishop who is to preside shall state to the congregation the 
design of their meeting, and briefly recite the proceedings of the Pres- 
bytery relative thereto. And then addressing himself to the minister 
to be installed, shall propose to him the following or similar questions: 

1. Are you now willing to take the charge of this congregation, as 
their pastor, agreeably to your declaration at accepting their call? 

2. Do you conscientiously believe and declare, as far as you know 
your own heart, that in taking upon you this charge, you are influ- 
enced by a sincere desire to promote the glory of God, and the good 
of the church ? 

3. Do you solemnly promise that, by the assistance of the grace of 
God, you will endeavor faithfully to discharge all the duties of a pas- 
tor to this congregation; and will be careful to maintain a deportment 
in all respects becoming a minister of the gospel of Christ, agreeably 
to your ordination engagements ? 

To all these having received satisfactory answers, he shall propose 
to the people the same or like questions as those directed under the 
head of ordination ; which, having been also satisfactorily answered 
by holding up the right hand in testimony of assent, he shall solemnly 
pronounce and declare the said minister to be regularly constituted 
the pastor of that congregation. A charge shall then be given to both 
parties, as directed in the case of ordination ; and after prayer, and 
singing a psalm adapted to the transaction, the congregation shall be 
dismissed with the usual benediction. 

VII. It is highly becoming that, after the solemnity of the install- 
ment, the heads of families of that congregation who are present, or 



OF RESIGNING A PASTORAL CHARGE. 419 

at least the elders and those appointed to take care of the temporal 
concerns of that church, should come forward to their pastor and give 
him their right hand in token of cordial reception and affectionate 
regard. 

1. A Pastoral Belation without Installment Recognized. 

It appears evident to this Synod that Mr. Tennent having in all respects 
acted, and been esteemed, and looked upon, not only by this Synod, but 
also by the congregation, of Neshaminy, and particularly by the appell- 
ants themselves, as the minister and pastor of the people of Neshaminy, 
that he is still to be esteemed as the pastor of that people, notwithstanding 
the want of a formal installment among them ; which omission, though the 
Synod doth not justify, yet it is far from nullifying the pastoral relation 
between Mr. Tennent and said people. — 1736, p. 127. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

OF RESIGNING A PASTORAL CHARGE. 

When any minister shall labor under such grievances in his con- 
gregation as that he shall desire leave to resign his pastoral charge, 
the Presbytery shall cite the congregation to appear by their commis- 
sioner at their next meeting to show cause, if any they have, why the 
Presbytery should not accept the resignation. If the congregation 
fail to appear, or if their reasons for retaining their pastor be deemed 
by the Presbytery insufficient, he shall have leave granted to resign 
his pastoral charge, of which due record shall be made ; and that 
church shall be held to be vacant till supplied again in an orderly 
manner with another minister ; and if any congregation shall desire 
to be released from their pastor, a similar process, mutatis mutandis, 
shall be observed. 

1. "Whether the Relation shall be Dissolved at the Meeting where 
the Request is made left to the Discretion of the Presbytery. 

The Committee on overture No. 9, viz. : Advice asked respecting the 
following question of order by the Presbytery of Otsego, " Is it contrary 
to chapter xvh\, of the Form of Government, for a Presbytery to dissolve 
the connection between a minister and his congregation at the time when 
he presents his request for his dissolution, and the congregation joins issue 
by commissioners duly appointed for that purpose ?" made the following 
report, which was adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, That it is not expedient for this Assembly to give a decided 
answer to the question, but to leave every Presbytery to act according to 
their own discretion in the premises. — 1832, p. 373. 



420 FORM OF GOVEENMEXT. 

2. The Rule should be Rig-idly Observed. 

Also overture No. 24. A communication from the Rev. James Latta 
and others in relation to the hasty and irregular dissolution of the pastoral 
relation. 

The Committee recommend the adoption of the following : 
Resolved, That article xvii. of our Form of Government, in spirit and 
letter, should be rigidly regarded by all pastors and churches, and en- 
forced by our Presbyteries.— 1862, p. 622, O. S. 

3. If the Parties are Agreed, the Relation may be Dissolved at 
the first Meeting. 

Overture from the Synod of New Jersey, proposing the following query : 
"Is it the intent of chapter xvii., of the Form of Government, that a 
minister desiring to resign his pastoral charge shall in all cases first make 
his request known to the Presbytery ?" 

The Committee recommend that it be answered in the negative, for the 
reason that chap, xvi., sec. ii., provides that where the parties are prepared 
for the dissolution of a pastoral relation it may be dissolved at the first 
meeting of Presbytery. Adopted. — 1866, p. 47, O. S. 

4. A Meeting of the Congregation without the Presence and Co- 
operation of the Pastor Valid, he having Requested the Disso- 
lution. 

Case No. 4, the complaint of the Rev. W. P. Carson against Synod of 
Iowa, for dismissing his complaint against the Presbytery of Dubuque. 
The Presbytery, upon application both of the pastor and the congregation, 
dissolved the pastoral relation, and Mr. Carson complained to Synod, on 
the ground that the session and trustees united in calling the meeting of the 
congregation, without the presence or co-operation of the pastor, at which 
action was taken asking for the dissolution of the pastoral relation. The 
Committee recommend that the complaint be dismissed, there being no 
sufficient ground of complaint. 

The report was adopted. — 1868, p. 612, 0. S. 

5. Where a Synod on Appeal Dissolves the Pastoral Relation on 

the Petition of a Minority, it is Sustained. 

The Rev. George S. Mott, chairman, presented the report of the com- 
mission on Judicial Case No. 2, which was adopted, and is as follows : 

The commission appointed by the Assembly to issue Judicial Case No. 
2 makes the following report: 

This case originated in a petition presented to the Presbytery of Ohio, 
December 27, 1866, asking the dissolution of the pastoral relation exist- 
ing between the Rev. William Hunter and the church of Hopewell. The 
reasons of this petition were based upon troubles in the congregation which 
arose out of a state of things upon which Presbytery and Synod had already 
acted. This petition was signed by a minority. A counter petition was 
presented from a large majority of the congregation, begging the continu- 
ance of the pastoral relation. Presbytery refused by a small majority to 
dissolve the relation. The case was then taken by a complaint of the mi- 
nority of the congregation to the Synod of Pittsburg. Synod sustained 
the complaint by a vote of 50 yeas to 11 nays, and by a unanimous vote 
directed the Presbytery of Ohio to dissolve the pastoral relation. From 
this action of Synod an appeal is made to the Assembly by Joseph Con- 
nell, of the church of Hopewell, for the following reasons: 



OF RESIGNING A PASTORAL CHARGE. 421 

1. Because the pastoral relation between the Rev. William Hunter and 
the congregation is ordered to be dissolved on the petition of less than one- 
fourth, of the members of the congregation, greatly against the will of the 
congregation and to our injury, and in contravention of our Christian and 
constitutional rights. 

2. Because the petitioners were not only a small minority, but because 
some of them were not members of the congregation; and those who were 
members had lost their status, they having for more than a year neither 
communed in the church nor contributed their just proportion of the 
expenses of the congregation. 

3. Because the decision of Synod is highly injurious to the pastor as well 
as to the congregation, and hurtful also to the cause of truth, righteous- 
ness and equity, as taught in the holy Scriptures and assured to congrega- 
tions and pastors by our Church standards. 

All the papers and records relating to the case were read before the 
commission, and all the parties desiring a hearing were heard. 

It appeared that the principal cause, if not the origin, of these difficul- 
ties, was the use of harsh and intemperate language on the part of Mr. 
Hunter toward some of his parishioners. This led to charges and a trial 
before the Presbytery, the result of which was an admonition to Mr. Hun- 
ter to " restrain his temper and cultivate a meek and quiet spirit." In 
connection with this trial the request of petitioners for the removal of Mr. 
Hunter was granted and the pastoral relation dissolved. From this act 
of dissolution Mr. Hunter appealed to Synod, who sustained his appeal on 
account of deficiency in the records. 

A new application for the dissolution of the pastoral relation was then 
made to Presbytery by the discontented minority, based upon the existing 
troubles, which was refused, as already stated, by a small majority of Pres- 
bytery, but granted by a unanimous vote of Synod. 

The facts and statements of the parties satisfied your commission that, 
while a majority of the congregation clung to Mr. Hunter, he had taken 
such a course as to alienate a part of the people and seriously to impair 
his usefulness in that congregation. The matter has been for two years 
before Presbytery, and they have sought to secure a reconciliation by 
sending Committees to confer with the people, but to no purpose. And 
the case has become so complicated in Presbytery as to divide that body 
about equally. When Synod came to decide upon the merits of the case, 
their judgment was unanimous against the continuance of the pastoral 
relation. 

Your commission had this case several days before them, and bestowed 
upon it careful consideration, and have unanimously determined to report 
to the Assembly that the sense of this commission is that the interests of 
the church of Hopewell require the dissolution of the pastoral relation, and 
that they agree with the decision of Synod, and they recommend the fol- 
lowing minute: 

This Assembly recognizes the right of each congregation to decide 
whether a pastor is acceptable to them, and the wishes of a majority are 
to be set aside only for weighty reasons ; yet such a state of things may 
exist between the pastor and a portion of his people as shall require, for 
the fair name of religion, that the relation be dissolved ; and for this rea- 
son the appeal and complaint of Joseph Connell against the Svnod of 
Pittsburg is not sustained.— 1868, pp. 618, 619, O. S. 



422 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

' CHAPTER XVIII. 

OF MISSIONS. 

When vacancies become so numerous in any Presbytery that they 
cannot be supplied with the frequent administration of the word and 
ordinances, it shall be proper for such Presbytery, or any vacant con- 
gregation within our bounds, with the leave of the Presbytery, to 
apply to any other Presbytery, or to any Synod, or to the General 
Assembly for such assistance as they can afford. And when any 
Presbytery shall send any of their ministers or probationers to dis- 
tant vacancies, the missionary shall be ready to produce his creden- 
tials to the Presbytery or Presbyteries through the bounds of which 
he may pass, or at least to a Committee thereof, and obtain their ap- 
probation. And the General Assembly may of their own knowledge 
send missions to any part to plant churches, or to supply vacancies, 
and for this purpose may direct any Presbytery to ordain evangelists 
or ministers without relation to particular churches, provided always 
that such missions be made with the consent of the parties appointed, 
and that the judicatory sending them make the necessary provision 
for their support and reward in the performance of this service. 

[For a full account of the earlier missions of the Church, and of the 
origin and progress of the work culminating in the present Board of 
Home Missions, see New Digest, pp. 319-341, and annual minutes, N. S., 
from 1861 to 1869 ; also, Assembly's Digest, Baird's Collection, Be v. Ed., 
pp. 321-360, with annual minutes, O. S., from 1858 to 1869.] 

1. The Standing Committee of Missions Appointed. 

Resolved, 1. That a Committee be chosen annually by the General As- 
sembly to be denominated the Standing Committee of Missions ; that the 
Committee shall consist of seven members, of whom four shall be clergy- 
men and three laymen ; that a majority qf this Committee shall be a quo- 
rum to do business ; that it shall be the duty of this Committee to collect, 
during the recess of the Assembly, all the information in their power rela- 
tive to the concerns of missions and missionaries, to digest this informa- 
tion and report thereon at each meeting of the Assembly ; to designate the 
places where and to specify the periods during which the missionaries 
should be employed ; to correspond with them if necessary and with all 
other persons on missionary business ; to nominate missionaries to the 
Assembly and report the number which the funds will permit to be 
employed ; to hear the reports of the missionaries and make a statement 
thereon to the Assembly relative to the diligence, fidelity and success of 
the missionaries, the sums due to each, and such parts of their reports as 
may be proper for the Assembly to hear in detail ; to ascertain annually 
whether any money remains with the trustees of the college of New Jer- 
sey which ought to be used for missionary purposes, agreeably to the last 



OF MISSIONS. 423 

will of James Leslie, deceased ; that they also engage a suitable person 
annually to preach a missionary sermon on the Monday evening next after 
the opening of the General Assembly, at which a collection shall be made 
for the support of missions, and superintend generally under the direction 
of the Assembly the missionary business. 

2. That although this Standing Committee shall be elected annually, 
yet each Committee shall continue in office till the end of the sessions of 
that Assembly which succeeds the one by which the said Committee was 
chosen. 

0. That this Standing Committee of missions, in addition to the duties 
above specified, shall be and they hereby are empowered to direct the 
trustees of the General Assembly, during the recess of the Assembly, to 
issue warrants for any sums of money which may become due in conse- 
quence of contracts, appropriations or assignments of duty made by the 
Assembly, and for which orders may have not been issued by the Assem- 
bly, and on this subject the Committee shall report annually to the Assem- 
bly.— 1802, p. 258. 

In 1805, p. 345, the number of the Committee resident in or near the 
city of Philadelphia was increased to ten, and one other member added for 
each Synod, making in the whole seventeen. In 1816 the Committee was 
enlarged, and the title changed to 

2. The Board of Missions. 

1. That the style of the Committee be changed for that of the " Board 
of Missions, acting under the authority of the General Assembly of the 
Presbyterian Church in the United States." 

2. That the Board of Missions be enlarged by the addition of the Rev. 
John B. Romeyn, D. D., Samuel Miller, D. D., and Messrs. Samuel Bay- 
ard, Robert Ralston, Robert Lenox, John R. B. Rodgers, John E. Cald- 
well, Divie Bethune and Zachariah Lewis. 

3. That, in addition to the powers already granted by the Committee of 
Missions, the Board of Missions be authorized to appoint missionaries 
whenever they may deem it proper, to make such advances to mission- 
aries as may be judged necessary, and to pay balances due to missionaries 
who have fulfilled their missions, whenever in their judgment the particu- 
lar circumstances of the missionaries may require it. 

4. That the Board be authorized and directed to take measures for 
establishing throughout our churches auxiliary missionary societies, and 
that the General Assembly recommend to their people the establish- 
ment of such societies to aid the funds and extend the operations of the 
Board. 

5. That the members of the Board of Missions be annually chosen by 
the Assembly, and that they continue in office until the rising of the next 
General Assembly, when they are to be succeeded by the persons chosen 
for the current year. 

The Committee further report, that while deliberating on the subject 
referred to them, they at first thought it would be expedient for this Assem- 
bly to present to the consideration of their churches the importance of 
foreign missions, and to direct the Board to take measures for commencing 
and carrying on such missions, but on mature reflection they are inclined 
to believe that the union of foreign with domestic missions would produce 
too great complexity in the affairs of the Board, and render the pressure 
of business too severe and burdensome. And this consideration is strength- 
ened by the belief which they indulge that a new society for conducting 



424 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

foreign missions might be formed, composed not only of members belong- 
ing to our churches, but also of members belonging to the Reformed 
Dutch Church, to the Associate Reformed Church, and other churches 
which have adopted the same creed. Such a society is highly desirable ; 
and were it organized on an extensive plan, so as to call forth the com- 
bined energies and charity of all those sister churches, it would be pro- 
ductive of beneficial consequences both at home and abroad, to ourselves 
as well as to the heathen. — 1816, p. 633. 

3. Enlargement of Powers. 

a. Resolved, That the Board of Missions, in addition to the powers 
already granted to them, be authorized to manage, appoint and direct the 
whole concerns and business of the Assembly's missions definitely, and 
report annually their doings to the Assembly. 

Resolved, That the Board be authorized to appoint, if they think proper, 
an Executive Committee of their own number, to carry into effect the de- 
tails of their plan, and that they also be authorized to appoint and em- 
ploy an agent or agents at their discretion. — 1827, p. 217. 

b. The Committee of Conference with the American Home Missionary 
Society reported that after mature deliberation they recommend the fol- 
lowing resolutions, which were adopted, viz.: 

Resolved, That the Board of Missions already have the power to estab- 
lish missions not only among the destitute in our own country or any other 
country, but also among the heathen in any part of the world ; to select, 
appoint and commission missionaries, to determine their salaries and to 
settle and pay their accounts; that they have full authority to correspond 
with any other body on the subject of missions ; to appoint an Executive 
Committee and an efficient agent or agents to manage their missionary 
concerns ; to take measures to form auxiliary societies on such terms as 
they may deem proper ; to procure funds, and, in general, to manage the 
missionary operations of the General Assembly. 

It is therefore submitted to the discretion of the Board of Missions to 
consider whether it is expedient for them to carry into effect the full pow- 
ers which they possess. 

Resolved, That an addition of seven laymen be made to the present num- 
ber of the Board of Missions.— 1828, p. 244. 

4. Number of Members of the Board. 

The action above made the number twenty-six ministers and fifteen 
elders or laymen. In 1833 it was made the rule hereafter to elect each 
year six ministers and six laymen. In 1834 the number to be elected an- 
nually was fixed at ten ministers and six elders. In 1845, p. 30, O. S., it 
was — 

Resolved, That the present Assembly elect twenty-four members — fifteen 
ministers and nine laymen — to fill vacancies in the Board of Missions, and 
that hereafter the same number be elected annually, instead of the num- 
ber heretofore elected. — 1845, p. 30. 

The N. S. Assembly continued to co-operate with the American Home 
Missionary Society until 1861. In 1862 a Report on Church Extension 
was adopted, and a Committee of Conference with the A. H. M. S. ap- 
pointed, who next year reported, recommending the continuance of co- 
operation. [See New Digest, pp. 361-367 ; also, pp. 368, 369.] After 
full discussion the following was adopted, establishing — 



OF MISSIONS. 425 



The Church Extension Committee. 

This being obviously, therefore, a case which cannot be reached so 
effectually by any action of the inferior judicatories, your Committee can- 
not see how the Assembly can refuse to exercise in regard to it that power 
of" superintendence of the concerns of the whole Church" expressly con- 
fided to it by the Constitution. They therefore recommend the following 
action : 

Resolved, 1. That the General Assembly hereby establishes a Standing 
Committee, to be called " The Church Extension Committee," a majority 
of whom shall reside in or near the city of Philadelphia. This Committee 
shall have no other powers than those conferred by the Assembly, and the 
functions now assigned to them are those of employing presbyterial, synod- 
ical and other Presbyterian itinerant or exploring agents, and affording 
aid in such exceptional cases as those already mentioned, and also the 
receiving and disbursing of funds for those objects. 

2. That, in recommending this course of action, the General Assembly 
distinctly declare that it is not their intention thus to establish an Eccle- 
siastical Board or to interfere with the proper functions of the Home Mis- 
sionary Society, but, as heretofore, they recommend that society to the 
confidence and co-operation of the churches under their care. 

3. That the Standing Committee on Church Extension, now constituted, 
shall consist of fifteen members, to be chosen by the Assembly in such 
manner as the Assembly may direct, and the Committee shall at its first 
meeting divide itself into three equal parts, to serve respectively one, two 
and three years, but the same persons shall be re-eligible at the pleasure 
of the Assembly. 

4. Five members of the Committee shall be a quorum ; but in order to 
elect any salaried officer of the Committee or to increase or diminish the 
salary of the same, a majority of the Committee shall be necessary to con- 
stitute a quorum. The Committee shall have power to fill any vacancies 
occurring wdiile the Assembly is not in session, and they shall make an 
annual report to the Assembly of all their proceedings. — 1855, p. 21, N. S. 

See further, New Digest, pp. 371-375, and Minutes K S. 1862, p. 252. 
The Constitution of the Presbyterian Committee of Home Missions may 
be found in 1861, pp. 466-469, N. S. The Charter is as follows : 

An Act to incorporate the Presbyterian Committee of Home Missions of the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, passed 
April 18, 1862. 

The people of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact 
as follows : 

Section 1. Edwin F. Hatfield, Albert Barnes, Benjamin J.Wallace, George L. 
Prentiss, Thomas S. Hastings, Charles S. Kobinson, Joseph Allison, Jonathan F. 
Stearns, Henry Darling, Edward A. Lambert, Joseph F. Joy, Matthew W. Baldwin, 
James B. Pinneo, J. Milton Smith and Alfred C. Post (designated for the purpose by 
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, which met in Syracuse, New York, 
in May, eighteen hundred and sixty-one), and their successors in office, are hereby 
constituted a body corporate and politic, by the name of the "Presbyterian Commit- 
tee of Home Missions," the object of which shall be to assist in sustaining the preach- 
ing of the gospel in feeble churches and congregations in connection with the Presby- 
terian Church in the United States, and generally to superintend the whole course of 
home missions in behalf of the said Church, as its General Assembly may from time to 
time direct ; also to receive, take charge of and disburse any property or funds which 
at any time and from time to time may be entrusted to said Church or said Commit- 
tee for home missionary purposes. 

Sec. 2. The said corporation shall possess the general powers and be subject to the 
54 



426 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

provisions contained in title three of chapter eighteen of the first part of the Kevised 
Statutes, so far as the same are applicable and have not been repealed or modified. 

Sec. 3. The management and disposition of the affairs and funds of said corporation 
shall be vested in the individuals named in the first section of this Act and their suc- 
cessors in office, who shall remain in office for such period and be displaced and suc- 
ceeded by others, to be elected at such time and in such manner as the said Church 
represented in General Assembly shall direct and appoint. 

Sec. 4. The said corporation shall be in law capable of taking, receiving and hold- 
ing any real or personal estate which has been or may hereafter be given, demised or 
bequeathed to it, or to the said Church, for the purposes aforesaid, or which may ac- 
crue from the use .of the same; but the said corporation shall not take and hold real 
and personal estate above the value of two hundred thousand dollars. 

Sec. 5. No inhabitant of this State who shall die, leaving a wife, child or parent, shall 
devise or bequeath to the corporation hereby created more than one-half of his or her 
estate after the payment of his or her debts, but a devise or bequest by such inhabitant 
shall be valid to the extent of such one-half; in no case, however, shall any devise or 
bequest to such corporation be valid in any will made by any inhabitant of this State 
which shall not have been made and executed at least two months before the death 
of the testator or testatrix. 

Sec. 6. This Act shall take effect immediately. 

STATE OF NEW YOEK, 
Office of the Secretary of State. 

I have compared the preceding with the 
original law on file in this office, and do hereby certify that the same is a correct 
transcript therefrom, and the whole of the said original law. 

, /-^-> . Given under my hand and seal of office at the city of Albany, this third 

< E. s. >• day of May, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two. 
c -v-' J J. WESLEY SMITH, 

Deputy Secretary of State. 

I. THE BOARD OF HOME MISSIONS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN 
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

a. The unfinished business was resumed, viz., the report of the Joint 
Committee on Home Missions, which, after protracted discussion, was 
adopted, as follows : 

The Joint Committee appointed by the two Assemblies of 1869 to ar- 
range for the consolidation of the "Board of Domestic Missions" and 
"The Committee of Home Missions," would respectfully report that, in 
full attendance, they have given the subject with which they were charged 
their most careful deliberation. 

Some things pertaining to the proposed new organization were very 
readily adjusted, as appears in the following recommendations, adopted 
with entire unanimity, viz. : 

1. The name to be " The Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian 
Church in the United States of America." 

2. That this Board consist of fifteen members, five constituting a 
quorum. 

3. That the Board be authorized to appoint one secretary, with so much 
assistance as the Board may deem necessary. 

After proceeding so far, your Committee were advised by eminent legal 
counsel that, inasmuch as the Board and Committee now existing hold 
their respective charters from different States, legislative action in the 
States of Pennsylvania and New York would be necessary before the con- 
templated consolidation could be effected, so that the property now held by 
the one could legally and safely be transferred to the other. As instructed 
by counsel, your Committee cannot see any mode in which this General 
Assembly itself, without further legislation, can create such a consolidated 



OF MISSIONS. 427 

Board, or will be competent in law to execute the trusts imposed on the 
existing corporate bodies in wills or other writings heretofore executed. 

As necessary steps to the obtaining of such necessary legislation as is suited 
to the case, your Committee report the following recommendations, to wit : 

1. That this Assembly should designate the locality in which the chief 
operations of the new Board shall be carried on, and in which the princi- 
pal office for that purpose shall be located. 

2. That a Committee be appointed by this Assembly, whose duty it 
shall be to endeavor to procure all the legislation required by the exigen- 
cies of the case, and direct the transfer of property now held by the two 
bodies above described, on receiving the opinion of competent counsel that 
the authority of the new body is perfect. 

3. Meantime, till such a result has been reached, that both of the ex- 
isting organizations should be kept up in the form required by their re- 
spective charters. — 1870, p. 54. 

The following places were then named for the location of the Board of 
Home Missions, viz., Philadelphia and New York ; whereupon the roll 
was called, and New York was chosen, by a vote of 306 for New York, 
and 153 for Philadelphia. — lb., p. 55. 

The action of the Assembly adopting the report of the Joint Commit- 
tee on Home Missions w r as reconsidered, and the number of members of 
the Board changed from twenty (20) to fifteen (15), and the number of 
corresponding secretaries from one (1) to two (2). 

The Rev. Henry Kendall, D. D., and the Rev. Cyrus Dickson, D. D., 
were by acclamation elected corresponding secretaries, and Mr. Samuel D. 
Powel treasurer, of the Board of Home Missions, it being expressly un- 
derstood that this w 7 as not to be considered as a precedent by any future 
Assembly.— 1870, p. 100. 

6. Applications for Aid to be by Ballot. 

The following resolution was adopted by the General Assembly in 1872 : 
Resolved, That, in order to the most fair appropriation of church funds, 
this Assembly hereby recommend to the Presbyteries that in the case of 
any and every application for aid from any of the Boards or Committees, 
the vote thereon be taken by ballot, both as to the application and as to 
the amount, except where the matter is legally in the hands of a presby- 
terial Committee. — p. 36. 

CHARTER OF THE BOAKD OF HOME MISSIONS OF THE PRESBY- 
TEEIAN CHUKCH IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMEEICA. 

An Act to incorporate " The Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church in 
the United States of America," and to enable the Presbyterian Board of Home 
Missions, formerly the Presbyterian Committee of Home Missions, to transfer its 
property to said new corporation, and to vest in such new corporation the corporate 
rights, franchises and privileges of the former body, and also to enable said new 
corporation to accept a transfer of the property of " The Trustees of the Board of 
Domestic Missions of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America," and to become the legal successor of the said last men- 
tioned corporation. — Passed April 19, 1872. 

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as 

follows: 
Section 1. George L. Prentiss, Thomas S. Hastings, William M. Paxton, William 
C. Eoberts, J. F. Stearns, Henry J. Van Dyke, James O. Murray, Edward A. Lam- 
bert, Jacob D. Vermilye, George W. Lane, Thomas C. M. Paton, Joseph F. Joy, Rob- 
ert L. Kennedy, George E. Lockwood, John Taylor Johnston (designated for this 
purpose by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United Slates 
of America, which met in Chicago, in the State of Illinois, in May, eighteen hundred 
and seventy-one, and which is the legal successor of the two religious bodies thereto- 



428 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

fore existing under that same name), and their successors in office, chosen from time 
to time by the said General Assembly, are hereby constituted a body politic and cor- 
porate by the name of " The Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church in 
the United States of America," the object uf which shall be to assist in sustaining the 
preaching of the gospel in feeble churches and congregations in connection with the 
Presbyterian Church in the United States, and generally to superintend the whole 
work of Home Missions in behalf of said Church, as the General Assembly may from 
time to time direct, also to receive, take charge of and disburse all property and funds 
which at any time and from time to time may be entrusted to said Church or said 
Board for Home Missionary purposes. 

Section 2. The said corporation shall possess the general powers, and be subject to 
the provisions, contained in title three of chapter eighteen of the first part of the 
Revised Statutes, so far as the same are applicable and have not been repealed or 
modified. 

Section 3. The management and disposition of the affairs and property of said 
corporation shall be vested in the persons named in the first section of this Act, and 
their successors in office, who shall remain in office for such period, and be removed 
and succeeded by others chosen at such time and in such manner, as the said General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America shall from 
time to time direct and appoint. 

Section 4. The said corporation shall be in law capable of taking, receiving and 
holding any real or personal estate which has been or may hereafter be given, demised 
or bequeathed to it or to the said Church for the purposes aforesaid, or which may 
accrue from the use of the same, subject, however, to all the provisions of law relating 
to devises and bequests by last will and testament; but the said corporation shall not 
take and hold real and personal estate, the annual rental or income of which shall 
exceed the sum of two hundred thousand dollars. 

Section 5. The Presbyterian Committee of Plome Missions, incorporated under the 
laws of this State by an Act passed on the eighteenth day of April, eighteen hundred 
and sixty-two, the name of which was changed to that of the Presbyterian Board of 
Home Missions by an act passed on the twentieth day of January, eighteen hundred 
and seventy-one, are hereby authorized to assign, transfer, convey and deliver unto the 
corporation created by this act all property, estate and rights of any and every descrip- 
tion now held or enjoyed by them, and which may hereafter be received by them 
by virtue of any grant, gift, bequest or devise, or otherwise howsoever, which assign- 
ment, transfer, conveyance and delivery the corporation established by this Act is 
hereby authorized and empowered to accept and receive, and the said corporation 
hereby created shall be and is hereby declared to be the legal successor of the said 
Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, formerly the Committee of Home Missions, 
and shall have, hold, use and enjoy all the corporate powers, franchises and privi- 
leges of the said corporation last named, and all the property, estates and rights so 
assigned, transferred, conveyed and delivered in the same manner and to the same 
extent as the said corporation last named might have done, and shall be entitled to 
receive, sue for and recover all legacies, devises, bequests and property which have 
heretofore been or may hereafter be made or given to the said corporation last named ; 
provided, however, and it is hereby expressly declared, that the said corporation cre- 
ated by this Act shall receive and hold the said property, estates and rights upon 
the same trusts, and for the same purposes only, as the same are or otherwise would 
be held by the said Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, formerly the Presbyterian 
Committee of Home Missions. 

Section 6. Whenever the requisite power shall be given by the proper authority 
of the State of Pennsylvania to the Trustees of the Board of Domestic Missions of 
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, a 
corporation created and established and now existing under the laws of the said State 
of Pennsylvania, to assign, transfer, convey and deliver unto the corporation created 
by this Act, all the property, estates and rights of any and every description, held or 
enjoyed, or which may be hereafter held or enjoyed, by the said corporation first named 
in this section, by virtue of any gift, grant, bequest or devise, or otherwise howsoever; 
then the said corporation hereby created is hereby authorized to accept and receive the 
assignment, transfer, conveyance and delivery aforesaid, and shall be and is hereby 
declared to be the legal successor of the said Trustees of the Board of Domestic 
Missions of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States 
of America, and shall have, hold, use and enjoy all the corporate powers, franchises 
and privileges of the said corporation last named, and all the property, estates and 
rights which may be so assigned, transferred, conveyed and delivered, in the same 
manner and to the same extent as the said corporation last named might have done, 



of missions. 429 

and shall be entitled to receive, sue for and recover all legacies, devises, bequests and 
property which have heretofore been or may hereafter be made or given to the said 
corporation last named ; provided, however, and it is hereby expressly declared, that 
the said corporation created by this Act shall receive and hold the said property, estates 
and rights upon the same trusts, and for the same uses and purposes only, as the same 
are or otherwise would be held by the said Trustees of the Board of Domestic Mis- 
sions of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of 
America, heretofore created by virtue of the laws of the State of Pennsylvania ; and 
it is hereby further provided and declared that all the grants, conveyances, devises 
and. bequests, which after the several assignments, transfers and conveyances herein- 
before authorized to be made to the corporation created by this Act, shall have been 
made and completed as hereinbefore directed, shall be made or which shall purport 
to be made to the Presbyterian Committee on Home Missions, or to the Trustees of 
the Board of Domestic Missions of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church 
hereinbefore named, shall be deemed and taken to be made to the corporation hereby 
created with the same effect as if made to such new corporation hereby created. 
Section 7. This Act shall take effect immediately. 

State of New York, ^ 

Office of the Secretary of State, j ss ' 

I have compared the preceding with the original law on file in this office, and do 
hereby certify that the same is a correct transcript therefrom, and of the whole of 
said original law. 

Given under my hand and seal of office, at the city of Albany, this twenty- 
[L. S.] fourth day of April, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sev- 
enty-two. ANSON S. WOOD, 

Dep. Secretary of State. 

An Act to authorize the Trustees of the Board of Domestic Missions of the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America to transfer 
the property held by them to the Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian 
Church in the United States of America, and to declare the latter corporation to be 
the legal successor of the former. 

Whereas, The two religious bodies heretofore existing, each under the name of the 
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, have 
united the congregations under their care, and the General Assembly of the Church 
thus united which met in Philadelphia on the nineteenth day of May, eighteen hun- 
dred and seventy, and which is the legal successor of both the former bodies, has di- 
rected that the Home Missionary work previously carried on under the direction of 
the said two bodies shall be hereafter carried on under its direction by one Board ; 

And Whereas, The Legislature of the State of New York has for the purpose afore- 
said incorporated the Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America; Therefore, 

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Com- 
monwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the 
authority of the same, that the Trustees of the Board of Domestic Missions of the 
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America be 
and they are hereby authorized to grant, assign, transfer, convey and deliver all 
property, estates and rights, real, personal and mixed, of every kind and description, 
now held or enjoyed by them, and which may hereafter be received, held or enjoyed 
by them, in any manner whatsoever unto the said the Board of Home Missions 
of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, which Corporation 
is hereby declared to be the legal successor of the said the Trustees of the Board 
of Domestic Missions of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America; and shall have, hold, use and enjoy all the corporate pow- 
ers, franchises and privileges of the said corporation last named, and all the property, 
estates and rights which shall be so granted, assigned, transferred, conveyed and de- 
livered in the same manner and to the same extent as the said Corporation last named 
might have done (including the power to convey, assign and transfer the same), and 
shall be entitled to receive, sue for and recover all legacies, devises, bequests and 
property which have heretofore been or may hereafter be made, given or granted to 
the said corporation last named ; Provided, however, and it is hereby expressly de- 
clared, that the said the Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America shall receive and hold the said property and estates, or the 
proceeds thereof, if sold, upon the same trusts and for the same uses and purposes only, 
as the same are or otherwise would be held by the said Trustees of the Board of Do- 



430 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

mestic Missions of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States of America ; and it is hereby further provided and declared that all grants, 
conveyances, devises and bequests which shall be made, or purport to be made, to the 
said Corporation last named shall be deemed and taken to be made to the said the 
Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of Amer- 
ica with the same effect as if made directly thereto. 

W. ELLIOTT, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
GEO. H. ANDERSON, 

Speaker of the Senate*. 
Approved the twenty-ninth day of January, Anno Domini one thousand eight hun- 
dred and seventy-three. J. F. HARTRANFT. 

Office of the \ 

Secretary of the Commonwealth, j mJ 

Harrisbtjrg, February 7, A. D. ]873. 
Pennsylvania, ss. 

I do hereby certify, That the foregoing and annexed is a full, true and cor- 
j q rect copy of the original Act of the General Assembly, entitled " An Act 
to authorize the Trustees of the Board of Domestic Missions of the Gen- 
eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of Amer- 
ica to transfer the property held by them to the Board of Home Missions of the Pres- 
byterian Church in the United States of America, and to declare the latter Corporation 
to be the legal successors of the former," as the same remains on file in this office. 

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Secre- 
tary's office to be affixed the day and year above written. 

M. S. QUAY, 
Secretary of the Commonwealth. 

THE BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS. 
1. The Constitution. 

The Committee on the overture from the Presbytery of Salem on the 
subject of foreign missions made a report, which was accepted and adopted 
by yeas and nays, as follows, viz. : 

Resolved, 1. That the General Assembly will superintend and conduct, 
by its own proper authority, the work of Foreign Missions of the Presby- 
terian Church, by a Board appointed for that purpose and directly amen- 
able to said Assembly. 

2. The General Assembly shall, at its present meeting, choose forty 
ministers and forty laymen, as members of the Board of Foreign Mis- 
sions, one-fourth part of whom shall go out annually in alphabetical order, 
and thereafter ten ministers and ten laymen shall be annually elected as 
members of the Board of Foreign Missions, whose term of office shall be 
four years, and these forty ministers and forty laymen so appointed shall 
constitute a Board to be styled " The Board of Foreign Missions of the 
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America," to which for the 
time being shall be entrusted, with such directions and instructions as may 
from time to time be given by the General Assembly, the superintendence 
of the foreign missionary operations of the Presbyterian Church. This 
Board shall make annually to the General Assembly a report of their 
proceedings, and submit for its approval such plans and measures as 
may be deemed useful and necessary. 

3. The Board of Directors shall hold their first meeting at such time 
and place as may be directed by the present General Assembly, and shall 
hold a meeting annually at some convenient time during the sessions of 
the General Assembly, at which it shall appoint a President, Vice-presi- 
dent, a Corresponding Secretary, a Treasurer and an Executive Commit- 
tee, to serve for the ensuing year. It shall belong to the Board of Direct- 
ors to review and decide upon all the doings of the Executive Committee, 
to receive and dispose of their annual report, and to present a statement 



OF MISSIONS. 431 

of their proceedings to the General Assembly. It shall be their duty also 
to meet for the transaction of business as often as may be expedient, due 
notice of every special meeting being seasonably given to every member 
of the Board. 

4. To the Executive Committee, consisting of not more than nine mem- 
bers besides the corresponding secretary and the treasurer, shall belong the 
duty of appointing all missionaries and agents, of designating their fields 
of labor, receiving the reports of the corresponding secretary, and giving 
him needful directions in reference to all matters of business and corre- 
spondence entrusted to him, to authorize all appropriations and expendi- 
tures of money, and to take the particular direction and management of 
the foreign missionary work, subject to the revision and control of the 
Board of Directors. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once a 
month, and oftener if necessary ; five members meeting at the time and 
place of adjournment or special call shall constitute a quorum. The 
Committee shall have power to fill their own vacancies, if any occur dur- 
ing the recess of the Board of Directors. 

5. All property, houses, lands, tenements and permanent funds belong- 
ing to the said Board of Foreign Missions shall be taken in the name of 
the Trustees of the General Assembly, and held in trust by them for the 
use and benefit of " The Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian 
Church in the United States of America" for the time being. 

6. The seat of operations of the Board of Directors shall be designated 
by the Board. 

7. The Board of Directors shall have power, and they are hereby author- 
ized, to receive a transfer of the Foreign Missionary Societies, or either of 
them, now existing in the Presbyterian Church, with all the missions and 
funds under the care of and belonging to such societies. [Yeas, 108 ; 
nays, 29.]— 1837, p. 452. 

Resolved, That the Board of Foreign Missions be directed to hold their 
first meeting in the First Presbyterian Church in the city of Baltimore on 
Tuesday, the 31st of October next, at three o'clock p. m. — Ibid., p. 453. 

2. Alterations in the Constitution. 

a. Resolved, That the Constitution of the Board of Foreign Missions be so 
altered as to make the number of members 120 instead of 80. — 1838, p. 21. 

b. Resolved, That the general agent of the Board of Missions be ex 
officio a member of the Executive Committee. 

c. Resolved, That the Board be authorized to increase the number of 
vice-presidents to twelve. — 1839, p. 165. 

d. Resolved, That at all meetings of the Board of Foreign Missions of 
the Presbyterian Church, thirteen members meeting at the time and place 
of adjournment or special call shall be a quorum for the transaction of 
business. — Ibid., p. 170. 

e. A request from the Board of Foreign Missions to the Assembly to 
amend the fourth article of the Constitution of the Board, by adding after 
the word "Treasurer" in the second line the following: "With as many 
members of the Board as may be present." On motion, the amendment 
was adopted. — 1845, p. 25. 

3. The Committee on Foreign Missions. 

[The N. S. Assembly co-operated with the American Board of Com- 
missioners for Foreign Missions up to the time of the reunion. In 1854 
(see p. 511) a Standing Committee of five ministers was appointed, which 
in 1856 (see p. 212) was enlarged to fifteen, and they were requested to 



432 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

divide the Committee " into three classes, one of which shall be elected 
annually by the Assembly." In 1865 the Permanent Committee obtained 
a charter from the Legislature of New York, which will be found below.] 
Upon the reunion the Assembly adopted the following as — 

4. The Organization of the Board of Foreign Missions. 

The Board of Foreign Missions shall hereafter consist of fifteen mem- 
bers besides the corresponding secretaries and the treasurer, who shall 
be members ex officio. 

The term of service of the present members of the Board, the Execu- 
tive Committee and the Permanent Committee shall end with the first 
meeting of the Executive Committee after the dissolution of the General 
Assembly, when a new Board shall be constituted. 

This Assembly will select fifteen members of the Board in three classes 
of five each. The first shall serve three years, the second class two years 
and the third class one year. 

Each subsequent General Assembly shall elect five members of the 
Board to hold office for three years, and shall fill any vacancies in either 
of the other classes for the unexpired term of service. 

Any five members of the Board shall form a quorum. 

One of the ex officio members, to be designated by the Board, shall be 
entitled to a seat in the General Assembly as a corresponding member on 
all subjects relating to Foreign Missions. 

Besides the duties already committed to their charge, the Board shall 
perform the duties heretofore assigned to the Executive Committee of the 
Board and to the Permanent Committee on Foreign Missions, in so far as 
these have not been superseded or modified by this minute. — 1870, p. 46. 

5. Alterations Necessitated by Legislation. 

The Committee further report that on the 12th of March, 1872, the fol- 
lowing Act was passed by the New York Legislature in relation to trus- 
tees and directors of charitable and benevolent institutions: 

Section 1. No trustee or director of any charitable or benevolent insti- 
tution, organized either under the laws of the State or by virtue of a spe- 
cial charter, shall receive, directly or indirectly, any salary or emolument 
from said institution, nor shall any salary or compensation whatever be 
voted or allowed by the trustees or directors of any institution organized 
for charitable or benevolent purposes to any trustee or director of said 
institution for services either as trustee or director or in any other capa- 
city. 

In view of the above Act, the Committee recommend the adoption of 
the following resolution: 

In view of the Act of the Legislature of New York concerning 
charitable and benevolent institutions, passed March 12, 1872, that the 
Constitution of the Board of Foreign Missions be so changed that the ex- 
ecutive officers shall hereafter be consulting members only, without the 
right to vote, but having the right to propose resolutions and discuss all 
matters before that body ; and further, that the quorum necessary to 
transact business be reduced to four. — 1872, p. 42. 

6. The Charters. 

a. An Act to incorporate the Permanent Committee on Foreign Missions of the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. — Passed 
April 17, 1865. 



OF MISSIONS. 433 

The people of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact 
as follows : 

Section 1. K. Russell Booth, George Duffield, Alfred E. Campbell, John McLeod, 
John A. Brown, Joseph N. Tuttle, William E. Dodge, Walter Clarke, Daniel W. 
Poor, T. Ralston Smith, Thomas Bond, Walter S. Griffith, William Churchill, Ed- 
ward A. Lambert and Jesse W. Benedict (designated for that purpose by the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, which met at Dayton, Ohio, in May, eighteen 
hundred and sixty-four), and their successors in office, are hereby constituted a body 
corporate and politic, by the name of "The Permanent Committee on Foreign Mis- 
sions of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of 
America," whose duty it shall be to superintend the whole cause of foreign missions 
in behalf of the said General Assembly as said General Assembly may from time to 
lirue direct ; also, to receive, take charge of and disburse any property or funds which 
at any time and from time to time may be entrusted to said General Assembly, or 
said Permanent Committee, for foreign missionary purposes. 

Sec. 2. The said corporation shall possess the general powers and be subject to the 
provisions contained in title three of chapter eighteen of the first part of the revised 
statutes, so far as the same are applicable and have not been repealed or modified. 

Sec. 3. The management and disposition of the affairs of said corporation shall be 
vested in the individuals named in the first section of this Act, and their successors in 
office, who shall remain in office for such period, and be displaced and succeeded by 
others, to be elected by said General Assembly, and at such time and in such manner 
as the said General Assembly shall direct and appoint. 

Sec. 4. The said corporation shall in law be capable of taking and recovering and 
holding any real or personal estate which has been or may hereafter be given, devised 
or bequeathed to it or to the said General Assembly for the purposes aforesaid (and 
in conformity with existing statutes), or which may accrue from the use of the same; 
but the said corporation shall not take and hold real and personal estate above the 
sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. 

Sec. 5. This Act shall take effect immediately. 

b. Charter of the Board of Foreign Missions. 

An Act to incorporate the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in 
the United States of America.— Passed April 12th, 1862. Chapter 187. 

The people of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact 
as follows: 

Section 1. Walter Lowrie, Gardiner Spring, William W. Phillips, George Potts, 
William Bannard, John D. Wells, Nathan L. Rice, Robert L. Stuart, Lebbeus B. 
Ward, Robert Carter, John C. Lowrie, citizens of the State of New York, and such 
others as they may associate with themselves, are hereby constituted a body corporate 
and politic for ever, by the name of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyte- 
rian Church in the United States of America, for the purpose of establishing and con- 
ducting Christian missions among the unevangelized or pagan nations and the general 
diffusion of Christianity; and by that name they and their successors and associates 
shall be capable of taking by purchase, grant, devise or otherwise, holding, conveying 
or otherwise disposing of any real or personal estate for the purposes of the said cor- 
poration, but which estate within this State shall not at any time exceed the annual 
income of twenty thousand dollars. 

Sec 2. The said corporation shall possess the general powers, rights and privileges, 
and be subject to liabilities and provisions, contained in the eighteenth chapter of the 
first part of the revised statutes so far as the same are applicable, and also subject to 
the provisions of chapter three hundred and sixty of the laws of eighteen hundred 
and sixty. 

Sec. 3. This Act shall take effect immediately. 

in. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.-See above, chap, xiv., sec. i. 3. 

IV. THE BOARD OF PUBLICATION. 

1. The Board Established. 

Whereas, Sabbath-school and tract publications cannot fail to exert a 
very great influence upon the growth of our Church and country ; and 
whereas, it is the duty of the highest judicatory of the Church to exercise 
55 



434 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

each a supervision over this subject as will secure the diffusion of sound 
and scriptural principles for "the promotion of charity, truth and holi- 
ness," through all the churches under our care; therefore, 

Resolved, 1. That the General Assembly will superintend and conduct, 
by its own proper authority, the work of furnishing the churches under 
its care with suitable tract and Sabbath-school publications, by a Board 
appointed for that purpose, and directly amenable to said Assembly. 

2. The General Assembly shall, at its present meeting, choose forty 
ministers and forty laymen as members of the tract and Sabbath-school 
Board, one-fourth part of whom shall go out annually, in alphabetical 
order, and thereafter ten ministers and ten laymen shall be annually 
elected as members of the Tract and Sabbath-school Board, whose term 
of office shall be four years; and these forty ministers and forty laymen so 
appointed shall constitute a Board, to be styled " The Board of Publica- 
tion of Tracts and Sabbath-school Books of the General Assembly in the 
United States of America," to which for the time being shall be entrusted 
such directions and instructions as may from time to time be given by the 
General Assembly, the superintendence of all the operations of the Pres- 
byterian Church in relation to the subject of tracts and Sabbath-school 
books. The Board shall make annually to the General Assembly a re- 
port of their proceedings, and submit for its approval such plans and 
measures as shall be deemed useful and necessary. 

3. The Board of Managers shall hold their first meeting at such time 
and place as may be directed by the present General Assembly, and shall 
hold a meeting annually, at some convenient time during the sessions of 
the General Assembly, at which time it shall appoint a President, Vice 
President, a Corresponding Secretary, a Treasurer and an Executive Com- 
mittee to serve for the ensuing year. It shall belong to the Board of Man- 
agers to review and decide upon all the doings of the Executive Committee; 
to receive and dispose of their annual report, and to present any statement 
of their proceedings which they may judge proper and necessary to the 
General Assembly. It shall be their duty, also, to meet for the transac- 
tion of business as often as may be expedient, due notice of every special 
meeting being seasonably given to every member of the Board. 

4. To the Executive Committee, consisting of not more than nine mem- 
bers besides the corresponding secretary and treasurer, shall belong the 
duty of selecting and preparing suitable tracts and books for publication ; 
of superintending and directing their distribution; of receiving the reports 
of the corresponding secretary, and giving him needful directions in refer- 
ence to matters of business and correspondence entrusted to him ; of au- 
thorizing all appropriations of money; and of taking the particular di- 
rection arid management of the whole subject of tract and Sunday-school 
publications, subject to the control and direction of the Board of Man- 
agers. The Executive Committee shall meet at least once a month, and 
oftener, if necessary ; five members meeting at the time and place of ad- 
journment or special call, shall constitute a quorum, except that the ap- 
proval of a majority of the whole Committee shall be necessary to direct 
the publication of any tract or book. The Committee shall have power 
to fill their own vacancies, if any occur during the recess of the Board. 

5. All property, houses, lands, tenements and permanent funds belong- 
ing to the said tract and Sabbath-school Board shall be taken in the name 
of the trustees of the General Assembly, and held in trust by them for 
the use and benefit of " The Board of Publication of Tracts and Sabbath- 
-chool Books of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America," for the time being. 



OF MISSIONS. 435 

6. The seat of operations of the Board of Managers shall be in the city 
of Philadelphia. 

7. The Board of Managers shall have power, and they are hereby au- 
thorized, to receive a transfer of " The Presbyterian Tract and Sabbath- 
school Book Society," now under the care of the Synod of Philadelphia, 
with all the tracts, books and funds belonging to said society. — 1838, p. 
23, O. S. 

2. Alterations and Enlargements of the Plan. 

a. Resolved, That the name of the Board for the Publication of Tracts 
and Sabbath-school Books be changed to the name of The Presbyterian 
Board of Publication, and that its Constitution be so altered as to require 
said Board to publish not only tracts and Sabbath-school books, but also 
approved works in support of the great principles of the Reformation, as 
exhibited in the doctrines and order of the Presbyterian Church, and 
whatever else the Assembly may direct. 

Resolved, 3. That the third article of the Constitution of the Assembly's 
Board of Publication be amended by adding to it the following clause, 
viz. : " Eleven members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of 
business." 

Resolved, 4. That the fourth article of the Constitution of the Board 
be so altered as to provide that "the Executive Committee shall consist 
of nine members besides the Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer." 

Resolved, 5. That to this Board be committed, on behalf of the Gene- 
ral Assembly, the publication of such works, permanent and periodical, 
as are adapted to promote sound learning and true religion. — 1839, p. 
170, O. S. 

b. Resolved, That article third of the Constitution of the Presbyterian 
Board of Publication be so amended as to read as follows, viz. : 

Art. III. The Board of Managers shall hold their first meeting at 
such time and place as may be directed by the present General Assembly, 
and shall hold a meeting annually on the second Tuesday in June, at 
which time it shall appoint a President, Vice President, a Corresponding 
Secretary, a Treasurer, a Recording Secretary and an Executive Com- 
mittee to serve for the ensuing vear. — 1853, p. 449, O. S. See also Baird, 
Rev. Ed., pp. 418-421. 

3. The Publication Committee. 

For history of preliminary action of the Assembly, N. S., from 1840 on- 
ward, see New Digest, p. 394. 

The Committee Appointed, its Powers and Duties. 

a. To promote the diffusion of those truths which distinguish us as a 
Church, the General Assembly adopts the following arrangement : 

1. There is hereby established at Philadelphia a Standing Committee 
of nine persons whose duty it shall be to superintend the publication of 
a series of tracts explanatory of the doctrines, government and missionary 
policy of the Presbyterian Church, as the General Assembly shall from 
time to time direct. One-third of this Committee shall serve for one year, 
one-third for two years, and the remaining third for three years, the 
election to fill the places of those whose terms expire to be held at each 
meeting of the General Assembly. 

2. This Committee shall elect a Secretary and Treasurer, the former of 
whom shall receive such a salary per annum as shall be agreed upon by 



436 FORM OP GOVERNMENT. 

the Committee, and shall be the editor of the tract3 published, and also, 
as far as may be necessary, the soliciting agent for such an amount of funds 
as may be required to carry out the objects for which this Committee is 
appointed. 

3. It shall be the duty of this Committee to meet at Philadelphia, and 
after due organization to take measures to procure the preparation and 
publication in cheap, neat and substantial form of a series of tracts for 
the purposes above stated. No tract to be published which does not 
receive the unanimous approbation of the Committee. 

4. This Committee shall, if consistent with the interests of the Assem- 
bly, enter into a contract with some publisher or publishers to assume for 
a time the publication of such tracts as may be furnished them at certain 
rates, which shall be agreed upon in writing. And if no such arrange- 
ment can be profitably and satisfactorily made, then the said Committee 
shall by solicitation from the churches proceed to provide a sufficient fund 
for their publication in behalf of the Assembly. 

5. This Committee shall make a full report of its proceedings to the 
General Assembly at each annual meeting. — 1852, p. 176, N. S. 

b. 2. That the Rev. George Chandler and Samuel H. Perkins, Esq., of 
Philadelphia, be added to the Committee. 

3. That the rule requiring the unanimous consent of the Committee for 
the publication of any book or tract be so modified that a majority of 
three-fourths only shall be required. 

4. That the Committee be authorized to take such measures as they 
may deem advisable to secure the necessary funds for the erection of a 
house of publication. — 1853, p. 330, N. S. 

c. Your Committee further recommend that the Publication Committee 
be enlarged to the number of fifteen, nine of whom shall reside in the 
city of Philadelphia or vicinity ; that of this number five shall constitute 
a quorum for ordinary business, whose sittings shall be in the city of 
Philadelphia, but nothing shall be authorized for publication, issued or 
endorsed by said Committee, except by a majority of its members. All 
publications to issue simultaneously in the two cities of New York and 
Philadelphia with the imprimatur of the Committee. — 1854, p. 508. 

The number of members was fixed at fifteen, divided into three classes, 
five going out of office yearly. — 1854, p. 508. 

4. Name Changed to "The Presbyterian Publication Committee." 

—1855, p. 13, N. S. 

5. "Works of a General Evangelical Type to be Published. 

Resolved, That the Publication Committee be encouraged to publish not 
only such works as may present the peculiarities of our branch of the 
Christian Church in doctrine and practice, but from time to time such 
works of an evangelical character as may be profitable to the Church at 

large.— 1857, p. 410, K S. 

6. The Trustees of the Presbyterian House Authorized and Directed 
to Act as Trustees of the Publication Committee. 

Resolved, By the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America, that " The Trustees of the Presbyterian House" 
be and they hereby are authorized and directed to act in their corporate 
capacity as trustees of the Permanent Committee of this Assembly, called 
"The Presbyterian Publication Committee," as fully and in the same 



OF MISSIONS. 437 

manner as if "The Presbyterian Publication Committee" were themselves 
constituted a corporation by the same authority which incorporated "The 
Trustees of the Presbyterian House." — Ibid., p. 410. See further New 
Digest, pp. 394-404, and Minutes, 1861-1869, N. S. 

7. The Board of Publication Organized, 1870. 

The unfinished business, viz., the report of the Joint Committee on Pub- 
lication, was resumed, and, after amendment, was adopted as follows, viz. : 

The Special Committee of five from each of the recent branches of the 
Church, appointed "to take into consideration the affairs" of the Publica- 
tion Board and Committee of said branches, and to " recommend to the 
Assembly of the united Church what changes are required" in said Board 
and Committee, respectfully report : 

That they have endeavored to give the matter referred to them that 
earnest and prayerful consideration which its importance demands. 

They regard the work of the Church to be prosecuted through this 
agency as scarcely second to that of any of our Boards. It is not only 
closely related to our missionary enterprises, but is itself, in many of its 
aspects, a missionary work. Its aim is the dissemination of vital truth, 
both among congregations already established and among the people who 
are never reached by the heralds of salvation. It is at once auxiliary to 
the ministry and of itself a ministry. Every tract is, or should be, a 
message from God. Every Sunday-school book should be a preacher of 
righteousness. 

To effect this work involves a liberal use of money, of mind, and of 
every resource committed by God to human hands. 

The first necessity is a central house of publication, which should be 
endowed with every appliance needed for the preparation and the diffusion 
of religious literature. Economy, of course, should be studied. It is not, 
in our view, essential that large sums be invested in the machinery of pub- 
lication, such as presses and binderies. The use of this machinery can be 
commanded without purchase. But it is essential that a proper house 
be provided for the transaction of the business of this agency, and for the 
issue and circulation of its literature. The buildings erected for this pur- 
pose, and now under the control of the Assembly, are wholly inadequate. 
Both are small and ill-arranged. Neither has been found sufficient for 
the wants of the Church as divided; the work before the Church as united 
will be vastly greater than has ever yet been attempted. It is believed, 
also, that, so far as possible, all the operations of the united Church con- 
ducted from Philadelphia should be concentrated under one roof. The 
house of publication should be virtually a Presbyterian house, a centre 
and a home for the denomination, a rallying-point for all the interests of 
the Church which the Assembly in its wisdom may localize in this city. 
The advantages of such a concentration in facilitating the transaction of 
the business of the Church, in promoting the general convenience, and in 
fostering a proper denominational life and spirit, are too obvious to require 
remark. But to effect this a new and extensive building must be erected ; 
and it is believed that the recognition of this necessity by the Assembly 
will so enlist the sympathy of the Church as to secure the ready accom- 
plishment of the plan submitted in the subjoined resolutions. 

The second necessity is an efficient Board and proper officer*. The 
Board should be constituted, we believe, of a comparatively small num- 
ber of thoroughly practical, wise and energetic men, all of whom can be 
relied upon to attend the meetings of the Board, and to devote their per- 
sonal attention to its operations. This number should be larger than may 



438 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

be required by the other Boards of the Church, inasmuch as its work will 
necessitate several sub-committees. It should be also somewhat larger 
than may be required by the constitution of these sub-committees, in order 
that vacancies in the Committees themselves may be readily filled by men 
of experience, and in order that perplexing questions may be submitted 
to the wisdom of a full council ,* yet the number should not be so large as 
to weaken a sense of individual responsibility. 

Experience has proved that a few men, each of whom can be easily 
reached, all of whom have a vital interest in the trusts confided to them, 
will perform any given labor more efficiently than a large Board whose 
members are so diffused as to be seldom collected, or as to forget the claims 
of a duty whose immediate field is far away. 

The officers of this Board should be men adapted to their sphere, care- 
fully selected, in number sufficient to conduct the business placed in their 
hands, and so remunerated that they can devote their entire time and ener- 
gies to the work. The Board should also be empowered to employ such 
other assistants as in their judgment may be required. 

The third necessity is the maiutenance of a force of colporteurs suf- 
ficiently large to reach the outlying population of the land by the gospel, 
and to prepare the way for the establishment of churches wherever they 
may be made permanent and effectual. Provision should also be made 
for the supply of Sunday-school libraries and of the general literature of 
the Board on the liberal terms of an enlarged Christian benevolence. 

The fulfillment of these conditions will be found to require some 
changes, notwithstanding the admirable manner in which this work has 
been conducted hitherto. Our beloved Church has already accomplished 
so much in the direction indicated that we can refer to its past operations 
with just thanksgiving; but, while we think no great and radical changes 
in this department of our Christian work are desirable, the day has now 
come for an enlargement of all our plans — a fresh and more vigorous 
movement in the development of a spirit of enterprise for Christ. 

God's promises were always full. His providence now calls us to new 
faith in the promises, and to a new consecration to that w T ork with which 
the fulfillment of the sure and glorious prophecy is associated. 

We therefore respectfully recommend the adoption, by this General 
Assembly, of the following resolutions as comprehending the changes in 
our judgment required in order to the union and reorganization of the 
Presbyterian Board of Publication and the Presbyterian Publication Com- 
mittee, viz. : 

Resolved, 1. The said Board and Committee are hereby united under 
the name and title of the " Presbyterian Board of Publication." 

2. The said Board shall henceforth be composed of forty-eight mem- 
bers, one half of whom shall be ministers and one half laymen. These 
members shall be divided into three classes, one class, containing eight 
ministers and eight laymen, after the present year to be elected annually 
by the General Assembly for a term of three years. 

3. In order to an immediate and thorough reorganization of the Board, 
all persons now members of the Board and the Committee are discontin- 
ued, and their membership ceases, and the following persons, taken in equal 
numbers from each of the late branches, are recommended to fill the three 
classes. 

For the class whose term shall expire in May, 1871 : 

Ministers. — Alexander Keed, D. D., J. Grier Ralston, D. D., Robert M. 
Patterson, Thomas Murphy, Peter Stryker, D. D., Stephen W. Dana, Rich- 
ard H. Allen, D. D., William T. Eva. 



OP missions. 439 

Laymen. — Henry E. Thomas, John Sibley, James T. Young, H. Lenox 
Hodge, M.D., Edward K. Hutchins, M.D., William L. Hildeburn, Wil- 
liam E. Camp, Horatio B. Lincoln. 

For the class whose term shall expire in May, 1872 : 

Ministers. — George F. Wiswell, D. D., John W. Dulles, Daniel March, 
D. D., H. Augustus Smith, Willard M. Rice, D. D., F, Reck Harbaugh, 
Matthew B. Grier, D. D., Matthew New-kirk. 

Laymen. — George W. Simons, Joseph Allison, XjL.D., Henry M. Paul, 
Edward Miller, James Ross Snowden, John D. McCord, Gilbert Conibs, 
Gustavus S. Benson. 

For the class whose term shall expire in May, 1873 : 

Ministers. — William P. Breed, D. D., William E. Schenck, D. D., Da- 
vid A. Cunningham, Benjamin L. Agnew, Zephaniah M. Humphrey, D.D., 
William E. Moore, Thomas J. Shepherd, D. D., Herrick Johnson, D. D. 

Laymen. — Morris Patterson, Winthrop Sargent, Archibald Mclntyrc, 
George Junkin, Samuel C. Perkins, William E. Tenbrook, Robert N. 
Wilson, Alexander Whilldin. 

4. The said Board shall hold at least four regular meetings in the 
course of each year, in the months of June, October, January and April. 
Its first meeting shall be held at 821 Chestnut street, at four o'clock p. M., 
on the second Tuesday of June of the present year. 

5. The executive officers of the Board shall be a secretary or secre- 
taries, whose titles and duties shall be defined by the Board, and a Trea- 
surer. 

6. All other internal arrangements necessary for carrying out the pur- 
poses of its organization shall be made by the Board of Publication after 
its reorganization. 

7. Each Presbytery is directed to appoint one or more of its members a 
Presbyterial Publication Committee; which Committee shall, in that Pres- 
bytery, supervise the work, of securing an annual collection for this Board 
from each of its churches; shall search out and recommend to the Board 
suitable persons to act as colporteurs ; shall correspond with the Board 
in reference to its work in that Presbytery; and shall do whatever else may 
tend to promote the work and interests of the Board, and to secure a thor- 
ough distribution of the Board's publications within and throughout the 
bounds of the Presbytery. 

8. All the property, of every kind, now owned by the "Presbyterian 
Board of Publication " and by the " Presbyterian Publication Committee," 
or held by any Board of Trustees for the use and benefit of either of them, 
is hereby directed to be united, and placed in possession of " The Trustees 
of the Presbyterian Board of Publication," incorporated by the Legisla- 
ture of the State of Pennsylvania, and whose charter was approved by 
the governor of that State on the 13th day of February, A. D. 1847. 
And in order that the late two branches of the Presbyterian Church, now 
happily reunited, may have, as nearly as possible, an equal representation 
in said Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian Board of Publication (there 
now being enough vacancies by death and resignation to effect the changes 
proposed), the Board of Publication is directed, at its next meeting in the 
month of June, to elect the following persons to be members of this Board 
of Trustees : 

For one year — Alexander Whilldin, Samuel C. Perkins, Archibald Mc- 
Intire. 

For two years — Morris Patterson, William E. Tenbrook. 

For three years — George Junkin, James Ross Snowden and Robert N. 
Wilson. 



440 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

9. The "Trustees of the Presbyterian House" are hereby directed to 
convey, by a good and sufficient legal title, to "The Trustees of the Pres- 
byterian Board of Publication," the house and lot, Nos. 1334 and 1336 
Chestnut street, now occupied by the Presbyterian Publication Committee 
in part as a book-store, and any other property now in their possession, or 
which may hereafter come into their possession, for the use of the Presby- 
terian Publication Committee. And should any legal difficulties be found 
in the way of making such a conveyance or transfer, then "The Trustees 
of the Presbyterian House" and "The Trustees of the Presbyterian Board 
of Publication" are hereby directed to procure, as speedily as possible, 
such special enactments from the Legislature of this State, or decrees of 
any courts of competent jurisdiction, as shall remove those difficulties. 

10. The General Assembly recommends the Board of Publication, as 
soon as practicable after its reorganization, to sell its house and lot, No. 
821 Chestnut street, and to provide a larger house, adequate to its now ex- 
tended operations, and to the prospective growth of its business, on the 
premises Nos. 1334 and 1336 Chestnut street, or in that vicinity. 

11. In order that the above recommendation may be carried out, so as 
to provide ample accommodations for the Board's future business, and for 
all other Presbyterian interests in this city, it is recommended that the 
sum of one hundred thousand dollars be raised among our churches and 
people for the erection and equipment of said Presbyterian house, and all 
contributions made thereto shall be recognized as a part of the offering of 
five millions of dollars which it was at Pittsburg resolved to raise. 

12. All the Committees and officers of the Board of Publication, and 
of the Publication Committee, are requested to continue to perform their 
respective duties as at present, until otherwise directed by the newly-or- 
ganized Board of Publication. 

13. The Board of Publication and the Publication Committee are di- 
rected to submit to the next General Assembly, and each year thereafter, 
a full statement of the property of said Boards, consisting of real estate, 
copy-rights, books, paper, plates and any other assets, with an estimate of 
the value thereof.— 1870, pp. 113-116. 

8. The Sabbath-school Work of the Board.— Three Branches. 

a. 1st. That the Board of Publication be instructed so to enlarge its ar- 
rangements as to make the Sabbath-school work a prominent and organic 
part of its operations ; and that it is exceedingly desirable that the entire 
congregations in our churches, old and young, be permanently connected 
with the Sabbath-school, either as scholars or teachers. 

2d. That the Board, so enlarged in the sphere of its operations, keep 
before it these three branches of the Sabbath-school work : 

(A.) To furnish a complete literature for Sabbath-schools, consisting 
of its own and other well-selected books for libraries, helps of all kinds 
for the study of the Scriptures and catechism, periodicals for teachers and 
scholars, and all other apparatus fitted to give efficiency to the work of 
teaching. 

(B.) To establish such agencies as it may deem suitable for elevating 
the standard of teaching, and more thoroughly developing the great idea 
of Sabbath-schools — that of imparting the knowledge of God to the 
young and drawing them to the salvation of Christ. 

(C.) In appointing colporteurs, as far as possible, to select such persons 
as may also be suitable for Sabbath-school missionaries, and instruct them 
to establish Sabbath-schools in destitute localities, under the supervision 
of the Presbyteries. 



OF MISSIONS. 441 

3d. That the churches be urged to contribute more largely to the mis- 
sionary fund of this Board, to meet the increased expense which the work- 
ing of this branch of its operations will demand. — 1871, p. 524. 

b. In the Sabbath-school department the instructions of the last Assem- 
bly have been carried out. A general superintendent has been appointed 
— Mr. J. Bennet Tyler — who in January last entered upon his duties, has 
performed much preparatory work, and everywhere found interest and 
sympathy with the plans of the Assembly. To the Westminster series of 
Sabbath-school lessons for teachers and scholars three numbers have been 
added, in continuation of a plan which embraces a full curriculum of 
Bible study.— 1872, p. 20. 

9. Charter of the Board. 

An Act to Incorporate " The Trustees of the Presbyterian Board of Publication." 

Whereas, The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the Uni!ed States 
of America have a Board of Publication composed of ministers and laymen of the 
Presbyterian Church, the design of which is " the publication of such works, perma- 
nent or periodical, as are adapted to promote sound learning and true religion ;" 

And Whereas, The aforesaid Board of Publication labors under serious disadvan- 
tages as to receiving donations and bequests, and as to the management of funds en- 
trusted to them for the purpose designated in their Constitution, and in accordance 
with the benevolent intentions of those from whom such bequests and donations are 
received ; Therefore, 

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Com- 
monwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the 
authority of the same, that Matthew Newkirk, James N. Dickson, William S. Mar- 
tien, James B. Boss, Archibald Mclntyre, Joseph B. Mitchell, Alexander W. Mit- 
chell, M. D., Robert Soutter, Jr., and James Dunlap, citizens of the United States 
and of this Commonwealth, and their successors, are hereby constituted and declared 
to be a body politic and corporate, which shall henceforth be known by the name of 
"The Trustees of the Presbyterian Board of Publication," and as such shall have per- 
petual succession, and be able to sue and be sued in all courts of record, and else- 
where ; and to purchase and receive, take and hold, to them and their successors, for 
ever, lands, tenements, hereditaments, goods, money and chattels, and all kinds of 
estate which may be devised, or bequeathed, or given to them ; and the same to sell, 
alien, demise and convey ; also to make a common seal, and the same to alter and re- 
new at their pleasure; and also to make such rules, by-laws and ordinances as may 
be needful for the government of the said corporation, and not inconsistent with the 
Constitution and laws of the United States, and of this State; Provided, always, that 
the clear yearly income of the real estate held by the said corporation shall not at 
any time exceed the sum of five thousand dollars. 

Sec 2. The Trustees above named shall hold their offices for one year from the 
date of this incorporation, and until their successors are duly qualified to take their 
places; who shall be chosen by the aforesaid Board of Publication, at such times and 
in such manner as shall be provided by the said General Assembly of the Presby- 
terian Church in the United States of America, provided not more than one-third of 
the Trustees shall be removed in any one year. 

Sec. 3. The Trustees hereby incorporated, and their successors, shall (subject to the 
direction of the said Board of Publication) have full power to manage the funds and 
property committed to their care, in such manner as shall be deemed most advan- 
tageous, and not contrarv to law. 

JAMES COOPER, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
CH. GIBBONS, 

Speaker of the Senate. 

Approved the thirteenth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and fortv- 
Reven. FR. R. SHUNK.' 

56 



442 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 



V. THE TRUSTEES OF THE CHURCH ERECTION FUND. 
1. The Organization. 

The report of the Joint Committee on Church Erection was adopted, as 
follows : 

In entering on their work the Committee found that the trusteeship of 
the Church Erection Fund was a chartered institution, formed under the 
laws of the State of New York, and possessed of a permanent fund of 
$126,000, more or less, of which about $90,000 were invested in interest- 
bearing securities in the State of New York, and the remainder in various 
liabilities given by feeble churches which had been aided. They also 
learned that, in accordance with certain amendments of the plan passed 
by the General Assembly which met at St. Louis in 1866, the system of 
loans had been abandoned, and a so-called Supplementary Fund created, 
to consist of the yearly interest of the Permanent Fund, together with 
such sums as should be raised by the annual contributions of the churches, 
all of which, in absolute donations, to be devoted to the current demands 
of the work. This Board of Trustees, having charge of both the Perma- 
nent and the Supplementary Fund by the terms of the charter, consists 
of nine members residing in New York or its vicinity, and are elected in 
classes from year to year by the General Assembly, according to the char- 
tered rules prescribed. 

On the other hand, the Committee learned that the Board of Church 
Extension, having its centre of operations in St. Louis, Mo., was without 
a charter and without permanent funds, holding only current receipts 
appropriated and unappropriated, together with certain temporary invest- 
ments in real estate ; that the said Board of Church Extension was there- 
fore free from any legal obstacles which might prevent a change either of 
location or of name, or stand in the way of its being united under the 
charter of the organized and localized Board of Church Erection. 

In view of these considerations the Joint Committee do respectfully and 
unanimously recommend — 

1. That the operations of the United Church be carried on under the 
charter of " The Trustees of the Church Erection Fund of the Presby- 
terian Church in the United States of America," and that its location be 
continued in the city of New York. 

2. That the members of the Board be chosen impartially from both 
branches of the Church, that their number be twenty-one, consisting of 
ten ministers and eleven laymen acting in connection with the Presbyte- 
rian Church, and that the entire Board so formed be expected to meet at 
least once a year. 

3. That fifteen members, seven ministers and eight laymen, shall reside 
in the city of New York or its vicinity ; that at an early day an amend- 
ment of the charter be obtained, authorizing these fifteen local members 
to act as trustees of the fund, but until such change shall be secured nine 
of the fifteen members shall continue to hold the said trusteeship under 
the provisions now existing. 

4. That six members of the Board, three ministers and three laymen, 
shall be chosen from the West. This recommendation is made in view 
of the fact that certain properties held by the Board of Church Exten- 
sion are temporarily located in Missouri, and require a local supervision. 
It also seems desirable that the Board shall have representatives on the 
ground who may secure those grants of land which are so freely offered 
for church purposes by railroad and town companies throughout the West, 
also to have special oversight in the matter of insurance on church prop- 



OF MISSIONS. 443 

erties — a matter of great importance, in which it is feared there is at pres- 
ent great neglect. 

5. That a secretary be appointed who shall reside in New York, and 
whose functions shall be similar to those of the present secretaries of 
Church Erection and Church Extension ; also that the Board shall have 
authority to appoint an additional secretary and define his duties. 

6. While the Committee appreciate and would earnestly encourage all 
local efforts to build churches and chapels in the cities and in Presbyte- 
ries by special contributions, they unanimously recommend that the Assem- 
bly take the most efficient measures to secure an annual contribution from 
all the churches for the general work of the Board. The suburbs of our 
large cities must be cared for, but at the same time the demands of the 
great wastes of the continent are most imperative upon the whole Church. 

In conclusion, the Committee would express the hope that this depart- 
ment of the Church work, so fundamental to all permanent success, may 
be brought into greater prominence and receive a larger degree of favor 
and support. It should be not merely a passive resource to which the 
needy may resort for a stinted dole, but a powerful aggressive agency 
arousing and stimulating the Church to substantial conquest everywhere 
in the cities, on the prairies, along the railroads and on the far-off shores 
of the Pacific. In view of the fact that legal questions might arise in 
connection with some of the points in this report, Messrs. S. T. Bodine 
and J. C. Havens were appointed to consult legal authorities thereupon, 
and report to the Committee at a subsequent meeting. 

The Committee then adjourned to meet in the First Presbyterian Church 
of Philadelphia during the sessions of the General Assembly. 

At a conference of certain members of the Joint Committee, held in 
Philadelphia since the sessions of the General Assembly began, a quorum 
not being present, Mr. Samuel T. Bodine reported that he had consulted 
proper authorities in regard to legal points in the above report, and had 
obtained the following opinions : 

1. That the Church Erection Fund, located by charter in the State of 
New York, would be embarrassed if not imperiled by any change in the 
place of business. 

2. That at an early day steps should be taken to secure a change in the 
charter, raising the number of trustees from nine to twenty-one, of whom 
five shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. 

3. That fifteen of the tw T enty-one members of the Board, namely, seven 
ministers and eight elders, should reside in the city of New York or its 
vicinity.— 1870, p. 116. 

2. The Plan for the Custody, Care and Management of the Church 
Erection Fund, as Adopted by the Assembly of 1854 and Amend- 
ed by the Assembly of 1866, N. S. 

Preamble. 

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States 
of America having, through the liberality of the congregations connected 
with this body, established a Fund for the purpose of aiding feeble congre- 
gations in erecting houses of worship, do hereby adopt the following plan 
under which this Fund shall be held, administered and used : 

Article I. 

The Fund having been committed to the General Assembly as a spe- 
cial trust, no part of it as now established, nor any additions which may 



444 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

hereafter be made to it, shall ever be used for any other purpose than that 
of aiding feeble congregations in connection with the General Assembly 
in erecting houses of worship, except so much as may be absolutely neces- 
sary to defray the expenses incident to the administration of this plan. 

Article II. 

The custody, care and management of this Fund, and of all securities 
of every kind belonging to it or growing out of it, together with all claims, 
dues and property that may at any time pertain to it, and all additions 
that may hereafter be made to it by donations, bequests or otherwise, 
shall be committed to a Board of Trustees, to be called " The Trustees of 
the Church Erection Fund of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian 
Church in the United States of America." The Board shall consist of 
twenty-one members, being ministers and elders in connection with some 
Presbytery or Church under the care of the General Assembly, who shall 
reside in the city of New York or its immediate vicinity, and whom the 
General Assembly shall elect by ballot on a nomination to be made at 
least one day before such election. The trustees shall continue in office 
until the election and induction of their successors. The certificate of 
the stated clerk of the General Assembly shall be necessary to entitle a 
trustee to take his seat as a member of the Board, which certificate it 
shall be his duty to furnish as soon as practicable after the election. 

The trustees first elected shall arrange themselves into three equal 
classes. The term of office of the first class shall expire in one year from 
their election, that of the second class in two years, and that of the third 
class in three years. After the first election, the General Assembly shall 
annually elect trustees to supply the place of the class whose term is about 
to expire, to hold their office for three years, the same persons always 
being re-eligible ; and each General Assembly shall also by election sup- 
ply any vacancy in the Board caused by death, resignation or otherwise. 
If any trustee shall, during the term for which he is elected, cease to be 
connected with a Presbytery or Church under the care of the General 
Assembly, he shall thereby cease to be a member of the Board, and the 
vacancy shall be reported to the next General Assembly. 

Article III. 

The first meeting of the Board shall be held on the second Tuesday of 
June next, in the city of New York, at such place and hour as the stated 
clerk of the General Assembly may appoint, who shall preside until the 
Board is organized by the choice of its president. 

Article IV. 

The Board shall make their own By-Laws. They shall annually, at 
their first meeting after the adjournment of the General Assembly, elect 
one of their number President of the Board, and shall appoint a Secre- 
tary and a Treasurer, who shall give security to the Board for the faithful 
performance of his duties. They shall keep complete books of record and 
account, in which shall be recorded all their proceedings, and the true 
state at all times of all matters relating to this Fund, which records and 
accounts, or any part of them, shall at all times be open to the inspection 
of any Committee appointed by the General Assembly for this purpose. 
They shall also keep full and correct copies and files of all the corre- 
spondence which may be conducted or received by them or in their name, 
and shall annually present to the General Assembly, not later than the 



OF MISSIONS. 445 

third day of its sessions, a full report of their proceedings and of the state 
of the Fund, together with any suggestions or recommendations which 
they may deem necessary or suitable. 

Article V. 

The Board are hereby directed, either by procuring a special act of the 
Legislature of the State of New York, or in accordance with the existing 
statutes of said State, to incorporate themselves and their successors in 
office, always to be elected, as aforesaid into a body corporate and politic, 
invested with all such legal powers as may be necessary to enable them 
to hold and administer this Fund in conformity with the provisions of 
this plan. 

Article VI. 

The Board is directed to invest and to keep at interest on sufficient 
security the Fund as now established, and as the same shall hereafter be 
increased by gift, bequest or otherwise. 

Article VII. 

The Board shall prepare blank forms of all such legal and other papers 
as may be required for the proper distribution and management of the 
Fund and accruing interest ; the forms so prepared and furnished, and 
none others, shall be used in all matters and transactions relating to the 
Fund to which they may be applicable. They shall designate such legal 
advisers within the bounds of each Synod as, by a correspondence with the 
Church Extension Committees of the Synods, may be found desirable, to 
examine all certificates of title and all conveyances and other documents 
connected with the donation of any part of the accruing interest, includ- 
ing a careful investigation in regard to the legal incorporation of the 
Board of Trustees of the congregations concerned, and they shall further 
have power to appoint an agent in each Synod, and to require that all 
payments of money that may become due to this Fund shall be made to 



such agent. 



Article VIII. 



In order to be entitled to the use of any portion of the accruing inte- 
rest, each Synod connected with the General Assembly shall annually 
elect a Committee on Church Extension, consisting of at least five mem- 
bers. The stated clerk of the Synod shall, immediately after the election 
of the said Committee, transfer to the President and Secretary of the 
Board his certificate of such election, giving the name and residence of 
each member. 

Article IX. 

All applications for aid shall be made, in the first instance, to the Com- 
mittee on Church Extension of the Presbytery to which the applicants 
belong, or within whose bounds they are situated. Every such applica- 
tion shall be in writing, and shall particularly state, The location of the 
house or site for its erection ; the number of families or persons attached 
to the congregation or that propose to unite in building a house of wor- 
ship; the description of the house which they propose to build, with its 
estimated and probable cost, or the description and cost of the house and 
lot owned by the congregation; the amount of reliable subscriptions 
which have been obtained, and how much has been paid thereon ; the 
amount of available means possessed by the congregation, if any ; whether 



446 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

the congregation is in debt, and if so to what amount and when the same 
becomes due; and also any other facts which may aid the Committee of 
the Synod in judging of the application. This application shall be accom- 
panied by the certificate of one of the legal advisers of the Board that 
the title to the lot on which the house is to be built is vested in said con- 
gregation, and is free from all legal encumbrance and liability. 

Article X. 

If the Committee of the Synod, to whom application for aid has been 
made as above provided, shall, after a careful examination into the con- 
dition and prospects of the congregation so applying, be satisfied that 
such congregation have done all that should reasonably be expected of 
them, and that with the aid which can be afforded from the accruing inte- 
rest, and the voluntary contributions hereinafter mentioned, they can build 
or possess a house of worship adapted to their wants and be free from 
indebtedness, then the Committee shall sign a certificate addressed to the 
Board, stating the application, and that they have examined and approve 
of it, and also stating the amount which it is proper to donate to the con- 
gregation. This certificate, together with the application made to the 
Committee of the Synod, shall be transmitted to the Board. On the 
receipt thereof, in due form, the Board shall as soon as practicable, if the 
application is granted, forward the necessary papers, to be executed by the 
trustees of the congregation, and to be approved by their legal adviser, 
or some other attorney proposed by the congregation and accepted by the 
Board. When the papers so executed, approved and properly recorded 
are returned to the Board, they shall authorize the treasurer of the trus- 
tees of the congregation, or any other person duly appointed by them for 
this purpose, to draw on the Treasurer of the Board for the amount thus 
applied for and donated. 

Article XI. 

The Board shall not in any case donate any portion of the accruing 
interest to any congregation, unless such congregation own in fee simple 
and free from all legal encumbrance the lot on which their house of wor- 
ship is situated, or on which they propose to build, nor shall any donation 
be made for the payment of any debt, except that which may have been 
contracted within one year previous in erecting a house of worship. 

The sum donated to any congregation shall never be more than one- 
third of the amount contributed and secured by them for the house and lot. 

The condition of all donations from this source shall be that, in case 
the church or congregation shall cease to be connected with the General 
Assembly, or their corporate existence shall cease, or their house of wor- 
ship be alienated except for the building or purchase of a better house of 
worship, they shall refund to the Board the amount which they have so 
received, with interest from the time of receiving it. 

The fulfillment of the above condition shall, in all cases, be secured by 
the bond of the trustees of the congregation, and a mortgage on their 
house and lot made in favor of the Board, which bond and mortgage, 
duly executed and recorded, shall always be placed in the possession of 
the Board before any money is paid over to the congregation. 

Article XII. 

In accepting this trust and adopting this plan, the General Assembly 
hereby declares that the first article shall admit of no alteration or amend- 



OF MISSIONS. 447 

ment, and that no change shall be made in any other part of the plan by 
any future General Assembly, except by an affirmative vote of two-thirds 
of all the members whose names have been entered upon the roll. 

Supplementary Article. 

As supplementary to this plan, and in order to enable the Board fully 
to meet all the reasonable demands of feeble congregations for aid in erect- 
ing houses of public worship, the General Assembly earnestly recommends 
all the congregations within its bounds to take up annual collections and 
transmit them to the Treasurer of the Board, to be appropriated by said 
Board, and distributed by gift for the objects contemplated in the plan, 
and on the conditions and limitations prescribed therein. 

And the better to secure this end, it shall be the duty of the Board to 
present with their annual report an estimate of the amount probably 
needed for the ensuing year, together with the facts and reasons upon 
which such estimate is based, in order that the Assembly may determine 
the amount it will recommend the churches to raise by voluntary contri- 
bution. 

It was further Resolved, That the plan of Church Erection now T adopted 
be put into operation upon, and take effect from, the first day of August, 
1866.— 1866, pp. 254-258. 

3. Charter of the Church Erection Fund. 

An Act to incorporate the Trustees of the Church Erection Fund of the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. — Passed 
March 31, 1855. 

The -people of the Slate of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact ax 

follows ; 

Section 1. Samuel T. Spear, Asa D. Smith, Edwin F. Hatfield, James W. McLane, 
Walter S. Griffith, Oliver H. Lee, Norman White, William E. Dodge and Stephen H. 
Thayer (designated for the purpose by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian 
Church which met in Philadelphia, in May, 1854), and their successors in office, are 
hereby constituted a body corporate and politic, by the name of " The Trustees of the 
Church Erection Fund of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America," for the purpose of aiding feeble congregations in connec- 
tion with the said General Assembly in erecting houses of worship, and by that name 
they and their successors shall and may have perpetual succession ; provided, that no 
money shall be furnished by said corporation for the erection of any house of worship 
in any State or territory, in which there shall exist at the time a law for the incorpo- 
ration of religious societies, the title to which is not held by a religious corporation 
under and according to the laws of the respective States or territories in which such 
places of worship are located ; provided, also, that the title shall in no instance be 
vested in any priest, bishop or other ecclesiastic. 

Sec. 2. The said corporation shall possess the general powers, and be subject to the 
provisions, contained in title 3 of chap, xviii. of the 1st part of the Revised Statutes, 
so far as the same are applicable and have not been repealed or modified. 
_ Sec. 3. The management and disposition of the affairs and funds of said corpora- 
tion shall be vested in the individuals named in the 1st section of this Act, and their 
successors in office, who shall remain in office for such period, and be displaced and suc- 
ceeded by others, to be elected at such time and in such manner as the said General 
Assembly shall direct and appoint; and such election shall be made, and the said 
funds shall be held and administered, invested and disposed of, for the purposes afore- 
said, in conformity with the provisions of the plan adopted by the said General As- 
sembly. 

Sec. 4. The said corporation shall in law be capable of taking, receiving and hold- 
ing any real or personal estate which has been or may hereafter be given, devised or 
bequeathed to them for the purpose of their incorporation, or which shall accrue from 
the use of paid fund; but the said corporation shall not take and hold real and per- 
gonal estate above the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. 



448 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Sec. 5. This Act shall take effect immediately. 

State of New York, \ 
Secretary's Office, j 
I have compared the preceding with the original law on file in this office, and I do 
hereby certify that the same is a correct transcript therefrom, and of the whole of such 
original. 

Given under my hand and seal of office, at the City of Albany, this 
[L. S.] second day of April, 1855. 

A. G. JOHNSON, 

Dep. Secretary of State. 

THE CHAETEE AMENDED. 

An Act to amend an Act entitled "An Act to incorporate the Trustees of the Church 
Erection Fund of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States of America," passed March 31, 1855. — Passed March 27, 1871. 

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as 

follows : 

Section 1. Section one of the " Act to incorporate the Trustees of the Church 
P>ection Fund of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States of America," passed March thirty-first, eighteen hundred and fifty-five, is hereby 
amended so as to read as follows: 

\ 1. Joseph Fewsmith, John Thompson, Elijah E. Craven, Norman Seaver, John 
Hall, Charles A. Dickey, Frank F. Ellinwood, Morris C. Sutphen, Henry E. Wilson, 
Samuel J. Niccolls, Joseph E. Skidmore, Frederick G. Burnham, Jonathan C. Ha- 
vens, Otis D. Swan, George AV. Lane, John P. Crosby, Winthrop S. Oilman, Nathan 
Lane, Hezekiah King, Eussell Scarritt, James M. Brauner (designated for the pur- 
pose by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church which met in Philadel- 
phia in May, eighteen hundred and seventy), and their successors in office, are hereby 
constituted a body corporate and politic, by the name of " The Board of the Church 
Erection Fund of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States of America," for the purpose of aiding feeble congregations in connection with 
the said General Assembly in erecting houses of worship, and by that name they and 
their successors shall and may have perpetual succession ; provided, that no money 
shall be furnished by said corporation for the erection of any house of worship in any 
State or territory, in which there shall exist at the time a law for the incorporation 
of religious societies, the title to which is not held by a religious corporation under 
and according to the laws of the respective States or territories in which such places 
of worship are created ; provided, also, that the title shall in no instance be vested in 
any priest, bishop or other ecclesiastic. 

| 2. All acts done by said Trustees, in the proper performance of their trust, since 
their designation by said General Assembly, are hereby ratified and confirmed. 

\ 3. This Act shall take effect immediately. 

State of New York, \ 

Office of the Secretary of State, j ' 

I have compared the preceding with the original law on file in this office, and do 
hereby certify that the same is a correct transcript therefrom, and of the whole of the 
said original law. 

Given under my hand and seal of office, at the city of Albany, this first 
[L. S.] day of Mav, in the vear one thousand eight hundred and seventy- 

one. D. WILLEES, Jr., 

Dep. Secretary of State. 

VI. RELIEF FUND FOR DISABLED MINISTERS, AND THE WIDOWS AND 
ORPHANS OF DECEASED MINISTERS. 

a. The Assembly of 1849, O. S., adopted the following, viz. : 
Whereas, There are many disabled and superannuated ministers in con- 
nection with the Presbyterian Church, and widows and families of Pres- 
byterian ministers who are in indigent circumstances, and as the Church 
increases their number is likely to increase; and whereas it is the duty of 
the Church to provide for those who have devoted their time and spent 



OF MISSIONS. 449 

their energies in her service, and also for their families ; and whereas no 
local provision can effectually meet this object, and no efficient general 
provision has ever yet been made ; therefore, 

Resolved, 1. That in order to constitute a fund for the support of the 
widows and families of deceased ministers, and for the relief of superan- 
nuated and disabled living ministers, it is hereby enjoined upon all our 
Synods and Presbyteries to take such action as may secure a contribution 
annually. 

Resolved, 2. That a column be added to the table of Statistical Reports 
for these contributions. 

Resolved, 3. That the funds thus contributed be placed in the hands of 
the Board of Trustees of the General Assembly, to be disbursed by the 
Board of Publication upon the recommendation of Presbyteries, as the 
funds for Domestic Missions, Education and Church Extension are now 
appropriated. 

Resolved, 4. That in order to the founding of a permanent fund for 
this same object, special contributions and legacies be invited from all 
parts of the Church, the principal of which shall be safely invested by the 
Board of Trustees of the General Assembly, and the interest to be added 
to the general fund provided for in a foregoing resolution. — 1849, p. 266, 
O. S. 

Overture No. 25. A request from the Board of Publication, in answer 
to which the following minute was ordered, at the recommendation of the 
Committee, viz. : 

The duty of disbursing the fund in aid of superannuated and disabled 
ministers and their families is hereby transferred from the Board of Pub- 
lication to the trustees of the General Assembly. — 1852, p. 224, O. S. 

On a report of the trustees the Assembly adopted the following, viz. : 

1. Resolved, That it be earnestly recommended to the Presbyteries to 
take such action in regard to this matter as will tend to bring up the 
Church to the performance of her duty in regard thereto. 

2. Resolved, That every minister and church session be earnestly re- 
quested to present this subject to their congregation during the coming 
year, and obtain a contribution to the object ; which contribution shall 
be transmitted to the treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the General 
Assembly, to be disbursed in an economical way, and upon an equitable 
ratio, upon application made through the Presbytery to which the party 
applying for relief naturally belongs, or a Committee of that Presbytery ; 
the Board to report to the next General Assembly. — 1856, p. 533, O. S. 

A Committee was also appointed to digest and report to the next As- 
sembly a scheme for future operations. 

[See the report— 1857, p. 218.] 

b. The Assembly of 1861, N. S., in answer to an overture from the 
Presbytery of the District of Columbia, "On the subject of raising a fund 
to be applied to the aid of disabled ministers and their families," appointed 
a Committee, to report to the next Assembly a plan of operations. — 1861, 
p. 473. The Committee was enlarged and continued (1862, p. 38) ; dis- 
charged and a new Committee appointed (1863, p. 280). This Committee 
reported (1864, pp. 497-502), and the following was adopted : 

Resolved, 1. That a fund, to be called " The Ministerial Relief Fund," 
for the relief of disabled ministers of good and regular standing, in con- 
nection with this body, and the families of ministers who have deceased 
while in our connection, be constituted, to be supplied by annual collec- 
tions in all our churches, donations and legacies. 

Resolved, 2. That in order to constitute and maintain such fund, it is 
57 



450' FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

hereby enjoined upon all our Presbyteries to take such action as shall se- 
cure from every church an annual contribution thereto. 

Resolved, 3. That this fund be entrusted to the trustees of the Presby- 
terian House, to be by them disbursed upon the recommendation of Pres- 
byteries, upon such principles and rules of distribution as they shall deem 
most equal and beneficial. 

Resolved, 4. That for the special oversight and care of the interest thus 
committed to them, the trustees are authorized to appoint a secretary, pre- 
scribe his duties and determine his salary.— 1864, p. 502, N. S. 

That every Presbytery be directed to appoint a Standing Committee, 
whose duty it shall be to inquire into the necessities of disabled ministers, 
and of the widows and orphans of those deceased, with a view of bringing 
the cases of such to the notice of the Executive Committee of the Relief 
Fund.— 1865, p. 30, N. S. 

1. The Present Organization. 

The Relief Fund for Disabled Ministers, and the Widows 
and Orphans of Deceased Ministers, is committed by the Assembly 
to the Board of Trustees of the General Assembly, according to the fol- 
lowing : 

The report of the Joint Committee on Ministerial Relief was taken from 
the docket, amended and adopted as follows : 

The Joint Committee appointed to take into consideration the affairs of 
the Fund for Disabled Ministers and their Families, and of the Ministerial 
Relief Fund, respectfully report to the Assembly that they have attended 
to the duty assigned them, and that they unanimously recommend the 
adoption of the following resolutions : 

1. That the fund be designated " The Relief Fund for Disabled Minis- 
ters and the Widows and Orphans of Deceased Ministers." 

2. That the "'Trustees of the General Assembly" shall annually, at as 
early a day as practicable after the rising of the Assembly, elect a secre- 
tary and a treasurer, and four of their number, who, for the present year, 
shall be a Committee to take charge of the management of this fund. 

3. That the trustees of the General Assembly be recommended to con- 
tinue in office the present secretaries of the two funds, the one to be the 
secretary of the Relief Fund and the other to be the treasurer. 

4. That the "Trustees of the Presbyterian House," and the "Trustees 
of the General Assembly," be directed to pay the income accruing from 
investments held by them respectively for the purposes of this fund to the 
treasurer of the Relief Fund.— 1870, p. 123. 

.2. The Funds are Disbursed according to the following Rules, 
approved by the Assembly of 1871. 

1. The stated meetings of the Committee shall be held on the 3d Tues- 
day of each month, at four o'clock p.m., unless otherwise ordered. 

A special meeting may be called at any time by the chairman, or, in 
case of his absence, at the request of any two members of the Committee. 

2. All appropriations must be made on the recommendation of that 
Presbytery to which the applicant most naturally belongs, or of a Stand- 
ing Committee of that Presbytery. Only members of the Presbyteries in 
connection with the General Assembly, and the families who were at 
their death in such connection, are entitled to aid. 

3. Appropriations are made for one year ; and if aid is continued, the 
recommendations must be renewed from year to year. 



OF MISSIONS. 451 

4. Applications for aid should, in the case of a minister, state his age, 
his circumstances, and the number of years he has been in the ministry ; 
and in the case of a deceased minister's family, the application should 
state the circumstances of the widow, and the sex and ages of the orphan 
children who are dependent on her for support. 

5. While the responsibility of recommending applicants rests with the 
Presbyteries, and shall largely govern the action of the Committee, yet 
the Committee reserves to itself the right to appropriate according to the 
merits of each Case and the state of the treasury. 

6. Ordinarily, appropriations shall be made semi-annually in two equal 
installments. 



VII. THE PRESBYTERIAN COMMITTEE OF MISSIONS FOR FREEDMEN. 

1. The Plan Adopted in 1870. 

In view, therefore, of all the papers submitted, and of the whole sub- 
ject as we have been able to examine it, your Committee would recom- 
mend the adoption of the following resolutions, to wit : 

Resolved, 1. That the Assembly's Committee on Freedmen, and the Freed- 
men's Department of the Presbyterian Committee of Home Missions, and 
their secretaries, are hereby commended for their fidelity and energy in 
the prosecution of the work committed to their charge, that their reports 
be printed for circulation in the churches, and that they be directed to 
continue the work until the reorganization is completed. 

Resolved, 2. That the work of the Presbyterian Church for the colored 
race in this country, including both their religious and educational inte- 
rests, shall be conducted by a Committee to be located in the city of Pitts- 
burg, Pa., to be known by the name, style and title of " The Presbyte- 
rian Committee of Missions for Freedmen," and that this Committee shall 
consist of twelve members, of whom five shall be a quorum, to meet on 
their own adjournment. 

Resolved, 3. That this Committee be directed to organize on Thursday, 
June 16th, at 3 o'clock p. m., in the lecture-room of the First Presbyte- 
rian Church of Pittsburg, Pa., and that the Stated Clerk of the Assembly 
be directed to give official notice to the members of their election. 

Vacancies occurring in this Committee, by resignation or otherwise, 
may be filled by the Committee (until the meeting of the next Assembly) 
at any regular meeting, of which election due notice has been given. 

Resolved, 4. That the Assembly's Committee on Freedmen, and the 
Freedmen's Department of the Presbj^terian Committee of Home Mis- 
sions, are hereby directed, on the organization of this Committee, or at as 
early a time as can be done safely, to transfer to the Committee of Mis- 
sions for Freedmen all papers, documents, moneys and properties then in 
their hands or under their control pertaining to the work ; and further, 
these organizations are continued as at present constituted for the purpose 
of receiving and paying over to the Committee of Missions for Freedmen 
all moneys which may come into their hands for this work by legacy or 
otherwise. 

Resolved, 5. That the Assembly recommend to the Boards of the Church 
to co-operate with the Committee of Missions for Freedmen in conducting 
its work. 

Resolved, 6. That in view of the fact that only one-third of our churches 
contributed to this cause during the past year, each Presbytery be required 
to appoint a Committee of one, whose duty it shall be, by correspondence 



452 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

or otherwise, to see that this cause is brought before each church for its 
generous contribution. 

To conclude: In the judgment of your Committee, the great need of 
the Freedmen to-day is a supply of competent preachers and teachers, 
raised up from among themselves. For help in this matter we look with 
hope to Lincoln University, at Oxford, Pa. ; to Biddle Memorial Insti- 
tute, at Charlotte, N. C. ; to the Normal School of Winchester, Va. ; and 
to other similar institutions established by our Church. We urge espe- 
cially the necessity of providing schools where females may enjoy advan- 
tages that may enable them to keep pace with the other sex in intellectual 
and moral elevation. 

The Committee beg leave to nominate the following persons to consti- 
tute the Presbyterian Committee of Missions for Freedmen : 

Ministers. — James Allison, D.D., Samuel J. Wilson, D. D., John Gilles- 
pie, Peter S. Davies, Frederick A. Noble, Elliot E. Swift. 

Laymen. — Joseph Albree, John C. McComb, Robert C. Totten, Oliver 
McClintock, James B. Lyon, George B. Logan. — 1870, p. 105. 

VIII. THE SUSTENTATION FUND. 

In the Assembly of 1870 overtures relating to the Sustentation Fund 
were referred to a Committee consisting of M. W. Jacobus, D. D., Walter 
Clark, D. D., James McCosh, D. D., Hon. Wm. Strong, Hon. Nathaniel 
Ewing and Hugh McAllister, to report to the next Assembly. — 1870, 
pp. 28 and 31. In 1871 the Assembly adopted the following — 

Scheme of Sustentation. 

I. That all the charges throughout the Church be divided into two 
classes — "Full Pastoral Charges" and " Church Extension [or Mission) 
Charges." The former comprising such as have pastors and are suffi- 
ciently advanced to pay a salary of $500, provided only that this be 
equal to the minimum hereinafter named for the membership ; the lat- 
ter class to include all such charges as have stated supplies, and such pas- 
torates as pay less than $500 per annum of salary or less than the mini- 
mum rate per member. Only the former class are at present to come 
under the Sustentation Scheme for aid. The latter class, if needy, are to 
be under the care of the Board of Home Missions, until they are advanced 
to full pastoral charges, and are so certified by vote of Presbytery as enti- 
tled to aid under this scheme. 

This does not leave the smaller pastorates and stated supply charges 
unprovided for ; they are classed as more or less incipient and experimen- 
tal, and they are to be treated as exceptional and special. They require 
aid according to their case, sometimes even more aid for the time than 
this scheme proposes. 

The propriety of thus beginning with pastoral charges, already some- 
what developed, is : 1st. That all cannot be aided by this scheme at the 
outset. 2d. A beginning is made with those who are in regular ecclesias- 
tical relation, in hope of thus aiding to bring to an end the anomalous and 
disorderly system of stated supplies, that it may give place to the pastoral 
relation in the great majority of cases ; and 3d. This will encourage new 
churches to spring up in prospect of such help as they advance. 

II. The aim of this Sustentation Scheme shall be to make the minimum 
of salary in the full pastoral charges $1000 per annum. At present the 
annual value of the manse shall be included in this, but ultimately, and 
so soon as possible, $1000 in money shall be the minimum, it being always 



of missions. 453 

understood that the pastor shall be wholly employed in his work, and that 
no grant shall be made without the endorsement of the Presbytery. 

This is not " equalizing salaries," it is only aiming to establish a fair min- 
imum, and by the plan this is so far subject to the inspection of the Pres- 
bytery in any case that it is not granted except on the presbyterial endorse- 
ment. It is, therefore, not likely in any instance to be excessive. The 
figure is believed to be only fair. If, in some cases, a smaller sum might 
answer, because of a less numerous or less expensive household, this may 
be reserved for the Presbytery to indicate ; but who will say that it is too 
much, if a boy-clerk or average mechanic may claim as much and more ? 

But, on the other hand, much of this sustentation work is to be done 
by bringing those churches which are now delinquent up to their proper 
rate of contribution to the pastoral support. Here the Presbytery may 
lawfully insist, for every call which is presented by the hand of the Pres- 
bytery to a pastor contains an obligation to pay him a certain sum, " in 
order that he may be free from worldly cares and avocations" The sum, 
then, ought in all fairness to meet this end. The Presbytery may so re- 
quire. It is their duty to search into the transaction just at this point, 
and to demand that this admitted obligation be faithfully complied with. 
We have estimated that a moderate rate would be an average of two cents 
per day for each member of the church, or $7.30 per annum — not that 
each member should actually give this amount, but that, some more and 
some less, the membership, aided by the congregation, should contribute an 
average equal to this. This average rate from the entire membership 
would give every minister in the church a salary of one thousand dollars. 
Accordingly, it is hereby provided — 

III. That only those churches shall be at present entitled to aid from 
the Sustentation Fund who are paying the pastor an average of $7.30 per 
annum for each member. 

This is not discriminating unfairly against poor charges, for very few 
cases will be found where this rate cannot be reached with a little enlarge- 
ment of view and a little self-denial of the people. They who cannot 
reach it will come under the Board of Home Missions for aid as church 
extension charges. 

This proviso aims to screw up one very loose part of our financial 
machinery. Not a few churches are reported in our farming districts, of 
200, 300 and over of members, where the salary does not exceed $600 or 
$800, less than $3 per member, and even down to $1.50. It is believed 
that in many cases this is from sheer parsimony, while in exceptional 
cases of weak and struggling churches it is all that can at present be 
done, and such will be aided by the Home Mission Board as candidates 
for the full pastoral charge. An incentive will thus be furnished to the 
smaller churches to increase their pro rata of contribution, so as to come 
within the scope of this provision, and the liability to abuse is reduced 
to a minimum, because by the conditions (of $500 salary and $7.30 pro 
rata) those aided are the young and enterprising churches who pay the 
largest pro rata, while the aid ceases so soon as they reach 135 members. 
(We find, by calculation, that of those between $500 and $1000 salary the 
larger portion pay the largest average salary, but the smallest pro rata, 
and that the smallest membership pay the largest percentage.) 

IV. It is further provided, That each Presbytery be enjoined by the 
General Assembly, through the Synod, to investigate immediately the 
case of all churches having over 200 members who are paying less than 
$1000 salary, and that, unless good and sufficient cause can be shown for 
the lack, those churches be enjoined to raise the amount to an average 



454 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

of $7.30 per member as the fair minimum for the pastor, and that all 
cases of flagrant neglect be treated by the Presbytery as the case may be, 
reporting the same to the Synod and General Assembly. By this means 
we aim to make the churches self-sustaining as rapidly as possible. 

A case may be mentioned which we would fain believe is rare in our 
Church : a membership of 200, owning forty first-class farms, promising 
only $625 salary, and pretending actually to pay only $400 or $500 of 
this, and at the time of reporting to your Committee not a cent of the 
salary had been paid for 1870, and part of 1869 was yet unpaid, and this 
not on the frontier, but in one of our old States. 

And whereas it is believed that much of the deficiency in funds comes 
from a failure to Presbyterianize and popularize our finances with a view 
to enlisting all the people ; therefore, 

V. It is provided, That every church session, as a condition of aid from 
this scheme, shall in co-operation with the trustees or other representatives 
of the congregation appoint a Committee, who shall institute and carry 
out a plan of weekly or monthly contribution to this object and to all the 
Boards of the Church, so as to present to every member of the church 
and congregation the opportunity of such stated contribution, according 
to the apostolic order (1 Cor. xvi. 2) ; that so every church seeking aid may 
give every reasonable assurance of self-aid, as an ordinance of worship in 
the way of God's appointment, and according as it has gone well with them. 

VI. That in like manner not only such churches as are aided by this 
scheme, but every church session, be required by the General Assembly to 
set on foot forthwith and earnestly to prosecute a plan that shall extend 
to every member of the congregation an opportunity of contributing to 
this cause (and to all the Boards of the Church), either by the envelope 
system or by collectors reaching each in person, and that the Presbyteries 
be enjoined to see to it that this requirement is complied with. 

Many of our churches give nothing to our great schemes of beneficence. 
Many in our best churches are not reached by the ordinary method. It is 
the plain duty of the officers to afford to each worshiper the opportunity 
to contribute, and every church has a right to this means of education and 
cultivation in the divine life; and then the mites are mighty. " The power 
of the littles" as Chalmers pleaded for it, wrought such distinguished suc- 
cess for his church schemes. 

VII. To cultivate the principle of ministerial fraternity and sympathy, 
that each pastor shall aim to secure from his people an amount equal to 
at least one-twentieth (and rather one-tenth) of his own salary annually 
toward supplementing the salaries under this scheme. 

VIII. That each church be required to report through the Presbytery 
to the General Assembly the pastor's salary actually paid by them for the 
year, and any arrearage if there be any, and that this be published in a 
separate column of the Assembly's minutes year by year. 

This is regarded as of great importance, in order thus to lay bare the 
whole subject to the eyes of the Church at large and of the individual 
churches; that thus each church may compare what they are doing with 
the membership and with the average of other churches, so that the delin- 
quent may be stimulated by such needful statistics to a higher aim. 

IX. That each Presbytery shall appoint one efficient member, whose 
duty it shall be to examine every application for aid under this scheme, 
and to report to the Presbytery full information as to the prospects of the 
church for usefulness and growth, and as to the possibility of consolidation 
or association with a neighboring church, and as to the amount of self- 
help, with other conditions, entitling it to aid under this scheme ; also to 



OF MISSIONS. 455 

receive moneys from the churches of the Presbytery, and to remit monthly 
to the Central Sustentation Committee. 

X. That a Central Committee of Seven be annually appointed by the 
General Assembly to supervise this work, having a secretary, appointed 
by the Assembly, to conduct the operations, to keep accounts with the 
presbyterial treasurers of sustentation, and every way and by all means to 
further the great object in view. — 1871, pp. 564-567. 

Kev. Melanchthon W. Jacobus, D. D., LL.D., was elected secretary of 
the Committee on Sustentation. — ib., 587. 

IX. COMMITTEE ON BENEVOLENCE AND FINANCE. 

The Committee was established by the Assembly of 1871, p. 551, and a 
plan of proceeding adopted. In 1872 the Assembly — 

Resolved, 1. That in order to the systematizing and developing of the 
liberality of our people and fostering the aggressive interests of our Church 
in accomplishing the work assigned us in the providence of God, there 
shall be a Committee on Benevolence and Finance, which shall consist of 
fifteen members, composed largely of business-men of acknowledged skill 
in the management of financial affairs. It shall be located in the city of 
New York, and it shall be its duty to use all proper means to promote 
throughout the Church the regular and systematic consecration of prop- 
erty to the Lord, and to superintend the collection of funds for the whole 
benevolent work of the Church, the contributions to be sent either directly 
to the treasurers of the several Boards and Committees of the Church or 
to this Committee for distribution, according to the direction of contribu- 
tors, which distribution shall be at least monthly. The treasurer of the 
Board of Home Missions is designated as the treasurer of this Committee. 

Resolved, 2. It shall receive regular monthly statements of their receipts 
from all the Boards of the Church, that the financial condition of these 
Boards, as well as the actual benevolence of each congregation, may be at 
all times before the Committee. 

Resolved, 3. The expenses of said Committee shall not be a charge upon 
any funds, unless expressly given for this purpose. 

Resolved, 4. The Assembly enjoin upon all the churches the practice of 
periodical giving to all causes recommended by the General Assembly, ac- 
cording to the principles commended in the word of God. 

Resolved, 5. In order to carry out this plan, the General Assembly en- 
join upon every Presbytery to appoint a Standing Committee on the be- 
nevolent work of the Church, of which the stated clerk shall be secretary. 
It shall be the duty of this Committee to use all means in its power to 
have brought before all the congregations in the Presbytery the plans that 
may be recommended for securing contributions, and to give each pastor 
and session information of the wants of the various objects and what is 
expected of each congregation. Every Presbytery is required to question 
each pastor, stated supply and elder present, at every stated meeting in the 
spring and fall, whether the directions and recommendations on this sub- 
ject have been complied with, recording the answers on the minutes. 

Resolved, 6. At least as often as once every six months these Standing 
Committees shall report to the Committee on Benevolence and Finance, 
so far as they can, in relation to the different objects for which contribu- 
tions have been made by the churches within the limits of their respective 
Presbyteries, with the amount contributed for each, together with such 
other information as to the general benevolent work of their churches 
and Presbyteries as shall seem necessary, or shall be called for by the 
Committee. 



456 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

Resolved, 7. No church not complying with the directions of the Assem- 
bly to make collections for the several Boards shall receive aid from the 
funds of the Church.— 1872, p. 39. 

X. TRUSTEES OF THE PRESBYTERIAN HOUSE. 

For the history of successive steps which led to the appointment of 
the Board, see New Digest, p. 404. In 1854 the Assembly directed the 
trustees to obtain a charter from the Legislature, which is as follows, 
viz.: 

AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE TRUSTEES OF THE PRESBYTE- 
RIAN HOUSE. 

Whereas, The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States 
of America which held its sessions in the First Presbyterian Church, on Washington 
Square, in the city of Philadelphia, in May, Anno Domini one thousand eight hun- 
dred and fifty-four, did appoint John A. Brown, Samuel H. Perkins, Charles S. Wurts, 
Matthias W. Baldwin and John C. Farr, trustees of the Presbyterian Publication 
House, and recommended that the said Board obtain an act of incorporation under 
the laws of this State, and that the said act should contain a general provision, author- 
izing the said trustees to hold in trust for said Assembly any property committed to 
them by donations, bequests or otherwise ; 

And whereas, Several gentlemen in the city of Philadelphia, feeling the necessity 
of some suitable place for the business of the societies and churches connected with 
the said Assembly, purchased a property for that purpose which they are desirous 
of conveying to the said trustees ; 

And whereas, The said trustees will labor under serious disadvantages as to receiv- 
ing and holding the title of said property, as well as any that may be committed to 
them by donations, bequests or otherwise in trust for said Assembly ; therefore, 

Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, 
That John A. Brown, Samuel H. Perkins, Charles S. Wurts, Matthias W. Baldwin 
and John C. Farr, citizens of the United States and of this Commonwealth, and their 
successors, are hereby constituted and declared to be a body politic and corporate by 
the name of " The Trustees of the Presbyterian House," and as such shall have per- 
petual succession, and be able to sue and be sued, and to purchase and receive, take 
and hold, to them and their successors for ever, lands, tenements and hereditaments, 
goods, money and chattels, and all kinds of property and estate, which may be de- 
vised or bequeathed or given to them, or to said Assembly for them, and the same to 
sell, alien, demise and convey, also to make a common seal, and the same to alter and 
renew at their pleasure, and also to make such rules, by-laws and ordinances as may 
be needful for the government of said corporation, and not inconsistent with the Con- 
stitution and laws of the United States and of this State: Provided always, That the 
clear yearly income of the real estate held by the said corporation shall not at any 
time exceed the sum of five thousand dollars. 

Sec. 2. That the trustees above named shall hold their office till the first day of 
June, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, and until their suc- 
cessors are duly qualified to take their places, who shall be chosen by the said Assem- 
bly and their successors, who may at any annual meeting increase the number of said 
trustees to ten, if, in their judgment, the interest of the churches under their care re- 
quire it. 

Sec 3. That the said Assembly and their successors shall, at their annual meeting 
in each and every year, wherever held, elect at least five trustees, who shall hold 
their office for one year, and until their successors are elected and qualified ; Provided, 
That the said corporators shall be citizens of Pennsylvania. 

Sec. 4. That the trustees hereby incorporated, and their successors, shall, subject to 
the direction of the said Assembly and their successors, have full power to manage all 
funds, property and effects committed to their care by gift, purchase, bequest or other- 
wise, and to execute any trusts confided to them by the said General Assembly or 
their successors, in such manner as shall be deemed most advantageous, and not con- 
trary to law or the intention of the donor or testator. 

Sec 5. That the Act entitled " An Act to incorporate the Trustees of the Constitu- 
tional Presbyterian Publication House," approved the thirteenth day of April, Anno 



of missions. 457 

Domini one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, be and the same is hereby re- 
pealed. 

HENRY K. STRONG, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
WM. M. H1ESTER, 
Speaker of the Senate. 

2. The Charter Accepted. — Duties and Powers of the Trustees. 

Whereas, The Legislature of the State of Pennsylvania, by an Act ap- 
proved by the governor, April 21, 1855, incorporated "The Trustees of 
the Presbyterian House," in Philadelphia, who are by said Act to be 
elected by this body ; therefore, 

Resolved, By the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America : 1. That the said charter be and the same is 
hereby accepted, and that the trustees created by said Act of incorpora- 
tion be directed to perform all the duties required by their appointment. 

Resolved, 2. That the said trustees be directed to give such official noti- 
fication to the proper authorities of the State of Pennsylvania, as may be 
necessary, of the acceptance of the charter by the General Assembly. 

Resolved, 3. That the Assembly do now elect ten trustees under this 
charter, five of whom shall be ministers and five laymen, all of whom 
shall be connected with some Presbytery or church under the care of the 
General Assembly. 

Resolved, 4. That the first meeting of the trustees shall be at such time 
and place as shall be fixed by the trustee first elected, or in case of his 
inability to act, the trustee next elected, who shall act as chairman, until 
the Board is constituted by the election of a President and Secretary. 

Resolved, 5. That the trustees, at their first meeting, be directed to divide 
themselves into two portions, and in such manner that there shall always 
be in the Board five ministers and five laymen. 

Resolved, 6. That in electing these trustees a nomination shall be made 
in the Assembly, and that the election shall be by ballot, on the day fol- 
lowing that on which the nomination is made. 

Resolved, 7. That these trustees be directed to keep an accurate record 
of all their proceedings, and report the same annually to the Assembly. 

Resolved, 8. That these trustees be directed to take such measures for 
raising the amount pledged by the last Assembly for the purchase of the 
"Presbyterian House" as they may deem expedient and proper. — 1855, 
p. 26, NT. S. 

Quorum of the Board of Trustees. 

The Assembly decides that five members of the trustees shall be a quo- 
rum for the transaction of business. — 1864, p. 487. 

Legal Title to the House secured through the Liberality of John A. Brown. 

Resolved, That the General Assembly notice with pleasure the manifes- 
tation of promptness and liberality in the President of the Board of Trus- 
tees of the Presbyterian House, John A. Brown, Esq., of Philadelphia, 
who by a munificent donation has secured to the trustees the legal title 
of the Presbyterian House. — 1857, p. 410, N. S. 

3. The Trustees to Act as the Corporators of the Publication Com- 
mittee. 
Resolved, By the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the 

58 



458 FOEM OF GOVERNMENT. 

United States of America that " The Trustees of the Presbyterian House" 
be, and they hereby are, authorized and directed to act in their corpo- 
rate capacity as trustees of the Permanent Committee of this Assembly, 
called " The Presbyterian Publication Committee," as fully and in the 
same manner as if "The Presbyterian Publication Committee" were 
themselves constituted a corporation by the same authority which incor- 
porated " The Trustees of the Presbyterian House."— 1857, p. 410, N. S. 

4. Declaration of Trust.— The House held for the Publication 

Committee. 

The Presbyterian Publication Committee respectfully present to the 
General Assembly the following overture : 

Whereas, The General Assembly of 1854 authorized the acceptance of 
the property Nos. 1334 and 1336 Chestnut street, Philadelphia, upon 
certain conditions which have since been complied with, and the legal 
title to said property was accordingly on the fourth day of February, 
1859, vested for the Assembly in "The Trustees of the Presbyterian 
House," but no trust has ever been declared of the same; and 

Whereas, In view of all the circumstances attending the acquisition of 
said property, and the purposes for which it was designed, it is desirable 
that the General Assembly should declare the trust upon which the said 
property is and shall be held. The Presbyterian Publication Committee 
overture the Assembly to adopt the following Resolutions and Declaration 
of Trust : 

Whereas, Among other trusts, the legal title of the property Nos. 1334 
and 1336 Chestnut street, Philadelphia, is held for the Assembly by the 
"Trustees of the Presbyterian House," but no trust has ever been declared 
of the same, and circumstances render it expedient and desirable that the 
trusts upon which said property is and shall be held should be formally 
declared ; and 

Whereas, The trustees of the Presbyterian House did, by resolution 
adopted March 27, 1863, express their desire that the Publication Com- 
mittee should ask the Assembly for a formal declaration that the property 
Nos. 1334 and 1336 Chestnut street, Philadelphia, is and shall be held by 
the trustees for the use and benefit of the Publication Committee ; there- 
fore, 

Resolved, 1st, That the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church 
in the United States of America do hereby declare that the property Nos. 
1334 and 1336 Chestnut street, Philadelphia, is and shall be held by the 
trustees of the Presbyterian House to, for and upon the following uses, 
intents and purposes ; that is to say : In trust to permit and sutler the 
Presbyterian Publication Committee, subject to the said General Assem- 
bly and their successors, to let and demise, use, occupy and enjoy the said 
property and every part thereof; to receive and take the rents and income 
thereof, they paying all the taxes and ground-rent thereon, and all proper 
and necessary repairs, and other expenses and charges thereon ; and that 
the said trustees shall have power, at the request of the said Publication 
Committee, to mortgage and improve the said property, or any part 
thereof; 

Resolved, 2d. That the trustees of the Presbyterian House be, and they 
hereby are, directed to execute under their corporate seal, and deliver to 
the said Publication Committee, such deed or deeds of declaration of 
trust for the purpose aforesaid, with all such powers, authorities, limita- 
tions and provisions as shall be settled and advised by a Committee of 



OF MISSIONS. 459 

three legal gentlemen, to be appointed by the Assembly, to be requisite 
and necessary for the fully carrying into eifect these resolutions. 

JOHN W. DULLES, 
Secretary of the Pres. Publication Committee. 
Philadelphia, May, 26, 1863. 

The Committee recommend the adoption of the overture, and the ap- 
pointment of Samuel H. Perkins, Esq., Samuel C. Perkins, Esq., and Hon. 
Joseph Allison as the Committee of legal gentlemen referred to in the last 
resolution. 

The report was adopted.— 1863, p. 274, K S. 

The trustees report further that, in accordance with the direction of the 
last General Assembly, they have executed under their corporate seal, and 
have delivered to the Presbyterian Publication Committee, the deed of 
declaration of trust prescribed by the Assembly. — 1864, p. 539, N. S. 

5. Title Executed to the Board of Publication. 

The trustees further report that, in accordance with the direction of the 
last General Assembly, they have conveyed to "the Trustees of the Pres- 
byterian Board of Publication" the house and lot Nos. 1334 and 1336 
Chestnut street.— 1871, p. 671. 

6. Trusts Transferred. — Ministerial Relief Fund. 

The trustees report that, in accordance with the commitment by the 
last General Assembly of the management of the Ministerial Relief 
Fund to the trustees of the General Assembly, they have discharged the 
Executive Committee of the Ministerial Relief Fund Agency, and have 
directed the treasurer of said Committee to pay to the treasurer of " the 
Relief Fund for Disabled Ministers and the Widows and Orphans of De- 
ceased Ministers" the funds belonging to the Ministerial Relief Fund. 
They have also directed their own treasurer to pay to the treasurer of the 
Relief Fund the interest which from time to time shall accrue from the 
Permanent Fund.— 1871. p. 671. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

OF MODERATORS. 



I. It is equally necessary in the judicatories of the Church, as in 
other Assemblies, that there should be a moderator or president, that 
the business may be conducted with order and despatch. 

II. The moderator is to be considered as possessing, by delegation 
from the whole body, all authority necessary for the preservation of 
order, for convening and adjourning the judicatory, and directing its 
operations according to the rules of the Church. Pie is to propose 
to the judicatory every subject of deliberation that comes before them. 
He may propose what appears to him the most regular and speedy 
way of bringing any business to issue. He shall prevent the mem- 



460 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

bers from interrupting each other, and require them, in speaking, al- 
ways to address the chair. He shall prevent a speaker from deviating 
from the subject, and from using personal reflections. He shall si- 
lence those who refuse to obey order. He shall prevent members who 
attempt to leave the judicatory without leave obtained from him. He 
shall at a proper season, when the deliberations are ended, put the 
question and call the votes. If the judicatory be equally divided, he 
shall possess the casting vote. If he be not willing to decide, he shall 
put the question a second time ; and if the judicatory be again equally 
divided, and he decline to give his vote, the question shall be lost. In 
all questions he shall give a concise and clear state of the object of 
the vote ; and the vote being taken, shall then declare how the ques- 
tion is decided. And he shall likewise be empowered, on any extra- 
ordinary emergency, to convene the judicatory, by his circular letter, 
before the ordinary time of meeting. 

The Moderator not Necessarily a Member of the Judicatory. 

The moderator and clerk are ministerial officers of the judicatory. In 
respect of their office, they are servants merely, and not members, of the 
body. 

Nor does the Constitution, explicitly at least, require the moderator to 
be chosen from the members of the judicatory. It does, indeed, prescribe 
(chap, xix., sec. ii.) that in a certain contingency " he shall possess the 
casting vote." And as voting is the act of a member, the implication 
seems to offer itself that the moderator himself must be a member. But 
against this implication some other facts of the Constitution may be cited. 
Thus (Form of Government, chap, ix., sec. iii.) there is the provision for 
inviting, in certain contingencies, a minister to moderate the church ses- 
sion who is not the pastor of the church, and of course not a member of 
the session; while the general law of " Moderators " (chap, xix.) gives him 
the casting vote. Then, again, the " Form of Government," chap, xii., 
sec. vii., prescribes, concerning the General Assembly, that "the moder- 
ator of the last Assembly, if present, or in case of his absence some other 
minister, shall preside until a new moderator be chosen." Under this pro- 
vision it is not necessary that the minister called to preside in the Assem- 
bly should himself be in commission. — New Digest, p. 173. 

It may be said that this is merely for organization. True; but the 
whole principle seems to be involved. For the time being one not a mem- 
ber of the Assembly is its moderator, and as such has a casting vote on 
the numberless issues which may be raised between the formation of the 
roll and the choice of a new moderator ; and in the former case, pertain- 
ing to church sessions, no such limitation for mere organization exists. 

Hence these two points are clearly recognized : 1st. That it is not essen- 
tial to the idea of a moderator that he be a member ; 2d. That the privi- 
lege of a casting vote does not necessarily imply membership. — 1861, pp. 
457, 458, N. S. 

[The moderator has none other than the casting vote, see xii., sec. i., 7. 
For general principles as to moderators, see Rules for Judicatories ; also, 
Form of Government, chap, xii., i., above.] 

III. The moderator of the Presbytery shall be chosen from year to. 



OF CLERKS. 461 

year, or at every meeting of the Presbytery, as the Presbytery may 
think best. The moderator of the Synod and of the General Assem- 
bly shall be chosen at each meeting of those judicatories, and the 
moderator, or, in case of his absence, another member appointed for 
the purpose, shall open the next meeting with a sermon, and shall 
hold the chair till a new moderator be chosen. 



CHAPTER XX. 
OF CLERKS. 



Every judicatory shall choose a clerk to record their transactions, 
whose continuance shall be during pleasure. It shall be the duty of 
the clerk, besides recording the transactions, to preserve the records 
carefully, and to grant extracts from them, whenever properly re- 
quired; and such extracts under the hand of the clerk shall be consid- 
ered as authentic vouchers of the fact which they declare, in any ec- 
clesiastical judicatory, and to every part of the Church. 

The Clerk not Necessarily a Member of the Judicatory. 

The moderator and clerk are ministerial officers of the judicatory. In 
respect of their office, they are servants merely, and not members, of the 
body. 

Of the clerk this would seem to be unquestionably true. The Constitu- 
tion knows nothing of the temporary clerk, as distinguished from the stated 
clerk. As far as any provision of the "Book" is involved, it is plain that 
a judicatory may select any convenient person, though not a member, to 
record its transactions and discharge all other duties pertaining to a clerk. 
For the part of those duties usually devolving upon a temporary clerk, we 
believe it is no infrequent thing for a Presbytery to employ a licentiate or 
other person not a member of the body. — 1861, p. 457, N. S. 

See under chap, xii., sec. i., 10, for sundry acts relating to clerks. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



OF VACANT CONGREGATIONS ASSEMBLING FOR PUBLIC 

WORSHIP. 

Considering- the great importance of weekly assembling of the 
people for the public worship of God, in order thereby to improve 
their knowledge, to confirm their habits of worship and their desire 
of the public ordinances, to augment their reverence for the most high 
God, and to promote the charitable affections which unite men most 
firmly in society, it is recommended that every vacant congregation 



462 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

meet together on the Lord's day at one or more places, for the purpose 
of prayer, singing praises and reading the Holy Scriptures, together 
with the works of such approved divines as the Presbytery, within 
whose bounds they are, may recommend, and they may be able to 
procure; and that the elders or deacons be the persons who shall pre- 
side and select the portions of Scripture, and of the other books to be 
read ; and to see that the whole be conducted in a becoming and or- 
derly manner. 

1. Vacant Congregations to Meet for Worship on the Lord's Day. 

In consequence of an overture which was brought in, the Synod earn- 
estly recommend to all vacant congregations under their care to meet to- 
gether every Lord's day, at one or more places, for the purpose of prayer 
and praise and reading the holy Scriptures, together with the works of 
such approved divines as they may be able to procure, and that the elders 
be the persons who shall pray and select the portions of Scripture and 
other books, to be read by any proper person whom they may appoint. — 
1786, p. 526. 

2. Elders of Vacant Congregations should be Interrogated as to 

the Observance of the Rule. 

An overture from the Presbytery of Mississippi requesting the General 
Assembly to recommend to the Board of Publication to issue suitable 
books of sermons and helps for devotion, to be used by vacant congrega- 
tions, and to inquire whether ruling elders representing such congregations 
should be interrogated concerning the observance of the recommendation 
contained in chap. xxi. of the Form of Government. 

Answered affirmatively. — 1847, p. 401, O. S. 

3. Right of Ruling Elders, in the Absence of the Pastor, to Ex- 

plain the Scriptures and to Exhort. 

The records of the Synod of Mississippi approved, except "that on page 
10 of these minutes Synod takes exception to the minutes of the Lou- 
isiana Presbytery, because that Presbytery considered it not inconsistent 
with the principles of our Church for ruling elders, in the absence of the 
pastor, to read the Scriptures and explain them, and to endeavor to en- 
force the truth upon the conscience by suitable exhortations. The Assem- 
bly believe the Presbytery of Louisiana was right according to chap. xxi. 
of our Form of Government." — 1856, p. 538, O. S. 

[Next year the Assembly refused to modify the above. — 1857, p. 41.] 



CHAPTER XXII. 

OF COMMISSIONERS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 

I. The commissioners to the General Assembly shall always be 
appointed by the Presbytery from which they come, at its last stated 
meeting immediately preceding the meeting of the General Assembly, 
provided that there be a sufficient interval between that time and the 



OF COMMISSIOXEES TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 463 

meeting of the Assembly for the commissioners to attend to their 
duty in due season ; otherwise the Presbytery may make the appoint- 
ment at any stated meeting, not more than seven months preceding 
the meeting of the Assembly. And as much as possible to prevent all 
failure in the representation of the Presbyteries, arising from unfore- 
seen accidents to those first appointed, it may be expedient for each 
Presbytery, in the room of each commissioner, to appoint also an alter- 
nate commissioner to supply his place, in case of necessary absence. 

1. The Rule not Enforced in case of Missionary Presbyteries. 

a. The Committee on Elections reported that Eev. James W. Moore had 
been nominated or selected by the Presbytery of Arkansas at their meet- 
ing in last September, but that the Presbytery had been prevented by high 
waters from meeting since then, and consequently there could be no 
election. On motion, Mr. Moore was admitted to a seat. — 1846, p. 197, 
O. S. 

b. In reply to a protest on this case, the Assembly says : " The member 
admitted to a seat represents a body occupying the remote confines of our 
ecclesiastical territory — a body whose delegates must travel fifteen hun- 
dred miles to reach the usual place of meeting of the General Assembly; 
a body too whose meetings are liable to be interrupted by insurmountable 
difficulties, and in whom a technical irregularity, occasioned by such dif- 
ficulties, may justly plead exemption from a rigorous application of the 
letter of the law. To exclude from a participation in the privileges of 
this body one who had surmounted so many and such formidable obsta- 
cles to reach our place of meeting because of an informality in his title, 
which does not, as this Assembly judges, violate the spirit of the Consti- 
tution, would be to subject a zealous and self-denying minister and a whole 
Presbytery to a serious grievance, and to discourage the zeal of those who 
of all others most need our sympathy and fostering care." — 1846, p. 215, 
O. S. 

c. A reference to the Minutes of the General Assembly of 1844 will 
show that the Rev. William S. Rogers, a commissioner from the Presby- 
tery of Lodiana, in Northern India, was admitted without scruple to a 
seat in that body, though it is evident that his appointment must have 
been made beyond the limits of time prescribed by the Constitution. The 
peculiar circumstances of the case no doubt influenced, and we believe 
authorized, that Assembly to act as they did in the premises. — 1846, p. 
214, O. S. 

d. Mr. Joseph B. Junkin, ruling elder of the Presbytery of the Creek 
Nation, produces such evidence that it is the desire of his Presbytery that 
he should represent it as a commissioner in this Assembly, that, consider- 
ing the remote situation of the Presbytery, the difficulty of his position, 
and the whole bearing of the case, Mr. Junkin may be safely allowed to 
take his seat, without the Assembly thereby establishing any precedent to 
operate beyond the immediate case. The Committee is therefore of opin- 
ion that, though he was not regularly elected, he ought to be allowed to 
take his seat as a member of the body. — 1853, p. 426, O. S. 

e. In the following case it appeared from the evidence that the brethren 
of the mission designed to make the appointment. No communication, 
however, had been received from them since the meeting of the Pres- 
bytery. 



464 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

The Rev. J. L. Scott, missionary in Northern India, being present from 
the Presbytery of Furrukhabad without a commission, but with evidence 
of having been duly appointed, was, on motion of Dr. R. J. Breckenridge, 
from the Committee on Elections, admitted to a seat, and regularly en- 
rolled.— 1853, p. 430, O. S. 

2. No Election through Presbytery Failing to Meet. 

a. The Committee on Elections further reported, in the case of Mr. Da- 
vid M. Smith, that it appeared to their satisfaction that the Presbytery of 
Columbia failed to form a quorum at the time at which their stated 
spring meeting should have been held according to adjournment; that 
there were present two ministers and ruling elders from a majority of the 
churches, the Presbytery consisting only of five ministers ; that those pres- 
ent requested that the Assembly would receive Mr. Smith as a commis- 
sioner from their Presbytery, in which request two of the absent members 
have expressed their concurrence in writing ; and that it is believed that 
the appointment of Mr. Smith would have been unanimous had the Pres- 
bytery formed a quorum ; and further, that the Committee are divided 
upon the question whether, under these circumstances, Mr. Smith ought 
or ought not to be admitted to a seat. It was moved that Mr. Smith be 
admitted to a seat. After debate the question was decided in the nega- 
tive.— 1843, p. 171, O. S. 

b. The same Committee also reported that Hamilton Smith, a ruling 
elder from the Presbytery of Upper Missouri, had appeared without a 
commission, but with a written request from several ministers and ruling 
elders of that Presbytery, which had been able to secure no quorum for 
two years past, that he be allowed to sit as commissioner. Admitted. — 
1865, p. 538, O. S. 

c. The Rev. L. M. Miller, D. D., Chairman of the Committee on Elec- 
tions, presented the following report, which was adopted, and the Rev. 
George W. Chamberlain was ordered to be enrolled : 

The Committee on Elections would report that the Rev. George W. 
Chamberlain, of the Presbytery of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is present with- 
out a commission. Mr. Chamberlain asks admission to the Assembly on 
this ground : He was appointed a commissioner regularly to the Assem- 
bly of last year, and attended. He has remained in this country ever 
since, doing work in behalf of his mission in that country. Only three 
ministers belonging to that Presbytery remained in Brazil. A meeting 
was appointed in which it was intended to recommission Mr. Chamber- 
lain. Just previous to the time indicated, the Rev. Mr. Simonton, one of 
the Presbyters, died, and thus prevented organization. The members re- 
maining desire that he may be permitted to represent that Presbytery in 
this Assembly. The only principle which bears upon the case is found in 
the Digest on page 286, sec. 129. The Committee recommends that the 
Assembly act upon the question of his admission without discussion. — 
1868, p. 620, O. S. 

d. That Rev. Ira M. Condit, of the Presbytery of Canton, is bearer of 
an informal appointment, signed by all the members of Presbytery who 
were in Canton at the time; when, however, a quorum could not be as- 
sembled on account of the absence of several members in this country. 

He was admitted to a seat.— 1869, p. 890, O. S. 



OF COMMISSIONERS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 465 

3. Commissioners should Attend to the Close of the Session. — 
Presbyteries to Call their Commissioners to Account. 

. a. Whereas, Many members of the General Assembly are, from year to 
year, in the habit of asking leave of absence long before its sessions are 
closed ; and whereas, in receiving and acting upon these applications, 
much of the time of the Assembly is consumed, and much of the most 
important business has to be transacted by few members ; therefore, 

Resolved, 1. That the Presbyteries be directed to pay particular atten- 
tion to the following minute, found in vol. i., p. 308, of Printed Extracts, 
and also in Digest, p. 76, viz. : " The Presbyteries are informed that their 
commissioners should attend with the expectation that the sessions will 
be of two weeks' continuance, and that arrangements should be made ac- 
cordingly. 

Resolved, 2. That it be recommended to the Presbyteries to inform their 
commissioners, when they accept an appointment, that it is expected they 
will continue in the Assembly until the close of its sessions, unless some 
unforeseen and imperious reason should require them to ask leave of ab- 
sence. 

Resolved, 3. That each Presbytery require their commissioners to report 
whether they attended the sessions of the Assembly the whole time, and 
that the report of the commissioners on this subject be recorded on the 
minutes of the Presbytery. — 1824, p. 119. 

b. The Committee on Leave of Absence beg leave to submit to the Gen- 
eral Assembly that, whereas it both fulfills the requirements of our ex- 
cellent Church polity, and facilitates the business of the Assembly, and 
also should be regarded as both a duty and a privilege, for elders as well 
as ministers to attend its sessions ; therefore be it 

Resolved, That elders and ministers who from time to time may repre- 
sent the Presbyteries in General Assembly be earnestly requested to ar- 
range their business, as far as possible, before leaving home, that they may 
remain to the end of its sessions, and thus fulfill their high commissions, 
and enjoy the valued privileges as members of the highest judicatory of 
our Church. 

The resolution was adopted. — 1862, p. 38, N. S. 

c. On the recommendation of the Standing Committee on Leave of Ab- 
sence, it was — 

Resolved, That the General Assembly earnestly recommend to its Pres- 
byteries, as far as possible, the appointment as commissioners of those 
only who are able and willing to remain to the close of its sessions, to the 
end that all the work of the Assembly may be performed by all its mem- 
bers.— 1867, p. 499, N. S. 

[See under Form of Government, chap, xii., sec. ii.] 

4. Commissioners from New Presbyteries. 

a. The Committee to which was referred an overture on the subject of 
admitting commissioners from newly-formed Presbyteries to seats in this 
house reported the following resolutions, which were adopted, viz.: 

1. Resolved, That it be adopted as a standing rule of this house that 
commissioners from newly-formed Presbyteries shall, before taking their 
seats as members of this body, produce satisfactory evidence that the Pres- 
byteries to which they belong have been regularly organized according to 
the Constitution of the Church, and are in connection with the General 
Assembly. 

2. Resolved, also, That such commissioners shall be entitled to furnish 

5» 



466 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

the evidence required in the foregoing resolution before the house shall 
proceed to the choice of a moderator. — 1822, p. 48. 

b. Resolved, 1. That no commissioner from a newly-formed Presbytery 
shall be permitted to take his seat, nor shall such commissioner be re- 
ported by the Committee on Commissions, until the Presbytery shall have 
been duly reported by the Synod and recognized as such by the Assembly, 
and that the same rule apply when the name of any Presbytery has been 
changed. 

2. When it shall appear to the satisfaction of the General Assembly 
that any new Presbytery has been formed for the purpose of unduly in- 
creasing the representation, the General Assembly will, by a vote of the 
majority, refuse to receive the delegates of Presbyteries so formed, and 
may direct the Synod to which such Presbytery belongs to reunite it to 
the Presbytery or Presbyteries to which the members were before attached. 
—1837, p. 446. 

5. Commissioners not Ruling Elders under the Plan of Union. 

[Under the "Plan of Union" in several cases members of "Standing 
Committees" not ordained elders were admitted as commissioners to the 
Assembly.— 1820, pp. 721-724; 1826, pp. 164, 178, 181; 1831, p. 318. 
Growing out of the last case was the following :] 

Resolved, That in the opinion of the General Assembly the appointment 
by some Presbyteries, as has occurred in a few cases, of members of Stand- 
ing Committees to be members of the General Assembly, is inexpedient 
and of questionable constitutionality, and therefore ought not in future to 
be made. 

The yeas and nays on this resolution were taken and required to be re- 
corded, and are as follows, viz., yeas 81, nays 54. — 1831, p. 338. 

The next year the commissions of two "members of Standing Commit- 
tees, instead of ruling elders, from the Presbytery of Grand River," were 
referred to the Committee on Commissions, and by it reported to the As- 
sembly as withdrawn by the person presenting them. — 1832, pp. 354-356. 

The Committee also reported that Mr. Erastus Upson, a Standing Com- 
mittee-man from the Presbytery of Oswego, had been appointed a member 
of this body. A motion was made to refer this case to the Committee on 
Elections, which was negatived. 

It was then resolved that Mr. Upson have leave to withdraw his appli- 
cation.— 1833, p. 392. 

6. A Commissioner, having taken his Seat, may not Resign it to 
his Alternate or Principal. 

[From the origin of the General Assembly, it was frequent usage for 
the principal to resign his seat to the alternate, and vice versa. But in 
1827 the following act was adopted :] 

The Committee to whom were referred Overtures Nos. 4 and 5, contain- 
ing resolutions of the Presbyteries of Richland and Charleston Union, dis- 
approving the practice of permitting members of the General Assembly 
"at various stages of the sessions to resign their seats to others called alter- 
nates," made the following report, viz.: 

These overtures present two points of inquiry : 

1. Whether the Constitution of the Church, according to a fair inter- 
pretation, permits the practice complained of by these Presbyteries. 

2. If this practice is allowed by the Constitution, whether it is expedi- 
ent that it should be continued. 



OF COMMISSIONERS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 467 

As to the first question, trie only authority on this subject, as far as ap- 
pears to your Committee, is found in Form of Government, chap, xxii., 
sec. i., in these words: "And as much as possible to prevent all failure in 
the representation of the Presbyteries, arising from unforeseen accidents to 
those first appointed, it may be expedient for each Presbytery, in the room 
of each commissioner, to appoint also an alternate commissioner to supply 
his place in case of necessary absence." 

The first remark obviously presenting itself here is that the language 
quoted, so far from making the appointment of alternates necessary, con- 
tains nothing more than a recommendation of the measure expressed in 
very gentle terms. 

In the next place, although the terms of the article may be so inter- 
preted as to make it provide for the necessary absence of a commissioner 
at any time during the sessions of the Assembly, yet it appears most rea- 
sonable to suppose that the intention of the framers of the Constitution 
was to provide for those unforeseen events which might altogether pre- 
vent the attendance of the primary commissioners. For it is not at all 
probable that wise men, in drawing up a Constitution for a Church judi- 
cature of the highest dignity, whose business is often both very important 
and extremely difficult, would provide for a change in the members of 
the court after it should be constituted and become deeply engaged in 
the transaction of weighty affairs and the investigation of certain perplex- 
ing questions. A measure of this kind is, the Committee believe, without 
example, and therefore the construction which would support it is thought 
to be erroneous. 

If in this case the Committee have judged correctly, they are much 
more confident in the remarks that the Constitution does not justify the 
practice, now very common, of the arrangements for convenience made by 
the primary commissioner and his alternate, according to which the one 
or the other, as the case may be, takes his seat for a few days in the As- 
sembly, resigns it, and goes to his secular business. 

But, secondly, if it should be determined that the Constitution permits 
these changes in some instances, the Committee are constrained to believe 
that the practice is, on the whole, entirely inexpedient — 

1. Because it creates dissatisfaction among many brethren, as well 
those who have complained of it as others who have held their peace. 

2. It gives an invidious advantage to the neighboring Presbyteries over 
those which are remote. 

3. It may be the occasion of a number of abuses against which the As- 
sembly ought to guard, but which the Committee do not think it needful 
to specify. 

4. But, chiefly, it often embarrasses and retards the proceedings of the 
Assembly, because members of Committees resign to alternates before the 
Committees to which they belonged have finished their business or received 
.a discharge from the house ; because new members coming into the As- 
sembly in the midst of business often cannot possibly understand it suffi- 
ciently to decide on it wisely, and because speeches made in relation to 
matters imperfectly understood often shed darkness and throw perplexity 
over them, and thus very much time is wasted in discussions which profit 
nothing. 

Finally, the practice is thought to be derogatory to the dignity and 
usefulness of the General Assembly. For these reasons the Committee 
recommend the adoption of the following resolution : 

Resolved, That in the judgment of this General Assembly the construc- 
tion of the Constitution, Form of Government, chap, xxii., sec. i., which 



468 FOBM OF GOVERNMENT. 

allows commissioners, after holding their seats for a time, to resign them 
to their alternates, or which allows alternates to sit for a while and then 
resign their places to their principals, is erroneous ; that the practice grow- 
ing out of this construction is inexpedient, and that it ought to be discon- 
tinued. 

The above report was accepted, and the resolution with which it closes 
was adopted.— 1827, p. 209, 210. See 1872, p. 68, above, chap, ix., sec. 
vi. } 9. 

7. Rule Dispensed -with under Peculiar Circumstances. 

a. Rev. Jacob D. Mitchell informed the Assembly that, as the alternate 
named in the commission from West Hanover, his principal, Rev. James 
Wharey, not being present, he had at the commencement of the Assembly 
taken his seat as a member, and that Mr. Wharey had now arrived, hav- 
ing been detained in the providence of God. Mr. Mitchell moved that 
he have leave to resign his seat in favor of Mr. Wharey. It was then 
moved and carried that, under the peculiar circumstances of the case, the 
standing rule be dispensed with, and that Mr. Wharey be admitted a 
member in the place of Mr. Mitchell. — 1836, p. 245. 

b. The Rev. Thomas P. Hunt, of the Presbytery of Luzerne, stated to 
the Assembly that, owing to peculiar circumstances, he as alternate had 
taken his seat as a member of the house, and that he wished to resign it 
to Rev. John Dorrance, the principal named in the commission. 

Resolved, That in view of the peculiar circumstances of the case which 
were stated at large by Mr. Hunt, this request be granted, and that Mr. 
Dorrance's name be inserted on the roll instead of Mr. Hunt's. — 1844, 
p. 368, O. S. See also 1847, p. 382, O. S. 

e. Alexander Swaney, minister of the Presbytery of Steubenville, hav- 
ing obtained leave of absence, his alternate, Rev. C. C. Beatty, D. D., 
was, on motion of Judge Leavitt, admitted to a seat. — 1850, p. 459. 
See 1851, p. 24, O. S. 

d. On motion of Dr. Hornblower, the name of Theodore Litle, ruling 
elder from the Presbytery of Passaic, was substituted for that of Harvey 
Law, who has occupied a seat as commissioner from that Presbytery since 
the fourth day of our session. — 1861, p. 321, O. S. 

II. Each commissioner, before his name shall be enrolled as a 
member of the Assembly, shall produce from his Presbytery a com- 
mission under the hand of the moderator and clerk, in the following 
or like form, viz. : 

The Presbytery of being met at on the 

day of doth hereby appoint bishop of the congre- 

gation of [or ruling elder in the congregation 

of , as the case may be] (to which the Presbytery may, if 

they think proper, make a substitution in the following form) ; or in 
case of his absence, then bishop of the congregation of 

[or ruling elder in the congregation of , 

as the case may be], to be a commissioner on behalf of this Presbytery 
to the next General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States of America, to meet at on the day 

of , A. D. or wherever and whenever the said As- 



OF COMMISSIONERS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 469 

sembly may happen to sit; to consult, vote and determine on all 
things that may come before that body, according to the principles 
and Constitution of this Church and the word of God. And of his 
diligence herein he is to render an account at his return. 
Signed by order of the Presbytery, 

Moderator. 

Clerk. 
And the Presbytery shall make record of the appointment. 

X Irregularities and Defects in Commissions.— Commissioner Re- 
ceived. 

a. Without a commission, but brings testimony of appointment. — 
1792, p. 48; 1793, p. 65; 1794, p. 79; 1795, p. 94; 1806, p. 347; 1816, 
p. 605; 1821, p. 7, and passim. 

b. Commission signed only by the stated clerk. — 1795, p. 94; 1830, p. 281. 

c. Not in due form.— 1828, p. 226 ; 1829, p. 254; 1858, p. 574, N. S. ; 
1852, O. S., and passim. 

d. "Wanting the date of the year of appointment. — 1831, p. 317. 

e. Wanting signature of moderator.— 1831, p. 317 ; 1833, p. 389; 1834, 
p. 422 ; 1835, p. 465. 

/. Extract from the Minutes signed by stated clerk. — 1834, p. 422; 
1835, p. 465 ; 1837, p. 415 ; 1849, N. S. ; 1851, O. S., and passim. 

g. Wants the signature of the clerk.— 1834, p. 422 ; 1836, p. 238 ; 
1839, p. 8, K S. 

h. Dated more than seven months since. — 1834, p. 422. 

i. From Presbyteries whose organization has not yet been reported 
officially to the General Assembly.— 1855, p. 265, 0."S. ; 1865, p. 528, 
O. S. ; 1868, p. 597, O. S. 

k. The Committee on Elections also reported that they had satisfactory 
proof that it was the wish of the presbytery of Allahabad, in Northern 
India, that the Rev. L. G. Hay should represent said Presbytery in the 
General Assembly, but that, on account of the rebellion in India and con- 
sequent confusion, the Presbytery had not held a formal election, and the 
Committee refer the case to the Assembly. 

On motion, it was ordered that he be admitted to a seat, and his name 
was accordingly enrolled. — 1858, p. 262, O. S. 

I. The Assembly met. The Committee on Elections presented a report, 
which was adopted, and is as follows : 

The Rev. T. Ewing, of the Presbytery of Saltsburg, and Ruling Elder 
James E. Brown, of the same Presbytery ; Rev. Albert Williams, of the 
Presbytery of California ; Rev. N. L. Upham, of the Presbytery of Rari- 
tan ; Rev. J. B. Dunn, of the Presbytery of Londonderry ; Ruling Elder 
E. J. Crane, of the Presbytery of California ; Ruling Elder William P. 
Emery, of the Presbytery of Raritan, have regular commissions, lacking 
the signatures of the moderators of their respective Presbyteries, and hav- 
ing only those of the stated clerks ; that the Rev. Ira M. Condit, of the 
Presbytery of Canton, is bearer of an informal appointment, signed by all 
the members of Presbytery who were in Canton at the time, when, how- 
ever, a quorum could not be assembled, on account of the absence of seve- 
ral members in this country ; that the Rev. W. J. Monteith, of the Presby- 
tery of Oregon, has a letter from the Stated Clerk of that Presbytery, cer- 
tifying his appointment and promising that his commission, which has not 



470 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

come to hand, should be duly forwarded ; that the Rev. H. M. Shockley, 
of the Presbytery of White Water ; Rev. James Harper, D. D., of the 
Presbytery of Carlisle ; Rev. I. J. Henderson, of the Presbytery of Balti- 
more ; Ruling Elder James Pomeroy, of the Presbytery of Huntingdon ; 
Ruling Elder Samuel Culbertson, of the Presbytery of Zanesville, have 
lost or forgotten their commissions, but have offered sufficient testimony, 
as the Committee regard it, from their respective fellow-commissioners or 
others, to justify their admission ; that the Rev. J. H. Barnard, of the 
Presbytery of Waukesha, has a commission signed by the stated clerk, 
and another signed by the moderator of his Presbytery, which together 
form a valid commission, and the Committee recommended that the fore- 
going names be all added to the roll. — 1869, p. 889, O. S. See also chap, 
xii., sec. i., Form of Government. 

[The usage is that when satisfactory evidence is given of the actual ap- 
pointment of the commissioner his name is enrolled.] 

2. The Assembly "will not go Behind a Commission. 

[In the case below a member of the Presbytery informed the Assembly 
that Mr. Bissell had not been set apart as an elder, but appointed, as was 
supposed, in accordance with the Plan of Union. In answer to a protest 
the Assembly reply] : 

Mr. Bissell was admitted by the Assembly for the following reasons : 

1. The commission which Mr. Bissell produced was in due form, and 
signed by the proper officers of the Presbytery. 

2. Every Presbytery has a right to judge of the qualifications of its 
own members, and it is amenable to Synod, and not to the General As- 
sembly, except by way of appeal or reference or complaint regularly 
brought up from the inferior judicatories, which has not been done in the 
present case. 

3. It would be a dangerous precedent, and would lead to the destruc- 
tion of all order in the Church of Christ, to permit unauthorized verbal 
testimony to set aside an authenticated written document. — 1826, p. 181. 

III. In order as far as possible to procure a respectable and full 
delegation to all our judicatories, it is proper that the expenses of 
ministers and elders in their attendance on these judicatories be de- 
frayed by the bodies which they respectively represent. 

1. The Commissioners' Fund.— Former Plans. 

[The Assembly of 1792, p. 59, ordered "that each Presbytery pay their 
own commissioners for the future, and for attending the present Assem- 
bly." In 1803, p. 279, the expense of attending the Assembly from dis- 
tant Presbyteries was brought to the notice of the body by overture, and 
a Committee appointed. On its report, p. 282, the subject was referred to 
the Presbyteries, with directions to report to the next Assembly. In 1804, 
p. 311, the following resolution was adopted, viz.:] 

Resolved, That it be recommended to the Presbyteries belonging to the 
Synod of New York and New Jersey, and to the Synod of Philadelphia, 
earnestly to advise the churches under their care to make an annual col- 
lection, to be specially appropriated to aid in the payment of the expenses 
of the commissioners from the more distant parts of the country, to enable 
them to attend the General Assembly, and that the money, when collected, 
be put into the hands of the treasurer of the corporation, and paid to 



OF COMMISSIONERS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 471 

the persons who may attend as commissioners under the direction of the 
General Assembly. 

A more comprehensive plan, looking to collections in all the churches, 
was adopted by the Assembly of 1806, pp. 369-371. See also 1807, pp. 
385, 386 ; 1822, p. 56. 

In 1833, p. 410, the Assembly urgently pressed the necessity of contri- 
bution to the common fund on all the churches under its care. 

2. During the Separation. 

a. Resolved, That while the Assembly would not interfere with any ar- 
rangements that any Presbytery may choose to make to defray the ex- 
penses of its own delegates, we would enjoin it upon the weak Presbyteries 
to see to it that their churches contribute as largely as possible, and that 
the more able ones, and especially such as are not very remote from the 
place where the Assembly meets, be required to have collections taken up 
in their churches for a common commissioners' fund to aid the weaker Pres- 
byteries in defraying the expenses of their delegates. — 1847, p. 395, O. S. 

b. The Committee to whom was referred the subject of mileage presented 
a report, which was adopted, and is as follows : 

The commissioners' fund is distributed at the present time in the follow- 
ing manner: The money contributed for the general fund is paid into the 
hands of the Committee on Mileage, and distributed to such commissioners 
as claim it (whose Presbyteries have contributed anything to the fund, and 
who have not otherwise been paid), according to the number of miles each 
has traveled to the place of meeting. 

This mode of distribution appears to be as simple and equitable as any 
that can be adopted, and the Committee recommend that it remain un- 
changed. 

Our Form of Government, chap, xxii., sec. iii., makes it proper for each 
Presbytery to pay its own commissioners; consequently, if any Presbytery 
shall choose to do so, the Assembly cannot require them to contribute to 
the general fund. But it is most earnestly recommended to the older and 
abler Presbyteries, in view of the wide extent of our Church, and the great 
importance of our rising Presbyteries being represented in the meetings 
of the Assembly, if they shall choose to exercise their right to pay their 
own commissioners in full, that they be particular in making additional 
collections for the general fund, so that the younger and feebler Presby- 
teries may be fully represented. And it is hereby made the duty of the 
stated clerk to give due notice of this recommendation previous to the 
meeting of the General Assembly. — 1851, p. 24, N. S. 

See also 1856, pp. 216, 217, N. S. 

c. [In 1857 the Assembly, N. S., adopted the following plan, which was 
acted upon up to the time of the reunion, viz.:] 

That each Presbytery be earnestly requested to contribute annually 
their full proportion toward the expenses of our General Assemblies. 

That this proportion be determined by the number of communicants 
couuected with the Presbytery. 

That the rate per capita for the next Assembly be five (5) cents for 
each communicant. 

That each Presbytery be at liberty to apportion their quota among 
their churches as they shall deem best. 

That the Standing Committee on Mileage, annually appointed, estimate 
and report the probable amount that will be needed to defray the traveling 
expenses of the commissioners and the contingent expenses of the next 
succeeding Assembly, together with the rate that will be adequate. 



472 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

That on or before the fourth day of the sessions of each Assembly the 
amount thus contributed be paid to the Committee on Mileage, and a bill 
be presented by each commissioner of his necessary traveling expenses 
and mileage. 

That these bills, having been duly audited by the Mileage Committee, 
be paid as fully as the funds will permit, after appropriating an amount 
sufficient to defray the contingent expenses of the Assembly. 

That each minister and vacant church connected with those Presbyter- 
ies who have contributed their full quota to this fund be entitled to a copy 
of the annual minutes. 

That in order to avail themselves of the privileges of this plan, the Pres- 
byteries must contribute, and forward to the Assembly, their full propor- 
tion of this fund as thus determined. 

The report was adopted.— 1857, pp. 399, 400, N. S. 

3. The Bule as Adopted at the Reunion. 

It is affirmed, Form of Government, chap, xxii., sec. iii., that, in order 
as far as possible to procure a respectable and full delegation to all our 
judicatories, it is proper that the expenses of ministers and elders, in their 
attendance on these judicatories, be defrayed by the bodies which they 
respectively represent. 

The principle is thus established that provision should be made for the 
payment of the traveling expenses of commissioners to the General As- 
sembly. This provision should be made by the Presbyteries. As far as 
possible, the feebler Presbyteries should be aided in this matter by the 
stronger. It appears just and reasonable, and so has been found by expe- 
rience, that the estimated contingent expenses of each Assembly and the 
traveling expenses of the commissioners in coming to and returning from 
the Assembly should be fully met by the apportionment of the whole 
amount among the several Presbyteries according to the number of their 
communicants respectively. 

It is therefore recommended — 

1. That the Standing Committee on Mileage, annually appointed, be 
instructed to present an estimate of the probable amount that will be needed 
by the next General Assembly in order to meet their contingent expenses 
and the traveling expenses of their commissioners, with a statement of the 
per capita rate, based on the number of communicants that will be needed 
to secure the amount. 

2. That the Presbyteries, at their stated meeting next following the ad- 
journment of the General Assembly, apportion the amount required of 
their churches as they deem best. 

3. That the churches be instructed to pay over their respective appor- 
tionments at the stated meeting of their Presbyteries next preceding the 
meeting of the General Assembly ; the whole amount due from the Presby- 
tery to be forwarded to the Assembly by their commissioner. 

4. That as early as the fifth day of the sessions of the Assembly the 
apportionment of each Presbytery be paid in full, and a bill of the neces- 
sary traveling expenses of its commissioners be presented to the Standing 
Committee on Mileage. 

5. That the Mileage Committee, after appropriating from the whole sum 
an amount sufficient to meet the estimated contingent expense of the 
Assembly, be instructed to audit these bills and pay them pro rata, if 
approved, as far as the funds will permit. 

6. That in order to avail themselves of the proceeds of this fund, the 



OF COMMISSIONERS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 473 

Presbyteries must contribute their full proportion to it according to the 
per capita rate. 

7. That every minister and every vacant church contributing to this 
fund, connected with the Presbyteries thus complying with the provisions 
of this plan, be entitled to a copy of the annual minutes of the General 
Assembly. 

8. That the commissioners from Presbyteries in foreign lands receive 
their necessary traveling expenses pro rata from their place of residence 
in this country. — 1870, pp. 59, 60. 

Resolved, That the presbyterial assessments for the Commissioners' and 
Contingent Funds for the General Assembly of the year 1871 be fixed at 
six cents per capita. 

Resolved, That the Presbyteries are hereby instructed to apportion their 
assessments among their various churches, to notify each church of the 
amount required therefrom, and to enjoin upon and require of each ses- 
sion the prompt collection thereof 

Resolved, That hereafter the Assembly will expect and require from 
each Presbytery represented therein, excepting foreign Presbyteries, the 
payment in full of its entire assessment, according to its last preceding 
report of membership, irrespective of any delinquencies on the part of 
particular churches. — 1870, p. 100. 

4. Presbyteries Enjoined to Secure the Full Quota, and those De- 
linquent Censured. 

One hundred and forty-four (144) Presbyteries have reported to your 
Committee. Of this number all but three (3) have paid in full, except- 
ing those among freedmen and missionary stations. The exceptions are 
the Presbyteries of Columbus, Shenango and Lyons, who have paid the 
balance remaining in the hands of their commissioners after deducting 
their expenses, or $141, out of an assessment of $498.24. 

Eight (8) Presbyteries have not reported to the Committee, viz., Ma- 
honing, St. Clairsville, Dubuque, Iowa, Transylvania, Long Island, Blairs- 
ville and Utica, their total assessment being $1617.12. 

Three (3) of these Presbyteries, viz., St. Clairsville, Iowa and Blairs- 
ville, have declined by a majority vote to report to the fund. 

Believing that this fund is based upon the soundest principles of justice 
and wisdom, and that its proper administration is vital to the best inte- 
rests of the Assembly, your Committee would call most earnest attention 
to the fact of the great increase in the number of Presbyteries who are 
disregarding its provisions, and are taking the funds raised for this pur- 
pose into their own hands. 

With the exception of the freedmen and missionary Presbyteries, but 
five (5) of the whole number of Presbyteries failed to report in full to 
the Assembly of 1871. No action having been taken thereon, and the 
silence of the Assembly seeming thus to give consent to such irregulari- 
ties, we have now eleven (11) Presbyteries, or an increase of six (6) in a 
single year, placing themselves outside of and above the regulations of 
the Assembly, and three of them by a deliberate vote of the bodies them- 
selves. A similar increase for a very brief term of years will inevitably 
undermine and do away with the practical workings of this fund, and 
render it impossible to obtain a full and free representation of all the 
Presbyteries on the floor of the Assembly. 

The Committee cannot avoid the conviction that those commissioners 
who have withheld from this fund moneys specially raised and designated 
60 



474 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 

by the Presbyteries for it, and appropriated them for the payment of their 
own expenses, deserve the censure of the Assembly, and that those Pres- 
byteries which, after deliberation, have voted to disregard a plain standing 
rule of the Assembly are still more deserving of its censure. 

This fund should be sacredly guarded. All the churches and Presby- 
teries should cheerfully and promptly contribute their quota to it, as the 
wise and only provision by which the feeble and more remote Presbyteries 
can be represented, and under the present system the expenses of the As- 
sembly fairly provided for. 

We, therefore, recommend that this Assembly enjoin upon all the Pres- 
byteries to take such action at their next meeting as shall secure the quota 
from each of the churches within their bounds, and that such full appor- 
tionment be faithfully sent to the treasurer of the Assembly, according 
to the rules adopted by this body in 1870. — Minutes, pp. 59-60. 

We further recommend that the assessment for the General Assembly's 
Fund for 1873 be fixed at six (6) cents per member. — 1872, p. 84. 

Out of one Hundred and fifty-three (153) Presbyteries, which number 
excludes a part of the freedmen and foreign Presbyteries, one hundred 
and fifty-three (153) have reported themselves to your Committee, and 
paid their assessments in full, leaving not a delinquent Presbytery nor a 
single deficient dollar. And two of these Presbyteries, Boston and Ore- 
gon, the farthest east and the farthest west, have overpaid their assess- 
ments — an irregularity which your Committee assumed to permit without 
express authority. 

One hundred and fifty-eight (158) Presbyteries, which number includes 
the freedmen and a few foreign Presbyteries, have presented to your 
Committee claims for mileage amounting to the sum of $23,741.20, which 
claims have been paid in full. — 1873, p. 545. 



BOOK II. 

OF DISCIPLINE. 



CHAPTER I. 
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. 

I. Discipline is the exercise of that authority, and the application 
of that system of laws, which the Lord Jesus Christ hath appointed 
in his Church. 

That our blessed Saviour for the edification of the visible Church, which 
is his body, hath appointed officers not only to preach the gospel and ad- 
minister the sacraments, but also to exercise discipline for the preservation 
both of truth and duty, and that it is incumbent upon these officers and 
upon the whole Church, in whose name they act, to censure or cast out 
the erroneous and scandalous, observing in all cases the rules contained 
in the word of God. — Form of Government, chap, i., sec. iii. 

II. The exercise of discipline is highly important and necessary. 
Its ends are the removal of offences, the vindication of the honor of 
Christ, the promotion of the purity and general edification of the 
Church, and also the benefit of the offender himself. 

Prompt Discipline best Fitted to Secure a Happy Issue. 

It is further the opinion of the Assembly that had the improper con- 
duct of the appellant been made a subject of discipline at an earlier 
period, a more happy issue might have been reached. The Assembly for- 
mally and affectionately urges on the appellant a submission to the sen- 
tence of his brethren and a speedy return to the path of duty and privi- 
lege.— 1859, p. 547, O. S. 

III. An offence is anything in the principles or practice of a 
church member which is contrary to the word of God, or which, if it 
be not in its own nature sinful, may tempt others to sin or mar their 
spiritual edification. 

[See Larger Catechism, Questions 104-148.] 

Moral Questions. 
1. Breach of Sabbath Observance. 
While, therefore, we earnestly entreat our fellow-citizens of everv class 
to " remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," the Assembly do hereby 

475 



476 OF DISCIPLINE. 

in a special manner enjoin it upon the church sessions to watch over their 
brethren with tenderness and great fidelity in respect to the observance of 
the Sabbath, and to exercise wholesome discipline on those who by trav- 
eling or other ways presume to trample upon this sacred institution ; and 
we further enjoin it upon the Presbyteries annually to institute inquiries 
of the eldership as to the manner in which this injunction has been at- 
tended to in their respective churches. — 1853, p. 323, N. S. 

[See Deliverances upon the Sabbath at large, under Directory for Wor- 
ship, chap. i. Questions pertaining to the seventh commandment under 
Directory for Worship, chap, xi., sees, ii., iii.] 

2. Theatrical Exhibitions and Dancing Condemned. 

a. On the fashionable, though, as we believe, dangerous, amusements 
of theatrical exhibitions and dancing we deem it necessary to make a few 
observations. The theatre we have always considered as a school of im- 
morality. If any person wishes for honest conviction on this subject, let 
him attend to the character of that mass of matter which is generally ex- 
hibited on the stage. We believe all will agree that comedies at least, 
with a few exceptions, are of such a description that a virtuous and modest 
person cannot attend the representation of them without the most painful 
and embarrassing sensations. If, indeed, custom has familiarized the scene, 
and these painful sensations are no longer felt, it only proves that the 
person in question has lost some of the best sensibilities of our nature, 
that the strongest safeguard of virtue has been taken down, and that the 
moral character has undergone a serious depreciation. — 1818, p. 690. 

b. Dancing a Dangerous Amusement, and to be Discouraged. 

With respect to dancing, we think it necessary to observe that, however 
plausible it may appear to some, it is perhaps not the less dangerous on 
account of that plausibility. It is not from those things which the world 
acknowledges to be most wrong that the greatest danger is to be appre- 
hended to religion, especially as it relates to the young. When the prac- 
tice is carried to its highest extremes, all admit the consequences to be fatal, 
and why not, then, apprehend danger even from its incipient stages ? It 
is certainly in all its stages a fascinating and an infatuating practice. Let 
it once be introduced, and it is difficult to give it limits. It steals away 
our precious time, dissipates religious impressions and hardens the heart. 
To guard you, beloved brethren, against its wiles and its fascinations, we 
earnestly recommend that you will consult that sobriety which the sacred 
pages require. We also trust that you will attend with the meekness and 
docility becoming the Christian character to the admonitions on this sub- 
ject of those whom you have chosen to watch for your souls. And now, 
beloved brethren, that you may be guarded from the dangers we have 
pointed out and from all other dangers which beset the path of life and 
obstruct our common salvation, and that the great Head of the Church 
may have you in his holy keeping, is our sincere and affectionate prayer. 
Amen.— 1818, p. 690. 

c. Promiscuous Dancing calls for Faithful and Judicious Discipline. 

Resolved, That the fashionable amusement of promiscuous dancing is 
so entirely unscriptural, and eminently and exclusively that of "the world 
which iieth in wickedness," and so wholly inconsistent with the spirit of 
Christ, and with that propriety of Christian deportment and that purity 
of heart which his followers are bound to maintain, as to render it not 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. 477 

only improper and injurious for professing Christians either to partake in 
it, or to qualify their children for it by teaching them the art, but also to 
call for the faithful and judicious exercise of discipline on the part of 
church sessions when any of the members of their churches have been 
guilty.— 1843, p. 14, K S. 

Reaffirmed.— Minutes, 1853, p. 340, K S. See also 1867, p. 513, K S. 

d. Social Dances and Private Theatricals. 

Overture No. 5. An overture from the Presbytery of Cincinnati, pro- 
posing the following questions, viz. : 

1st. Are social dances and private theatricals included under the head 
of " dancing and stage plays," mentioned in the Larger Catechism, 
amongst " the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment " ? 

2d. Is it the duty of the church sessions to exercise discipline upon 
those members of the Church who send their children to dancing schools, 
or who give and attend dancing parties ? and if so, ought such discipline 
to be carried to the extent of exclusion from the sacraments, where other 
means fail of producing reformation? 

The Committee recommended the following reply, which was adopted : 

To the first question : 

That whilst the pleasures of the ball-room and the theatre are primarily 
intended by the "dancing and stage plays" forbidden in the answer to the 
139th question in the Larger Catechism, the spirit of the prohibition ex- 
tends to all kindred amusements which are calculated to awaken thoughts 
and feelings inconsistent with the seventh commandment, as exolainecl by 
the Saviour in Matt. v. 27, 28.— 1860, p. 21, O. S. 

e. Promiscuous Social Dancing and Dancing Schools. 

To the second question : 

That whilst we regard the practice of promiscuous social dancing by 
members of the Church as a mournful inconsistency, and the giving of 
parties for such dancing on the part of the heads of Christian families as 
tending to compromise their religious profession, and the sending of chil- 
dren by Christian parents to the dancing school as a sad error in family 
discipline ; yet we think that the session of each church is fully compe- 
tent to decide when discipline is necessary, and the extent to which it 
should be administered. — 1860, p. 21, O. S. 

/. Theatres and Card-playing. 

In regard to so much of the above overture as refers to " theatres and 
theatre-°;oing," this Assembly reaffirms the action of the General Assem- 
bly of 1818. [See Minutes, p. 690, and New Digest, pp. 262, 263.] In 
this action the Assembly declared the theatre to be "a school of immo- 
rality." This Assembly, seeing no occasion to modify the utterance then 
given, earnestly exhorts all the members of the Church in their practice 
to avoid, and by their influence to discountenance, all such "dangerous " 
amusements, as being inconsistent with the spirit of the gospel, and detri- 
mental to the best interests of piety in the heart. 

In respect to "the custom of fashionable card-playing," referred to by 
the memorialists, and represented as being "countenanced in many of our 
Christian households," and also "participated in by members of our 
churches," this Assembly would affectionately exhort all the members of 
the Presbyterian Church to practice the most careful watchfulness in 
avoiding all recreations and amusements, whether in the form specified in 



478 OF DISCIPLINE. 

the memorial or otherwise, which are calculated to impair spirituality, 
lessen Christian influence or bring discredit upon their profession as mem- 
bers of the Church of Christ.— 1865, p. 45, N. S. 

g. The Opera, the Theatre, the Dance and Card-playing. 

A paper reported by the Committee on Bills and Overtures on the sub- 
ject of the opera, the theatre, the dance and card-playing, was referred to 
a Committee, consisting of the Rev. Herrick Johnson, D.D., Rev. Wil- 
liam E. Moore and Mr. Alexander Whilldin, to report at the adjourned 
meeting. 

The Special Committee to whom was referred a paper on the subject of 
amusements presented their report, which was adopted, and is as follows: 

The question of popular amusements is one that cannot be settled by 
statute. It has to do with the spirit and the life of Christianity rather 
than with the letter of its law. Hence the impossibility of specific enact- 
ment. But the very fact of its near and vital connection with spiritual 
life justifies and demands for it a thoughtful consideration. 

What scriptural guidance have we in the matter? What posture ought 
the Church to assume toward so-called popular amusements ? A sweep- 
ing condemnation of them would be a sweeping folly. To say of them all 
that they are inherently and positively sinful is simply to say what is not 
true. And to protest against suitable recreation would be to protest 
against a mental and moral necessity. A long-visaged and sombre-hued 
piety is not after the order of the gospel. That makes recognition of the 
laugh, the joy of life; has no frown for the play -side of our nature, bids 
us serve the Lord with gladness. Nowhere so much as in the heart of 
God's people should joy have her home and go rippling out in the chan- 
nels of deed and speech. 

But what is suitable Christian recreation? We are without a specific 
" Thus saith the Lord " for each specific form of pleasure. But this is by 
no means to acknowledge that we are without scriptural guidance. The 
spirit is broader and deeper than the letter. There are general principles 
whose profound and subtle reach makes it impossible that they should be 
framed by a law. Those that bear on this question of popular amuse- 
ments are three : 

I. The first general principle has respect to the relation which Chris- 
tians sustain to each other. It is discussed in Rom. xiv., and in 1 Cor. 
viii. Christian liberty in things indifferent is there distinctly recognized, 
but it is bounded and limited by a higher law. We must not abuse our 
liberty to the offence of our brethren. We must bridle our knowledge 
with charity. We are bidden to beware how we tamper with the sancti- 
ties of a brother's conscience, and to beware how we trifle with the neces- 
sities of a brother's weakness. The law of conscience and the law of love 
are far more sacred and more precious and more to be regarded than the 
law of liberty. To the child of God they ought to be always paramount. 
To assert independence at the expense of wounding a brother's conscience 
is " to sin against Christ." " It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink 
wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth." Of course a merely 
personal, puerile, wretched scrupulosity is not to be foisted upon the 
Church for its government. But amusements whose tendencies are inher- 
ently and almost inevitably to excess, where the weak and the unstable 
may stumble and perish, and against which there is a general Christian 
conscience, are decisively condemned by this plain word of God. 

II. The second general principle has respect to the relation which 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. 479 

Christians sustain to the world. It is negative and summed up in this: 
" Be not conformed to this world." It is a relation of nonconformity. 
Christians are to be unlike the world, and distinguishable from it. This 
idea of separateness runs through all the warp and woof of Scripture. 
And it clearly does not imply a separation from the grossly evil of the 
world. This is specifically and positively commanded. Christians are 
pledged and sworn to obedience by their very profession. The separation 
involved in nonconformity is from worldliness — from the worldly spirit. 
It is a demand that the whole tone and bent and current and spirit 
of the Christian life shall be different from that of the worldly life — so 
different that it shall be manifest to the world that the people of God 
are pilgrims and strangers on the earth ; that they are walking with God ; 
that they are a peculiar people, called out of the world while still remain- 
ing in it; God's witnesses; living epistles; the salt of the earth; distinct- 
ive, chosen, set apart, recognizable everywhere as having been with Jesus, 
and as holy in all manner of conversation. Let Christians apply to their 
lives this one central, prominent, gospel idea of nonconformity, let them 
press it on all their conduct until they give unmistakable exhibition of 
the spirit of these unmistakable words of Christ and the apostles, and it- 
will go very far to settle this whole question of rational or irrational 
amusements. 

III. The third general principle has respect to the relation which Chris- 
tians sustain to Christ. It is positive, and summed up in this : " Whatso- 
ever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." 
Broad, comprehensive, universal in its applicability, yet most specific, 
after all, in its fundamental conditions — " Whatsoever ye do." In another 
place, applied to the every-day necessity and act of our life — eating and 
drinking ; applicable, therefore, to our recreations. It is scriptural con- 
demnation of every form of social diversion in which a Christian cannot 
indulge "in the name of the Lord Jesus." It is divine endorsement of 
whatever is done by a child of God, into which he may go, and out of 
which he may come, and through the progress of which he may continue, 
without there being one moment when it would be in any way inconsist- 
ent for him to ask his Lord's approval of him there, and of what he is 
doing, and witnessing and countenancing and supporting. 

Let this principle be honestly and conscientiously applied. It will set- 
tle many a doubt. It will condemn many a popular amusement. It bars 
out every indulgence that cannot be had in consistent and loving remem- 
brance of our Lord. Amusements that undermine the health and waste 
vitality; amusements by which the weak and lame are so often turned out 
of the way only to stumble and perish ; amusements that make it appear 
as if God's children were as eager after and intent upon the gayeties and 
festivities of the world as the children of the world themselves; amuse- 
ments making it essential for Christians to take positions that ought to 
bring, if they do not bring, the blood to their faces ; amusements that 
compel Christians to witness scenes, and to hear quips and jests, soiling 
their spirits with suggested uncleanness, — these all, and all like these, are 
branded with condemnation by this divine precept. No true disciple of 
Christ can give himself to such amusements "in the name of the Lord 
Jesus." 

We close as we began. This whole question must be taken out of the 
domain of abstract casuistry. It is not so much a question of absolute 
right and wrong as of conscience and charity. The spirit of our life is 
far more important than the letter of our law. The rule of love is higher 
than the law of liberty. Christianity antagonizes worldliness, it does not 



480 OF DISCIPLINE. 

conform to it. The Church should deal with it not so much by the axe 
of discipline as by the sword of the Spirit. Yet, without a doubt, the 
very law of love may sometimes require a kind, considerate, thoughtful 
exercise of the disciplinary power of the Church. But our chief appeal 
must be to the conscience. Our main reliance must be on the spirit and 
the life demanded by a whole-hearted surrender and commitment to the 
Lord Jesus. Those who are constrained by the love of Christ can scarcely 
allow themselves indulgence in any business or recreation, any work or 
play, into which and through which and out of which they cannot con- 
sistently go, with ever present and affectionate remembrance of Him " who 
gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify 
us unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." — 1869, pp. 
487-489, N. S. 

2. (rambling, Lotteries, Horse-racing, Betting, etc. 

a. These Sins to be Denounced and Avoided. 

The vice of gambling has also been forced upon our attention. We 
indeed hope that few, or perhaps none, of our actual professors have in- 
dulged themselves in the practice of what they consider as coming under 
the denomination of gambling. But perhaps there are some addicted to 
this practice who have evinced a predilection for our Church and forms 
of worship, and who are not unwilling to receive the word of admonition 
from us. Such we would earnestly exhort to consider in the most serious 
manner the consequences of the course they are pursuing, and the awful 
lessons which the experience of the world is every day exhibiting on this 
subject. But it is our duty further to testify that all encouragement of 
lotteries and purchasing of lottery-tickets, all attendance on horse-racing 
and betting on such, or any other occasions, and all attempts of whatever 
kind to acquire gain without giving an equivalent, involve the gambling 
principle and participate in the guilt which attaches to that vice. — 1818, 
p. 690. 

b. The report of the Committee on the subject of lotteries, which was 
laid on the table, was taken up and adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

That although so often sanctioned by legislative acts, although the pro- 
ceeds of lotteries have not unfrequently been appropriated to benevolent 
and religious objects, although many wise and good men have, in periods 
past, by their participation or agency given countenance to lotteries, yet 
your Committee cannot view them in any other light than that of legal- 
ized gambling. 

It would require volumes to record all the evils resulting from this sys- 
tem of predatory speculation. It adds nothing to the wealth of the com- 
munity. It too often takes from the uninformed poor the property 
obtained by labor and skill, and transfers the same without the least equiv- 
alent into the hands of the idle and unworthy. It thus becomes the 
means of introducing and extending habits of gambling in all forms. 
Hundreds of families yearly are reduced to dependence and beggary, and 
not unfrequently its deluded victims terminate their miserable existence 
in this world by suicide. 

Contemplating this multitude of evils to individuals, to families and to 
the community at large, your Committee beg leave to submit the follow- 
ing resolutions : 

Resolved, 1. That in the opinion of this General Assembly all lotteries 
should be discountenanced by every professed member of the Presbyterian 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. 481 

Church, as immoral in their nature and ruinous in their effects upon indi- 
vidual character and the public welfare. 

Resolved, 2. That the purchase and sale of lottery tickets should be 
avoided by every member of our Church, even when the professed object 
of the lottery may be praiseworthy, inasmuch as it is not allowable to do 
evil that good may come. 

Resolved, 3. That all the Presbyteries under the care of the General As- 
sembly be and they hereby are recommended to take order on the subject 
of lottery gambling, to press the consideration of it and its attendant 
evils upon ministers and sessions, and to adopt such plans of operation as 
may free the Church from all participation in this sin, enlighten, arouse 
and direct public opinion, and save our country from this and every other 
species of gambling. — 1830, p. 306. 

3. Duelists Excluded from Churcli Privileges, and Ministers rec- 
ommended to Refuse Attendance on the Funeral of a Fallen 
Duelist. 

The General Assembly, having taken into serious consideration the 
unhappy prevalence of the practice of dueling in the United States, and 
being anxiously desirous to contribute what may be in their power, con- 
sistently with their character and situation, to discountenance and abolish 
this practice — 

Resolved unanimously, That they do, in the most unequivocal manner, 
declare their utter abhorrence of the practice of dueling and of all meas- 
ures tending thereto, as originating from the malevolent dispositions of 
the human heart, and a false sense of honor, as a remnant of Gothic bar- 
barism, as implying a presumptuous and highly criminal appeal to God 
as the sovereign Judge, as utterly inconsistent with every just principle 
of moral conduct, as a direct violation of the sixth commandment, and 
destructive of the peace and happiness of families ; and the Assembly do 
hereby recommend it to the ministers in their connection to discounte- 
nance, by all proper means in their power, this scandalous practice. 

Resolved also, That it be and it is hereby recommended to all the min- 
isters under the care of the Assembly that they scrupulously refuse to 
attend the funeral of any person who shall have fallen in a duel, and that 
they admit no person who shall have fought a duel, given or accepted a 
challenge, or been accessary thereto, unto the distinguishing privileges of 
the Church, until he manifest a just sense of his guilt, and give satisfactory 
evidence of repentance. — 1805, p. 339. 

4. Slavery and Slaveholding-. 
Overture on Selling a Slave, a Member of the Church. 

The following resolution was submitted to the Assembly, viz.: 

Resolved, That a person who shall sell as a slave a member of the 
Church, who shall be at the time of sale in good standing and unwilling 
to be sold, acts inconsistently with the spirit of Christianity, and ought to 
be debarred from the communion of the Church. 

After considerable discussion the subject was committed to Dr. Green, 
Dr. Baxter and Mr. Burgess, to prepare a report to be adopted by the 
Assembly, embracing the object of the above resolution, and also express- 
ing the opinion of the Assembly in general as to slavery. 

[The report of the Committee] being read, was unanimously adopted 
and referred to the same Committee for publication. It is as follows, viz.: 

The General Assembly tf the Presbyterian Church having taken into 
61 



482 OF DISCIPLINE. 

consideration the subject of slavery, think proper to make known their 
sentiments upon it to the churches and people under their care. 

We consider the voluntary enslaving of one part of the human race by 
another as a gross violation of the most precious and sacred rights of 
human nature, as- utterly inconsistent with the law of God which requires 
us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and as totally irreconcilable with the 
spirit and principles of the gospel of Christ, which enjoin that " all things 
whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." 
Slavery creates a paradox in the moral system ; it exhibits rational, ac- 
countable and immortal beings in such circumstances as scarcely to leave 
them the power of moral action. It exhibits them as dependent on the 
will of others whether they shall receive religious instructions ; whether 
they shall know and w 7 orship the true God ; whether they shall enjoy the 
ordinances of the gospel ; whether they shall perform the duties and cher- 
ish the endearments of husbands and wives, parents and children, neigh- 
bors and friends ; whether they shall preserve their chastity and purity, 
or regard the dictates of justice and humanity. Such' are some of the 
consequences of slavery — consequences not imaginary, but which connect 
themselves with its very existence. The evils to which the slave is always 
exposed often take place in fact, and in their very worst degree and form ; 
and where all of them do not take place — as, we rejoice to say, in many 
instances, through the influence of the principles of humanity and religion 
on the mind of masters, they do not — still, the slave is deprived of his nat- 
ural right, degraded as a human being, and exposed to the danger of 
passing into the hands of a master who may inflict upon him all the 
/hardships and injuries w T hich inhumanity and avarice may suggest. 

From this view of the consequences resulting from the practice into 
which Christian people have most inconsistently fallen, of enslaving a por- 
tion of their brethren of mankind — for "God hath made of one blood all 
nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth " — it is manifestly the 
duty of all Christians who enjoy the light of the present day, when the 
inconsistency of slavery both with the dictates of humanity and religion 
has been demonstrated and is generally seen and acknowledged, to use 
their honest, earnest and unwearied endeavors to correct the errors of 
former times, and as speedily as possible to efface this blot on our holy 
religion, and to obtain the complete abolition of slavery throughout Chris- 
tendom, and, if possible, throughout the world. 

We rejoice that the Church to which we belong commenced as early as 
any other in this country the good work of endeavoring to put an end to 
slavery, and that in the same work many of its members have ever since 
ibeen.and now are among the most active, vigorous and efficient laborers. 
We do indeed tenderly sympathize with those portions of our Church and 
•our country where the evil of slavery has been entailed upon them — where 
a great, and the most virtuous, part of the community abhor slavery and 
wish its extermination as sincerely as any others — but where the number 
of slaves, their ignorance, and their vicious habits generally, render an im- 
mediate and universal emancipation inconsistent alike with the safety and 
happiness of the master and slave. With those who are thus circum- 
stanced we repeat that we tenderly sympathize. At the same time, we 
earnestly exhort them to continue, and, if possible, to increase, their exer- 
tions to effect a total abolition of slavery. We exhort them to suffer no 
greater delay of slavery. We hope that those portions of the American 
Union whose inhabitants are by a gracious Providence more favorably 
circumstanced will cordially and liberally and earnestly co-operate with 
their brethren in bringing about the great end contemplated. 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. 483 

We recommend to all the members of our religious denomination not 
only to permit, but to facilitate and encourage, the instruction of their 
slaves in the principles and duties of the Christian religion, by granting 
them liberty to attend on the preaching of the gospel when they have 
opportunity, by favoring the instruction of them in the Sabbath-school 
wherever those schools can be formed, and by giving them all other proper 
advantages for acquiring the knowledge of their duty both to God and to 
man. We are perfectly satisfied that it is incumbent on all Christians to 
communicate religious instruction to those who are under their authority, 
so that the doing of this in the case before us, so far from operating, as 
some have apprehended that it might, as an incitement to insubordination 
and insurrection, would, on the contrary, operate as the most powerful 
means for the prevention of those evils. 

We enjoin it on all church sessions and Presbyteries under the care of 
this Assembly to discountenance, and as far as possible to prevent, all 
cruelty of whatever kind in the treatment of slaves, especially the cruelty 
of separating husband and wife, parents and children, and that which 
consists in selling slaves to those who will either themselves deprive these 
unhappy people of* the blessings of the gospel, or who will transport them 
to places where the gospel is not proclaimed, or where it is forbidden to 
slaves to attend upon its institutions. And if it shall ever happen that a 
Christian professor in our communion shall sell a slave who is also in 
communion and good standing with our Church, contrary to his or her 
will and inclination, it ought immediately to claim the particular atten- 
tion of the proper church judicature; and unless there be such peculiar 
circumstances attending the case as can but seldom happen, it ought to be 
followed without delay by a suspension of the offender from all the privi- 
leges of the church till he repent and make all the reparation in his power 
to the injured party. — 1818, p. 692. 

[We have given the deliverance of 1818 upon the subject of slavery 
as containing substantially the whole testimony of the Church upon an 
evil now happily done away. For the full discussion of the subject, see 
New Digest, pp. 266-295, Baird's Digest, pp. 817-825, and the annual 
Minutes, 1862, p. 24, N. S. ; 1863, p. 244, N. S. ; 1861, p. 333, O. S. ; 
1863, p. 55, O. S. ; 1869, p. 297, O. S.] 

5. Intemperance. 

[In 1811 Dr. Benjamin Rush presented to the Assembly one thousand 
copies of a pamphlet, entitled "An inquiry into the effects of ardent 
spirits upon the human body and mind." At the same session it was — ] 

Resolved, That the Rev. Drs. Miller, Miledoler and Romeyn, Rev. 
Messrs. James Richards, McNeice, Ezra Styles Ely and Gardiner Spring, 
Dr. John R. B. Rodgers, Col. Henry Rutgers and Mr. Divie Bethune, be 
a Committee to endeavor to devise measures which, when sanctioned by 
the General Assembly, may have an influence in preventing some of the 
numerous and threatening mischiefs which are experienced throughout 
our country by the excessive and intemperate use of spirituous liquors, 
and that this Committee be authorized to correspond and act in concert 
with any persons who may be appointed or associate for a similar purpose, 
and that the Committee hereby appointed report to the next General 
Assembly.— 1811, p. 474. 

[Upon the report of this Committee the next year, it was — ] 

b. Resolved, 1. That it be recommended to all the ministers of the Pres- 
byterian Church in the United States to deliver public discourses, as often 



484 OF DISCIPLINE. 

as circumstances may render expedient, on the sin and mischiefs of intem- 
perate drinking, in which, as well as on all suitable occasions, both public 
and private, it will be proper pointedly and solemnly to warn their hear- 
ers, and especially members of the church, not only against actual intem- 
perance, but against all those habits and indulgences which may have a 
tendency to produce it. 

2. That it be enjoined on all church sessions within the bounds of the 
General Assembly that they exercise a special vigilance and care over the 
conduct of all persons in the communion of their respective churches with 
regard to this sin, and that they sedulously endeavor by private warning and 
remonstrance, and by such public censures as different cases may require, 
to purge the Church of a sin so enormous in its mischiefs and so disgrace- 
ful to the Christian name. 

3. That it be recommended to the ministers and other officers and mem- 
bers of our Church that they exert themselves to diffuse as extensively as 
possible among their congregations and the community at large such 
addresses, sermons, tracts or other printed compositions on this subject as 
may have a tendency to produce a suitable impression against the use of 
ardent spirits, and to recommend sobriety and temperance. 

4. That it be recommended to the officers and members of our Church 
to take such measures as may be judged proper and effectual for reducing 
the number of taverns, and other places of vending liquors by small meas- 
ure, in all those parts of our country in which either their excessive num- 
bers or the improper character of such places render them a public 
nuisance. 

It is believed that the evils arising from these sources are incalculably 
great, and that by prudent management they admit, under Providence, 
of very considerable diminution. — 1812, p. 511. 

c. Abstinence from the Common Use of Ardent Spirits urged. 

In the pastoral letter of 1818 the Assembly earnestly recommend to 
the officers and members of our Church to abstain even from the com- 
mon use of ardent spirits. — 1818, p. 689. 

d. On the Formation of the American Society for the Promotion of Tem- 
perance. 

The Assembly Resolved, That the Presbyterian Church in the United 
States will with all readiness of mind co-operate with their Christian 
brethren of every denomination, together with every other friend of our 
country and of humanity, in one great national effort to accomplish a 
universal change in the habits and customs of our country relative to the 
intemperate use of intoxicating liquors. — 1827, p. 214. 

e. Day of Fasting and Prayer Appointed. 

Resolved, That in view of the exceedingly heinous nature of the sin of 
intemperance in the use of ardent spirits, as in direct opposition to the 
authority and moral government of God ; its widespread prevalence, in- 
fecting, as we are not without reason to apprehend, some members, and 
even officers, of the Church ; the dreadful miseries it inflicts on society in 
all its interests, physical, political, moral and religious, and especially in 
view of the great guilt that rests on the Church in this matter, not merely 
from so many of her members participating in it, while others with thought- 
less insensibility minister the means of its indulgence to its deluded vie- 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. 485 

tims, but especially in having greatly failed, as the light of the world and 
the salt of the earth, by her instructions, her example, her prayers, and 
her vigorous efforts every way, to stay the plague : — 

The General Assembly do appoint the fourth Thursday of January, 1829, 
a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer, with special reference to this sin, 
and recommend to all the people of their communion its solemn observ- 
ance as such. Moreover, they give it in charge to all their ministers who 
may officiate on this occasion, by prayer and study to have their minds 
thoroughly impressed with a sense of the greatness of this sin, and to 
endeavor so to conduct the exercises of the sanctuary that all the people 
to whom they may minister may be brought most fully under the same 
impression, and aroused to a vigorous exertion of all the means which 
duty and sound discretion dictate, for arresting this hateful and desolating 
abomination. — 1828, p. 244. 

6. Entire Abstinence from the Use of Ardent Spirits. 

a. The report of the Committee on Temperance was taken up, and after 
mature consideration was unanimously adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

Resolved, 1. That this Assembly regard with devout gratitude and praise 
the great success which has attended the efforts of the friends of the cause 
of temperance during the past year, as evinced in the increase of the num- 
ber and zeal of temperance societies, in the diminution of the sale of 
ardent spirits, and in the existence of a strong and increasing public sen- 
timent against the use of it. 

2. That they cordially approve and rejoice in the formation of temper- 
ance societies on the principle of entire abstinence from the use of ardent 
spirits, as expressing disapprobation of intemperance in the strongest and 
most efficient manner, and making the most available resistance to this 
destructive and widespreading evil. 

3. That they deeply deplore the apathy manifested by many professing 
Christians toward the cause of temperance, while many distinguished per- 
sons who make no religious profession are prompt and powerful fellow- 
laborers with Christians in this worthy and divinely sanctioned cause. 
And especially do they grieve and wonder that members of our churches, 
in view of an evil so debasing and so awful in its prospective bearings on 
all the interests of the country, should not only take no part in the exer- 
tions of their brethren and fellow-citizens against intemperance, but by 
using and trafficking in ardent spirits be actively engaged in promoting it. 

4. That they earnestly recommend, as far as practicable, the forming 
of temperance societies in the congregations under their care, and that all 
members of the churches adopt the principle of entire abstinence from 
the use of ardent spirits. 

5. That as friends of the cause of temperance this Assembly rejoice to 
lend the force of their example to that cause as an ecclesiastical body by 
an entire abstinence themselves from the use of ardent spirits. — 1829, 
p. 262. 

b. Resolved, 1. That this Assembly considers itself called upon to make 
a public acknowledgment of the goodness of God for the unparalleled 
success with which he has crowned the efforts of those who are actively 
concerned in the promotion of temperance. 

2. That the experience of the past year furnishes additional and most 
abundant evidence of the wisdom and importance of the plan adopted by 
the American Temperance Society. 

3. That this Assembly feels bound to repeat a former recommendation 



486 OF DISCIPLINE. 

to the ministers, elders and members of the churches under its care, to 
discountenance the use of distilled liquors, not only by abstaining them- 
selves from the use of such liquors, but by actively promoting every pru- 
dent measure devised for the purpose of furthering the cause of temper- 
ance. 

4. That this Assembly earnestly recommends to all persons for whose 
spiritual interests it is bound to consult that they favor the formation of 
temperance societies on the plan of entire abstinence. — 1830, p. 298. 

c. The Assembly recommend to all the members of the churches 
under their care to be found the fast, unflinching and active friends of 
temperance, abstaining from all forms and fashions which would coun- 
tenance to any extent the sin of intemperance, avoiding even the appear- 
ance of evil, disentangling themselves from all implication with the traffic 
and manufacture, and especially presenting in their whole lives a standing 
and unvarying exemplification of the only true principle of temperance — 
total abstinence from'everything that will intoxicate. — 1840, p. 15, N. S. 

d. Wines and Fermented Liquors Discountenanced. 

In 1864 the Assembly (N. S.) reiterates the sentiments and recommen- 
dations of former Assemblies, and calls upon its ministers and the mem- 
bers of its churches to renew their efforts in this direction, and espe- 
cially to refrain from the use of cider, beer and ale as a beverage, and 
also from the manufacture and similar use of domestic wines. — 1864, p. 
508, N. S. 

e. Entire Abstinence Recommended. 

The Assembly of 1865 (O. S.), in answer to an overture asking for such 
a deliverance by the General Assembly as may encourage virtuous and 
philanthropic men in their efforts to purge our country from this gigantic 
evil, adopted the following minute : 

The General Assembly has repeatedly expressed its earnest desire for 
the universal prevalence of temperance among the people of this land. 
But as a new exigency has arisen, growing out of the demoralizing tend- 
ency of war, this Assembly enjoins upon all their ministers, ruling elders 
and church members to use their influence upon those around them, par- 
ticularly on our young men now returning from the army, and on our 
youth in academies and colleges, to practice entire abstinence from all 
intoxicating drinks as a beverage, which it is believed is the only sure 
protection against drunkenness. Intemperance is a great sin against 
God, as well as a bitter curse to man, obstructing the progress of the gos- 
pel of our Lord Jesus Christ in the world, and weakening its power over 
the hearts of men. Hence it is an imperative duty, required alike by piety 
and patriotism, to do whatever may be practicable " to stem the torrent 
that is sweeping myriads into the vortex of irretrievable ruin." Espe- 
cially should there be the frequent utterance of friendly warning to the 
young and inconsiderate, " Touch not, taste not, handle not," accompa- 
nied by a corresponding example. This simple and effective remedy, 
carried into all the walks of life, will make our nation as prosperous and 
happy in peace as it has been heroic and victorious in war. — 1865, p, 570, 
O. S. 

Resolved, That total abstinence from all intoxicating drinks as a beve- 
rage is demanded from every Christian by the condition of society, the 
purity of the Church and the word of God. — 1866, p. 274, N. S. 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. 487 



7. Manufacture and Traffic in Ardent Spirits. 

a. That while this Assembly would by no means encroach upon the 
rights of private judgment, it cannot but express its very deep regret that 
any members of the Church of Christ should at the present day and under 
existing circumstances feel themselves at liberty to manufacture, vend 
or use ardent spirits, and thus, as far as their influence extends, coun- 
teract the efforts now making for the promotion of temperance. — 1830, 
p. 298. 

b. 2. That the practice of sending out ardent spirits to be used as a 
drink by the* unevangelized and partially civilized nations and tribes of 
men is in our view a violation of the principles and precepts of the Chris- 
tian religion, and ought to be abandoned throughout the world. 

3. That the traffic in ardent spirits, to be used as a drink by any people, 
is in our judgment morally wrong, and ought to be viewed as such by the 
churches of Jesus Christ universally. — 1834, p. 445. 

[In the narrative for 1837 the Assembly say :] 

c. It is with the utmost surprise and. pain that we learn from the reports 
of two or three Presbyteries that some of their members, and even ruling 
elders, still manufacture and sell ardent spirits. These things ought not 
so to be. They are a stumbling-block to many, and have a manifest tend- 
ency to bring overwhelming calamities, both temporal and spiritual, on 
society at large. No church can shine as a light in the world while she 
openly sanctions and sustains any practices which are so evidently destruc- 
tive of the best interests of society. — 1837, p. 510. 

d. May the Manufacture or Sale be made a Term of Communion f 

Overture No. 15. The question whether the manufacturer, vender or 
retailer of intoxicating drinks should be continued in the full communion 
of the Church. The Committee recommended the adoption of the fol- 
lowing resolution, viz. : That whilst the Assembly rejoice in the success of 
the temperance reformation, and will use all lawful means to promote it, 
they cannot sanction the adoption of any new terms of communion. 
Which was adopted.— 1842, p. 16, O. S. 

8. The Manufacture and Sale of Intoxicating Drinks an Offence. 

The following paper, offered by Dr. Elliott, in the Assembly of 1865, 
was adopted, as expressing the views of the Church, viz. : 

The great increase of intemperance throughout the land, especially in 
our towns and large cities, renders it imperative on the Church to put 
forth her influence to arrest it in its destructive progress. But to render 
her influence effective she must purge herself from all participation in the 
sin by removing from her pale all who are engaged in the manufacture 
and sale of intoxicating drinks for use as a common beverage. 

When a person has been admitted to sealing ordinances in Christ's 
house, he ought not to be excluded but upon grounds which are sanc- 
tioned by the word of God and the discipline of the Church ; and where 
such exclusion takes place, it is always founded upon an alleged offence 
against the authority and laws which Christ has established in his house. 
Hence, one of the ends of discipline, as laid down in our standards, is 
"the removal of offences" from the Church of Christ. In the very out- 
set, then, it becomes necessary to ascertain what is an offence. In our 
Book of Discipline it is defined to be "anything in the principles on prac- 
tice of a church member which is contrary to the word of God, or which, 



488 OF DISCIPLINE. 

if it be not in its own nature sinful, may tempt others to sin, or mar their 
spiritual edification." (Chap, i., sec. iii.) That the practice of manufactur- 
ing and retailing intoxicating drinks is, in its own nature, sinful, we do 
not affirm, and need not therefore consider it, in this sense, an offence 
against the laws of Christ's house. But that it tempts others to sin and 
mars their spiritual edification is too obvious to require proof. The re- 
tailer is the proximate agent in tempting many to drink to drunkenness, 
and in forming in others the appetite for strong drink which leads to bru- 
tal intoxication. In doing this he offends against God's children, who are 
grieved at his conduct, which is productive of such injurious results both 
to the bodies and souls of men. On these grounds, therefore; he is guilty 
of an " offence" against the word of God, which is very explicit in setting 
its seal of condemnation on such conduct. In the eighth chapter of his 
First Epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle has decided this point with 
great precision. In the church of Corinth some thought it to be right to 
eat meat which had been offered to idols, others thought it wrong. The 
matter was submitted to the apostle, who decided that although the act 
was not in its own nature sinful, ye.t if it became the occasion of offence 
or injury to a weak brother it ought not to be done. "But meat com- 
mendeth us not to God ; for neither, if we eat, are we the better ; neither, 
if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this 
liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to them that are weak. For 
if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol temple, 
shall not the conscience of him that is weak be emboldened to eat those 
things which are offered to idols, and through thy knowledge shall the 
weak brother perish for whom Christ died ? But when ye so sin against 
the brethren and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. 
Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while 
the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." According to this 
decision of the apostle, therefore, men "sin against Christ" when they 
"sin against the brethren" by doing that which, though not sinful in it- 
self, becomes a stumbling-block to them, and tempts them to the commis- 
sion of sin. Against such a course the apostle guards professing Chris- 
tians, and declares that he had determined to avoid it. 

Now, the apostle's decision in regard to the case at Corinth applies to 
the use of intoxicating drinks when manufactured and sold for a common 
beverage. When prepared and sold for this purpose, those who do so 
"sin against the brethren and wound their weak conscience," and thus 
" sin against Christ." Hence they are guilty of " an offence," their con- 
duct being " contrary to the word of God." 

Thus far the subject appears very plain. That a manufacturer and re- 
tailer of intoxicating drinks for the purpose mentioned is guilty of an 
offence proved to be such from Scripture, the foregoing remarks clearly 
demonstrate. But is it such an offence as ought to exclude persons from 
the full privileges of the Church? In maintaining the affirmative of this 
question, it is important to remark that whatever would prevent the ad- 
mission of a person to the sealing ordinances of the Church, on his first 
application, ought, if found in connection with his character or conduct 
after his admission, to exclude him from her communion. This is so evi- 
dent as to require no proof. What, then, would be considered a sufficient 
bar to the full enjoyment of the privileges of the Church ? To this we 
reply that anything in the principles or practice of the applicant for ad- 
mission which greatly impaired or destroyed the credibility of his pro- 
fession of faith in Christ would be a sufficient ground of refusal. For the 
ground of admission, as presented both in the word of God and the stand- 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. 489 

ards of the Church, is a credible profession of faith in the Son of God. 
In the case of the jailer, the Ethiopian eunuch, and even of Simon Ma- 
gus, who afterward apostatized, a credible profession was required and ex- 
hibited before they were admitted to the communion of the society of the 
faithful. The same principle is recognized in our standards. " Those 
who are admitted to sealing ordinances shall be examined as to their 
knowledge and piety." (Dir. Wor., chap, i., sec. iii.) (See also chap, iv., 
sec. iv.) From these passages it is manifest that such a profession as in- 
volves credible evidence of Christian character, in which knowledge and 
piety are essential elements, is required by our Book of those who would 
be admitted to sealing ordinances. Such being the case, whatever essen- 
tially impairs or destroys this evidence bars the way to their admission. 
Accordingly, it is provided that " such as are found to be ignorant or 
scandalous, notwithstanding their profession of the faith and desire to 
come to the Lord's Supper, ought to be kept from that sacrament, by the 
power which Christ has left in his Church, until they receive instruction 
and manifest their reformation." (L. Cat., 2, 173.) Ignorance and immo- 
rality of conduct are here indicated as sufficient grounds on which to re- 
fuse an applicant admission to the table of the Lord. The reason is that 
where either or both exist there is a want of credible evidence of Chris- 
tian character; and where this is wanting, the person ought not to be ad- 
mitted. And on the same ground, a person who has been admitted, if he 
be afterward found to be ignorant or scandalous, and thus destitute of the 
evidence of Christian character, ought to be excluded. 

In the case which we are considering, the person in question does not 
give credible evidence in favor of his Christian character. He does not 
give such satisfaction with respect to his "knowledge and piety" as is suf- 
ficient to entitle him to continue in the full privileges of the Church as a 
member in good standing. For the man who, at the present time, is ig- 
norant of the effects of the practice of the manufacture and sale of intox- 
icating drinks as a common beverage, in tempting others to sin and " mar- 
ring their spiritual edification," must be criminally regardless of what is 
going on around him. And he who, knowing this, perseveres in the prac- 
tice, evinces a state of heart directly the reverse of that which is pro- 
duced by "the grace, of God," that "teaches us that, denying ungodliness 
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this 
present world." On the ground, therefore, that his profession of religion 
is destitute of the attributes which are necessary to render it credible, he 
ought not to be continued in the communion of the Church, nor certified 
as a member in good standing. 

We are aware that it has been objected to this view of the case that it 
is establishing a new term of communion not before known in the Church. 
But upon the principles laid down and established, it is not. We have 
seen that credible evidence of Christian character, involving the exhibi- 
tion of " knowledge and piety," is the old term of communion laid down 
in God's word and the standards of our Church. It has also been made 
to appear that the practice of manufacturing and retailing intoxicating 
drinks as a beverage is a sin against the brethren and against Christ, and 
while persevered in vitiates this evidence and works a forfeiture of the 
privileges of Christian communion. If the practice of the Church has 
been to any extent favorable to the admission or continuance of such per- 
sons in her communion, it only proves that the Church, in these cases, has 
overlooked or neglected to enforce the true principles of her standards. 
It cannot be fairly drawn into argument to prove that the principle is not 
there, or, if there, that it ought not to be applied in this, as in other cases 
62 



490 OF DISCIPLINE. 

of visible offence against Christ and his Church. We conclude, therefore, 
that it is not adopting any new term of communion to exclude persons 
from sealing ordinances on the ground of their manufacturing and vend- 
ing intoxicating drinks as a beverage. On the contrary, it is only falling 
back upon the teachings of the Bible and the Constitution of the Church, 
which requires visible Christianity, in a credible form, of those who would 
partake of these ordinances, and refuses the privilege to those who by 
overt acts of offence fail to present such evidence. — 1865, p. 571, O. S. 

9. Prohibitory Laws. 

a. The following resolution upon the subject of temperance was unani- 
mously adopted : 

Resolved, That the General Assembly continue to view with deep interest 
the progress of the temperance reformation, most intimately connected with 
the vital interests of men for time and eternity, and they do especially 
hail its new phase through the action of several State Legislatures by 
which the traffic in intoxicating liquors as a beverage is entirely prohib- 
ited. They commend this new system of legislation to the attention and 
support of all ministers and churches connected with this body for its 
blessed results already experienced, and as able, if universally adopted, to 
do much to seal up the great fountains of drunkenness, pauperism and 
crime, and relieve humanity of one of its most demoralizing and distress- 
ing evils.— 1854, p. 503, N. S. 

b. Whereas, Intemperance is the great antagonist of domestic peace and 
social happiness, of sound morality and pure Christianity, and at war with 
all the dearest interests of man for this world and the future; and whereas, 
the experience of two hundred years proves that this evil can never be 
removed or effectively resisted while the traffic in intoxicating drinks is 
continued, it being necessary if we would stop the effect to remove the 
cause ; therefore, 

Resolved, 1. That this Assembly, as lovers of our holy religion, of our 
country and our race, and as office-bearers in the Church, can but feel a 
lively interest in the progress of the temperance reform. 

Resolved, 2. That we here record our devout thanksgiving to almighty 
God for the recent unparalleled progress of this reform, as evinced by the 
action of the Legislatures of thirteen States and two Territories of our 
Union, in the passage of laws prohibiting entirely the traffic in all intoxi- 
cating beverages. 

Resolved, 3. That in the opinion of this body laws prohibiting the sale 
of intoxicating drinks can interfere with the rights of no man, because no 
man has a right of any .name or nature inconsistent with the public good 
or at war with the welfare of the community, it being a well-known and 
universally-acknowledged maxim of law that " No man has a right to use 
his own to the injury of his neighbor." 

Resolved, 4. That we earnestly recommend to the ministers and congre- 
gations in our connection, and to all others, to persevere in vigorous efforts 
until laws shall be enacted in every State and Territory of our beloved 
country prohibiting entirely a traffic which is the principal cause of the 
drunkenness, and its consequent pauperism, crime, taxation, lamentation, 
war and ruin to the bodies and souls of men, with which the country has 
so long been afflicted. — 1855, pp. 30, 31, N. S. 



GENEEAL PEINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. 49 1 



10. Relation of Temperance and other Moral Societies to the 

Church. 

a. The Church of Jesus Christ is a spiritual body, to which have been 
given the ministry, oracles and ordinances of God for the gathering and 
perfecting of the saints in this life to the end of the world. It is the great 
instrumentality of the Saviour, through which, by his eternal Spirit, he 
dispenses salvation to the objects of his love. Its ends are holiness and 
life, to the manifestation of the riches and glory of divine grace, and not 
simply morality, decency and good order, which may to some extent be 
secured without faith in the Redeemer and the transforming efficacy of 
the Holy Spirit. The laws of the Church are the authoritative injunc- 
tions of Christ, and not the covenants, however benevolent in their origin 
and aim, which men have instituted of their own will; and the ground of 
obligation which the Church, as such, inculcates, is the authority of God 
speaking in his word, and not pledges of honor which create, measure and 
define the peculiar duties of all voluntary associations. In this kingdom 
of God the holy Scriptures are the only rule of faith and manners, and no 
church judicatory ought to pretend to make laws which shall bind the 
conscience, or to issue recommendations which shall regulate manners, 
without the warrant, explicit or implied, of the revealed will of God. It 
is, hence, beside the province of the Church to render its courts, which 
God ordained for spiritual purposes, subsidiary to the schemes of any 
association founded in the human will and liable to all its changes and 
caprices. No court of Christ can exact of his people to unite with the 
temperance, moral reform, colonization, or any other society which may 
seek their aid. Connection with such institutions is a matter of Christian 
liberty. Their objects may be in every respect, worthy of the countenance 
and support of all good men, but in so far as they are moral and essen- 
tially obligatory, the Church promotes them among its own members — 
and to none others does its jurisdiction extend — by the means which God 
has ordained for the edification of his children. Still, in the exercise of 
their Christian liberty as good citizens, as patriotic subjects of. the State, 
from motives of philanthropy and from love to God, Christian people 
may choose to adopt this particular mode of attempting to achieve the 
good at which all moral societies profess to aim ; they have a right to do 
so, and the Church, as long as they endorse no false principles and coun- 
tenance no wrong practices, cannot interfere with them. Recognizing 
these propositions as the truths of the w r ord of God, this General Assem- 
bly, as a court of Jesus Christ, cannot league itself with any voluntary 
society, cannot exact of those who are subject to its discipline to do so, but 
must leave the whole matter where the Scriptures leave it — to the pru- 
dence, philanthropy and good sense of God's children, each man having 
a right to do as to him shall seem good. 

These societies must appeal not to church courts, but to church mem- 
bers. When they proclaim principles that are scriptural and sound, it is 
not denied that the Church has a right, and under certain circumstances 
may be bound, to bear testimony in their favor; and when, on the other 
hand, they inculcate doctrines which are infidel, heretical and dangerous, 
the Church has a right to condemn them. In conformity with these 
statements the General Assembly has no hesitation in cordially approving 
of abstinence from intoxicating drinks as a matter of Christian expedi- 
ency, according to the words of the apostle in Romans xiv. 21, "It is good 
neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother 
stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak," and in expressing its affection- 



492 ' OF DISCIPLINE. 

ate interest in the cause of temperance, and would recommend to its min- 
isters and elders who have become connected with temperance societies to 
use every effort to prevent the introduction of any other principle as the 
ground of their pledge, and to throw around these institutions those safe- 
guards which shall be the means of rescuing them from the excesses to 
which they are liable from influences opposed to or aside from the gospel 
of Christ— 1848, p. 58, O. S. 

No. 3. A memorial from the National Temperance Society asking the 
Assembly to send delegates to a national temperance convention. The 
Committee recommend as an answer, that while this Assembly approves 
all proper efforts made to suppress intemperance, it declines to send dele- 
gates, in its name, to the proposed convention. Adopted. — 1873, p. 504. 

b. In answer to an overture praying the Assembly to give the temperance 
cause a proper prominence among the means of reform sustained by the 
Church, and especially suggesting that if it would arrange or recommend 
that some proper temperance movement should sustain the same relation 
to the churches as the tract, the Bible and the missionarary causes do, 
both morally and financially, it would be of immense advantage to the 
cause, replied as follows : 

In compliance with the request of the petitioners, the Assembly are 
willing to assign to the cause of temperance a relation to our Church not 
dissimilar to that which has been given to the benevolent objects with 
which it is compared. But with none of these do we maintain any other 
connection than that which their own moral power secures upon the free 
affection and esteem of our members. Very cheerfully and earnestly 
would this Assembly commend the cause of temperance to all the minis- 
ters and members of our Church, and urge them heartily to co-operate 
with every judicious effort in a Christian spirit to promote it; that pastors 
frequently preach upon the subject, and especially that no countenance be 
given to those social usages by which great temptations to intemperance 
are thrown before their fellow-men. — 1860, p. 262, N. S. 

11. Authority of the Deliverances on Temperance. 

Overture No. 16, from the Presbyteries of Pittsburg and of Philadel- 
phia Central, asking the Assembly for further action, clear and unmistak- 
able, in regard to the manufacture, sale and use as a beverage of intoxi- 
cating liquors. The Committee recommend the following answer : 

This General Assembly, believing the manufacture, sale and use of 
alcoholic stimulants as a beverage to be contrary to the spirit of God's 
word, and wholly inconsistent with the claims of Christian duty, reiterate 
the testimonies of former Assemblies on this subject. 

The Assembly also affirm their conviction of the reprehensible complicity 
in the guilt of the aforesaid traffic of those who knowingly rent their 
premises for such purpose or endorse licenses that legalize it. 

And further to give emphasis to the action now taken and the utter- 
ances of former Assemblies above referred to, the Board of Publication 
are directed to print an abstract of such former testimonies as cover the 
points referred to in the overtures, and send a copy thereof to every pas- 
tor and stated supply within our bounds, with the direction of the Assem- 
bly to read the same publicly from their respective pulpits. 

Finally, the Assembly recommend the general circulation of a temper- 
ance literature as tending to inform and arouse the public conscience with 
reference to the evils of intemperance. And to aid in this they urge upon 
the attention of the Board of Publication the publishing, in addition to 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. 493 

those now on their catalogue, of such other treatises as shall be adapted 
to this end.— 1871, p. 590. 

12. Willful Absenting One's Self from the Ordinances of God's 

House. 

a. The decision of the General Assembly in the case of the appeal of 
Alexander Frazer against a decision of the Synod of Buffalo refusing to 
sustain his appeal, and affirming the decision of the lower courts suspend- 
ing him from the communion of the Church on the charge of a willful 
absenting of himself from the ordinances of God's house for the space of 
a year and a half, is that the appeal be not sustained, but the decision of 
the Synod affirmed : 

First. Because the conduct charged, if the appellant was justly charge- 
able with such conduct, was a high offence. 

Second. Because it was openly acknowledged in court by the appellant 
that he was chargeable with the offence charged, and this is not denied by 
any party.— 1859, p. 546-7, O. S. 

b. [In the appeal of Alexander Gordon vs. the Synod of Buffalo.] 
The Assembly deem any detailed expression of opinion in this case sup- 
erseded by the minute already adopted in relation to the case of Mr. Fra- 
zer (see a, above), to which this corresponds in its leading features. . . . 
It is further the opinion of the Assembly that had the improper conduct 
of the appellant been made a subject of discipline at an earlier period, a 
more happy issue might have been reached. The Assembly formally and 
affectionately urges on the appellant a submission to the sentence of his 
brethren and a speedy return to the path of duty and privilege. — 1859, 
p. 547, O. S. 

c. The Assembly took up Judicial Case No. 6, being the complaint of 
the Rev. N. West,' D. D., against the Synod of New York. 

Mr. Rowland had absented himself from the ordinances of the Second 
Church of Brooklyn, New York, for some months. Upon application for 
his certificate the session gave him a certificate, omitting the words " at 
present in good and regular standing," and substituting for them a testimo- 
nial to his previous good Christian character, inserting at the same time 
a statement of the fact of his recent absence from the ordinances of the 
church. Mr. Rowland brought a complaint against the session before the 
Presbytery of Nassau, and the Presbytery sustained the complaint. Mr. 
West complained to the Synod against the Presbytery. The Synod of 
New York, by a vote of 10 to sustain, 12 to sustain in part, and 21 not to 
sustain, sustained the complaint of Rev. N. West against the Presbytery, 
and then, in its final minute, ordered a letter in the usual form to be given 
to Mr. Rowland. Against the decision of the Synod in adopting this 
minute Mr. West complains. . . . 

Dr. Rodgers offered the following resolution, which was adopted: 
Resolved, That the complaint of the Rev. N. West, D. D., be sustained, 
and the decision of the Synod in its final minute be and it hereby is 
reversed ; and further that the Synod erred in prescribing to the session 
of the Second Church of Brooklyn the form of a certificate to be granted 
to Mr. Rowland after they had already granted a certificate to him which 
was agreeable to the Constitution of the Church and to the truth. — 1864, 
p. 328, O. S. 

d. The appeal and complaint of G. A. Hotchkiss against the Synod of 
Indiana for sustaining the session of Pleasant Township Church and the 
Presbytery of Madison in censuring him for absenting himself from pub- 



494 OF DISCIPLINE. 

lie worship on account of disagreement with his pastor. The papers were 
read in order, the regular process prescribed in the book was observed, 
and the Assembly voted unanimously that the action of the inferior courts 
be sustained and confirmed. — 1854, p. 44, O. S. 

e. Discipline Enjoined for Willful Absence. 

Is it consistent with regular standing in our Church for church mem- 
bers to be supporters and attendants in other churches not of our commu- 
nion while absenting themselves from and refusing to support the church 
to which they belong ? 

The Committee recommend that the question be answered in the nega- 
tive, with an injunction on church sessions to make such cases a matter of 
discipline. Adopted. — 1865, p. 537, O. S. 

/. But may not be without Trial. 

The same Committee further reported Overture No. 4, as follows : "Is it 
within the province of the session to excommunicate without formal trial a 
church member who makes a written confession of having embraced heret- 
ical views, and in consequence having violated covenant by long continued 
absence from the ordinances of the church, and who requests to be cut off 
from the church ?" The Committee recommend that the party asking 
the above question be referred to the Book of Discipline, chap, iv., and 
such session be urged to follow strictly the order laid down therein. 

The report was adopted. — 1865, p. 12, N. S. 

13. Deliverance on Marriage, Divorce and Infanticide. 

Overture No. 44, relating to unscriptural views of marriage, divorce 
and infanticide. The Committee recommends the following, which was 
adopted : 

The Committee on Bills and Overtures, to which was referred the paper 
relating to divorce and infanticide, begs leave to report that it recom- 
mends the adoption of the following : 

That it is with great pain we are constrained to admit the increasing 
prevalence in many parts of our -country of unscriptural views of the 
marriage relation, in consequence of which the obligations of that rela- 
tion are disregarded by many, and separations of husband and wife and 
divorces for slight and unwarrantable reasons are becoming more frequent 
every year. Nor can we shut our eyes to the fact that the horrible crime 
of infanticide, especially in the form of destruction by parents of their 
own offspring before birth, also prevails to an alarming extent. The evils 
which these errors and crimes have already brought upon our country, 
and the worse evils which they threaten in the near future, make it imper- 
ative, as we believe, that the whole power of the ministry and Church of 
Jesus Christ should be put forth in maintenance of the truth and of vir- 
tue in regard to these things. Many causes have operated to produce a 
corruption of the public morals so deplorable, prominent among which 
may be mentioned the facility with which divorces may be obtained in 
some of the States, the constant promulgation of false ideas of marriage 
and its duties by means of books, lectures, etc., and the distribution 
through the mails of impure publications. But an influence not less 
powerful than any of these is the growing devotion to fashion and luxury 
of this age, and the idea which practically obtains to so great an extent 
that pleasure, instead of the glory of God and the enjoyment of his favor, 
is the great object of life. 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. 495 

It is, therefore, the duty of the Church of Christ to oppose iu every 
practicable way these aud all other corruptiug agencies and tendencies, 
and we especially urge upon all ministers of the gospel the duty of giving 
instruction to the people of their respective charges as to the scriptural 
doctrine concerning the marriage relation. We warn them against join- 
ing in wedlock any who may have been divorced upon other than scrip- 
tural grounds. We also enjoin upon church sessions the exercise of due 
discipline in the cases of those members who may be guilty of violating 
the law of Christ in this particular. 

This Assembly regards the destruction by parents of their own offspring 
before birth with abhorrence, as a crime against God and against nature ; 
and as the frequency of such murders can no longer be concealed, we 
hereby warn those that are guilty of this crime that, except they repent, 
they cannot inherit eternal life. We also exhort those who have been 
called to preach the gospel, and all who love purity and the truth, and who 
would avert the just judgments of almighty God from the nation, that they 
be no longer silent or tolerant of these things, but that they endeavor by 
all proper means to stay the floods of impurity and cruelty. 

We call upon all to remember that marriage is honorable not only in 
itself, but in its ends. Therefore all who seek to avoid the responsibilities 
and cares connected with the bringing up of children not only deprive 
themselves of one of the greatest blessings of life, and fly in the face of 
God's decrees, but do violence to their own natures, and will be found out 
of their sins even in this world. — 1869, p. 937, O. S. 

IV. Nothing, therefore, ought to be considered by any judicatory 
as an offence, or admitted as. matter of accusation, which cannot be 
proved to be such from Scripture, or from the regulations and prac- 
tice of the Church, founded on Scripture; and which does not involve 
those evils which discipline is intended to prevent. 

a. New Terms of Communion will not be Sanctioned. 

On the question whether the manufacturer, vender or retailer of intoxi- 
cating drinks should be continued in the full communion of the Church. 
The Committee recommend the following resolution, viz. : " That whilst 
the Assembly rejoice in the success of the temperance reformation, and 
will use all lawful means to promote it, they cannot sanction the adoption 
of any new terms of communion." 

Which was adopted.— 1842, p. 16, O. S. 

b. Each Case must be Judged of by its own Circumstances. 

Resolved, That the records of the Synod of Pittsburg be approved, ex- 
cept so far as they seem to establish a general rule in regard to the use 
and sale of ardent spirits as a beverage, which use and sale are generally 
to be decidedly disapproved ; but each case must be decided in view of all 
the attendant circumstances that go to modify and give character to the 
same.— 1843, p. 189, O. S. 

V. The exercise of discipline, in such a manner as to edify the 
Church, requires not only much of the spirit of piety, but also much 
prudence and discretion. It becomes the rulers of the Church, there- 
fore, to take into view all the circumstances which may give a differ- 
ent character to conduct, and render it more or less offensive; and 



496 OF DISCIPLINE. 

which may, of course, require a very different mode of proceeding in 
similar cases, at different times, for the attainment of the same end. 

1. The Censure must be Proportionate to the Offence. 

a. It being the order of the day, the Assembly proceeded to consider the 
appeal of Mr. Jabez Spicer from the decision of the Synod of Geneva, by 
which Mr. Spicer had been deposed from the gospel ministry. The docu- 
ments on the subject were read, and the parties were heard. After a con- 
siderable discussion, the following resolution was adopted, viz.: 

Resolved, That the appeal of Mr. Spicer be sustained, on the ground 
that the sentence pronounced upon him was disproportioned to his crime, 
it not appearing substantiated that he was guilty of more than a single 
act of prevarication ; while, therefore, the Assembly express their entire 
disapprobation of the conduct of Mr. Spicer, as unbecoming a Christian and 
Christian minister, they reverse the sentence of deposition passed upon 
him by the Presbytery, and direct that after suitable admonitions and ac- 
knowledgments he be restored to the ministerial office. — 1821, p. 24. 

b. The discussion left unfinished yesterday afternoon was resumed, viz.: 
of the motion to reverse a decision of the Presbytery of Lexington, by 
which decision Mr. George Bourne was deposed from the gospel ministry. 
This motion, after it had been amended and fully discussed, was deter- 
mined in the affirmative, and is as follows, viz. : 

The Assembly judge that the charges in the case of Mr. Bourne were 
not fully substantiated, and that, if they had been, the sentence was too 
severe. Therefore, 

Resolved, That the sentence of the Presbytery of Lexington, deposing 
Mr. Bourne, be reversed, and it is hereby reversed, and that the Presby- 
tery commence the trial anew. — 1817, p. 646. 

c. The Assembly sustain the appeal of David Price from the decision 
of the Synod of Geneva, on the ground that the charge of intoxication 
was not sufficiently supported by the testimony; although it does appear, 
principally from his owm confession, that he had made an unbecoming use 
of ardent spirits, and that an admonition was, in the view of the Assem- 
bly, deserved, and would have been sufficient. — 1825, p. 155. 

d. Resolved, That the decision of the Synod of Cincinnati, reversing the 
action of the Presbytery and session, upon the second charge, be sustained 
in part on the ground that the suspension of the parties accused was too 
severe in the case, and that the session be recommended to revoke the 
suspension and admonish the parties. — 1865, p. 550, O. S. 

[See also under chap, vii., sec. ill-, sub-sec. x., 4.] 

2. Great Tenderness Enjoined. 

Whereas, It has appeared on the trial of judicial cases 1 and 2 (see 
Book of Discipline, chap, i., sec. iii., 12, a) that full testimony was given, 
as well in this court as in the trial in the courts below, to the exemplary 
Christian character of the appellants in these cases respectively; and 

Whereas, The offence which has subjected said appellants to the disci- 
pline of the Church has arisen from a conscience misled by erroneous 
views of their duty; therefore, 

Resolved, That it be recommended to the session of the Church of Cal- 
edonia to deal with these brethren with the utmost tenderness and Chris- 
*tian affection, that they may be led to see their errors and return to their 
duty, and that they may be restored to the fellowship of the Church, from 
which they have been too long separated. — 1859, p. 548, O. 8. 



OF PRIVATE OFFENCES. 497 

VI. All baptized persons are members of the church, are under 
its care, and subject to its government and discipline : and when they 
have arrived at the years of discretion, they are bound to perform all 
the duties of church members. 

[See in full under Directory of Worship, chap, ix., sec. i., Of the 
admission of persons to sealing ordinances.] 

VII. Offences are either private or public ; to each of which appro- 
priate modes of proceeding belong. 



CHAPTEK II. 
OF PRIVATE OFFENCES. 

I. Private offences are such as are known only to an individual, 
or, at most, to a very few. 

II. Private offences ought not to be immediately prosecuted before 
a church judicatory, because the objects of discipline may be quite as 
well, and, in many cases, much better attained, by a different course ; 
and because a public prosecution, in such circumstances, would tend 
unnecessarily to spread the knowledge of offences, to exasperate and 
harden offenders, to extend angry and vexatious litigation, and thus 
to render the discipline of the church more injurious than the origi- 
nal offence. 

III. No complaint or information on the subject of personal and 
private injuries, shall be admitted, unless those means of reconcilia- 
tion, and of privately reclaiming the offender, have been used, which 
are required by Christ, Matt, xviii. 15, 16. And in case of offences, 
which, though not personal, are private — that is, knowm only to one, 
or a very few, it is proper to take the same steps, as far as circum- 
stances admit. 

1. No Testimony may be Introduced Injurious to Parties not on 

Trial. 

An overture on a case of discipline was taken up, and is as follows : 
Suppose a member of the church is on trial, and his accuser is " Com- 
mon Fame." One specification against him is, "Speaking evil of his 
brethren A and B, while he neglects to take any gospel steps to bring them to 
repentance or to trial" 

The specification is abundantly sustained by testimony, but the person 
on trial proposes to introduce testimony to prove that the reports which 
he circulated, and the opinions which he pronounced derogatory to the 
brethren named, were true. Has the accused a right to introduce such tes- 
tis 



498 OF DISCIPLINE. 

timony tending to injure the character of parties not on trial, nor connected 
at all with the prosecution, and having no opportunity for defence t 

Would the session be authorized to reject such testimony, on the ground 
that if introduced it would not exculpate the accused, inasmuch as he had 
no right to circulate evil reports against his brethren, whether true or 
false, while neglecting to bring them to trial ? 

To this the following answer was given : 

The person on trial under charges tabled on the ground of " Common 
Fame" has no right to introduce testimony which inculpates his brethren 
who are not on trial, and who have no opportunity to defend themselves, 
because it was his previous duty to take proper steps, if the persons were 
guilty of the evils which he had alleged against them, to bring them to 
repentance or free the church from the scandal. — 1852, p. 177, S". S. 

IV. Those who bring information of private and personal injuries 
before judicatories, without having taken these previous steps, shall 
themselves be censured, as guilty of an offence against the peace and 
order of the church. 

V. If any person shall spread the knowledge of an offence, unless 
so far as shall be . unavoidable, in prosecuting it before the proper 
judicatory, or in the due performance of some other indispensable 
duty, he shall be liable to censure as a slanderer of his brethren. 

a. The Committee to which was referred the petition of certain individu- 
als, members of the congregation in Tammany street, Baltimore, reported, 
and their report, being read and amended, was adopted, and is as fol- 
lows, viz. : 

That while it is unquestionably the privilege of individuals and mem- 
bers of the Presbyterian Church, when they think they see the peace, 
purity or prosperity of the Church in danger, either from an individual 
or from an inferior court, to apply to the General Assembly in an orderly 
manner for redress or direction, yet, in such cases, unless they mean to 
come forward as prosecutors with the necessary testimony, they should 
most carefully avoid mentioning names connected with charges of the 
most serious kind in support of which no evidence has been orderly ad- 
duced ; nor have the individuals thus accused had an opportunity of 
replying to those charges, or of making any defence of themselves. The 
Assembly, therefore, cannot witness a procedure of this kind without 
expressing their disapprobation of it. — 1824, p. 113. 

b. Resolved, That the Assembly sustain the appeals of the session of 
the church of Bloomington and of Dr. Wylie against a decision of the 
►Synod of Indiana, and the judgment of the. Presbytery and session is 
hereby confirmed, on the ground that Mr. Harney circulated evil reports 
against Dr. Wylie without showing that he did it in the due performance 
of some indispensable duty ; but it is the judgment of this Assembly that 
Mr. Harney shall still have the privilege, if he desire it, of commencing 
ft prosecution against Dr. Wylie before the Presbytery of Vincennes ; and 
in such case said Presbytery are hereby authorized and directed to hear 
the whole cause, and issue the same in a constitutional way. — 1834, p. 443. 

[See under III., above.] 



OF PUBLIC OFFENCES. 499 

CHAPTER III. 
OF PUBLIC OFFENCES. 

I. A public offence is that which is attended with such circum- 
stances as to require the cognizance of a church judicatory. 

II. This is always the case when an offence is either so notorious 
and scandalous, as that no private steps would obviate its injurious ef- 
fects ; or when, though originally known to one, or a few, the private 
steps have been ineffectual, and there is, obviously, no way of remov- 
ing the offence, but by means of a judicial process. 

III. An offence, gross in itself, and known to several, may be so 
circumstanced, that it plainly cannot be prosecuted to conviction. In 
such cases, however grievous it may be to the pious, to see an un- 
worthy member in the church, it is proper to wait until God, in his 
righteous providence, shall give further light; as few things tend 
more to weaken the authority of discipline, and to multiply offences, 
than to commence process without sufficient proof. 

IV. When any person is charged with a crime, not by an individ- 
ual, or individuals, coming forward as accusers, but by general rumor, 
the previous steps prescribed by our Lord in case of private offences, 
are not necessary; but the proper judicatory is bound to take imme- 
diate cognizance of the affair. 

Y. In order to render an offence proper for the cognizance of a 
judicatory on this ground, the rumor must specify some particular 
sin or sins ; it must be general, or widely spread ; it must not be 
transient, but permanent, and rather gaining strength than declining; 
and it must be accompanied with strong presumption of truth. 
Taking up charges on this ground, of course, requires great caution, 
and the exercise of much Christian prudence. 

YI. It may happen, however, that in consequence of a report, which 
does not fully amount to a general rumor, as just described, a slan- 
dered individual may request a judicial investigation, which it may 
be the duty of the judicatory to institute. 



500 OF DISCIPLINE. 

CHAPTER IV. 

OF ACTUAL PROCESS. 

I. When all other means of removing an offence have failed, the 
judicatory to which cognizance of it properly belongs, shall judicially 
take it into consideration. 

Judicial Cases should be Continued without Interruption. 

The Judicial Committee recommend this Assembly to adopt the rule of 
the last General Assembly (Minutes of 1864, page 321), as follows : 

Whereas, In the experience of this General Assembly and others the 
confusion arising from the frequent interruption of important business by 
other items of business wholly disconnected has greatly hindered the sat- 
isfactory interest and understanding of the members, as well as protracted 
our proceedings ; therefore, 

Resolved, That it be made a standing rule of the Assembly that all ju- 
dicial cases be continued without interruption during the sessions of the 
day, after the Assembly shall have entered upon them, according to ap- 
pointment, for the order of the day. — 1865, p. 535, O. S. 

II. There are two modes in which an offence may be brought be- 
fore a judicatory: either by an individual or individuals, who appear 
as accusers, and undertake to substantiate the charge; or by common 
fame. 

III. In the former case, process must be pursued in the name of 
the accuser or accusers. In the latter, there is no need of naming 
any person as the accuser. Common fame is the accuser. Yet a gen- 
eral rumor may be raised by the rashness, censoriousness, or malice, of 
one or more individuals. When this appears to have been the case, 
such individuals ought to be censured in proportion to the degree of 
criminality which appears attached to their conduct. 

IV. Great caution ought to be exercised in receiving accusations 
from any person who is known to indulge a malignant spirit towards 
the accused; who is not of good character; who is himself under cen- 
sure or process; who is deeply interested, in any respect, in the convic- 
tion of the accused; or who is known to be litigious, rash, or highly 
imprudent. 

Admonition to Prosecutors. 

And the Assembly judge it more necessary to admonish Mr. Galbraith, 
and all those who have been and now are connected with him in any con- 
troversy with Mr. Balch, not to cherish a spirit of litigation, malevolence 
and discord equally contrary to the general tenor of the gospel and to the 
peace and harmony of that branch of the Church with which they are con- 
nected ; in particular that they withdraw, agreeably to their engagements 
to the Synod of the Carolinas, the civil suits which they have commenced, 



OF ACTUAL PROCESS. 501 

and comply with the whole recommendation of the Synod on that subject. 
On the whole, the Assembly hope and trust that all the parties in this 
concern will feel the solemn obligations which lie upon them as professed 
disciples of the meek and lowly Jesus not to indulge a rancorous spirit, 
nor to rend and divide his Church by the indulgence of a haughty, un- 
complying and unforgiving temper, but to unite mutually and cordially 
in endeavoring to close the wounds which they have unhappily opened, 
over which they have so much reason to mourn, and which we exhort and 
conjure them not to aggravate, but by every gentle and tender application 
to endeavor to heal. — 1798, p. 159. 

V. When a judicatory enters on the consideration of a crime or 
crimes alleged, no more shall be done at the first meeting, unless by 
consent of parties, than to give the accused a copy of each charge, with 
the names of the witnesses to support it; and to cite all concerned, to 
appear at the next meeting of the judicatory, to have the matter fully 
heard and decided. Notice shall be given to the parties concerned, at 
least ten days previously to the meeting of the judicatory. 

I. Censure without Trial Informal. 

a. Messrs. Ker and Eankin, the commissioners to this Assembly from 
the Presbytery of Lewes, in behalf and by the order of the said Presby- 
tery, applied to the Assembly and remonstrated against a decision of the 
last Assembly in the case of Mr. Hindman, in which they conceive the 
Presbytery of Lewes is virtually condemned without their having had an 
opportunity of defending themselves, wdiich they conceive they could 
readily have done. 

After considerable discussion, it was 

Resolved, As the sense of this house, that no man or body of men, 
agreeably to the Constitution of this Church, ought to be condemned or 
censured without having notice of the accusation against him or them and 
notice given for trial; and therefore, that if the General Assembly of last 
year meant by the minute in question to pass a censure on the Pres- 
bytery of Lewes, it was informal.— 1793, p. 71. 

b. There was an error in the Synod of North Carolina in expressing a 
judicial opinion in relation to charges against Mr. Davies which did not 
come before them.— 1849, p. 264, O. S. 

2. A Judicatory may not Suspend without Trial. 

The Committee appointed to examine the records of the Synod of the 
Carolinas reported, and the book was approved to page 28 of the twenty- 
third sessions of said Synod, with the exception of the resolution to make 
a minister liable to suspension without trial for three years' absence from 
Synod, without sending forward his reasons for absence. — 1811, p. 468. 

3. Censure upon an Absent Person without Citation Disap- 
proved of. 

The Assembly, moreover, cannot forbear expressing their regret that 
the Presbytery of Washington should have passed a vote of censure upon 
Mr. McCalla without citing him to appear before them or giving him any 
opportunity of making a defence, since this mode of proceeding seems to 
have occasioned a portion of the irregularity in the Presbytery of West 



502 OF DISCIPLINE. 

Lexington, of which the Presbytery of Washington have complained. — 
1821, p. 21. 

4. Ministers may not be Excluded from the Pulpits of the Churches, 
nor Members from Communion, without Trial. 

Whereas, It appears from memorials sent up to this Assembly that sev- 
eral of our Presbyteries have adopted resolutions excluding slaveholders 
from their pulpits and from their communion ; and whereas, our Constitu- 
tion requires that no member of the Presbyterian Church shall be thus 
disfranchised without a regular trial and conviction ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the said Presbyteries be requested to rescind such reso- 
lutions.— 1840, p. 24, N. S. 

[See below, under sec. xv., a, b.~\ 

VI. The citations shall be issued and signed by the moderator or 
clerk, by order, and in the name of the judicatory. He shall also 
furnish citations for such witnesses as the accused shall nominate, to 
appear on his behalf. 

VII. Although it is required that the accused be informed of the 
names of all the witnesses who are to be adduced against him, at 
least ten days before the time of trial (unless he consent to waive the 
right and proceed immediately), it is not necessary that he, on his 
part, give a similar notice to the judicatory of all the witnesses in- 
tended to be adduced by him for his exculpation. 

1. The Accused may not be Required to Declare what he Expects 
to Prove by his "Witnesses. 

The Judicial Committee in reference to Judicial Case No. 4 — the case 
of J. H. Spillman against the Synod of Kentucky — after a further con- 
ference with the parties representing this case, would recommend to the 
General Assembly the adoption of the following minute disposing of the 
same : 

While this General Assembly do not undertake to reverse the decision 
of the Synod of Kentucky against Mr. J. H. Spillman, it cannot be 
doubted — for it is admitted by the Synod's and the Presbytery's repre- 
sentatives here — that there were some informalities in the proceedings of 
the lower courts against Mr. Spillman, which this General Assembly is 
bound to disapprove ; in particular, that the session had no right to insist 
upon Mr. Spillman's making known beforehand what he expected to prove 
by his witnesses as the condition upon which he should be allowed to proceed 
in the examination. On the other hand, it is equally clear that Mr. Spill- 
man ought not to have abandoned his case, as it appears by the record 
that he did, upon that decision by the session. This General Assembly, 
however, grant leave to Mr. Spillman to withdraw his appeal, and recom- 
mend to the session of Paint Lick Church to take up the case where it 
was abandoned before their tribunal, provided that Mr. Spillman assure 
them that he has testimony to produce which may be relevant to the 
case.— 1860, p. 45, O. S. 

VIII. In exhibiting charges, the times, places, and circumstances 
should, if possible, be ascertained and stated, that the accused may 



OF ACTUAL PROCESS. 503 

have an opportunity to prove an alibi, or to extenuate or alleviate 
his offence. 

1. The Charge must be Specific. 

a. Mr. Ewing complains against the Commission that they received 
charges against him which were vague and indeterminate. The Synod 
agrees that these charges are rather deficient in point of specialty, but 
are of opinion that the Commission acted with prudence and integrity in 
receiving said charges, inasmuch as they endeavored to reduce them to a 
specialty, and as Mr. Ewing submitted so far as to plead to them, and as 
the particular circumstances of the first and third Presbyterian congrega- 
tions in Philadelphia were viewed by them as so critical as in their judg- 
ment required an immediate discussion of the affair. 

Yet the Synod orders that all their judicatures shall for the future be 
particularly careful not to receive or judge of any charges but such as 
shall be seasonably reduced to a specialty in the complaint laid before 
them.— 1770, p. 406. 

Especially in Cases of Heresy. 

b. There was a great deficiency in the charges preferred against Mr. 
Craighead as it relates to precision. All charges for heresy should be as 
definite as possible. The article or articles of faith impugned should be 
specified, and the words supposed to be heretical shown to be in repug- 
nance to these articles, whether the reference is made directly to the Scrip- 
ture as a standard of orthodoxy, or to the Confession of Faith, which our 
Church holds to be a summary of the doctrines of Scripture. But in 
none of the charges against Mr. Craighead is this done, and in two of 
them (third and fourth) it would be very difficult to say what articles of 
faith are supposed to be contravened in the errors charged on Mr. Craig- 
head. And the last two charges appear to be so vague and indefinite as 
to be incapable of proof. In the fifth Mr. Craighead is charged with 
perverting, etc., the sentiments of the preachers and writers in our con- 
nection. Xow, in our connection there are a multitude of preachers and 
writers differing by many shades of opinion from each other. How, then, 
can this be a just ground of accusation ? In the sixth he is charged with 
the false coloring of facts, etc. But no facts are established by evidence, 
none are specified in the charge; and to make it a just ground of accusa- 
tion, it ought to have been a designed and malicious discoloring of the 
tacts, etc.— 1824, p. 121. 

c. The Assembly would further advise that all the charges against Mr. 
Spillman which may be wanting in definiteness be made, if practicable, 
more specific, so that they may be conformable to the directions of the 
Book of Discipline.— 1860, p. 46, O. S. 

IX. The judicatory, in many cases, may find it more for edifica- 
tion, to send some members to converse, in a private manner, with 
the accused person ; and if he confess his guilt, to endeavor to bring 
htm to repentance, than to proceed immediately to citation. 

X. When an accused j^erson, or a witness, refuses to obey the cita- 
tion, he shall be cited a second time: and if he still continue to re- 
fuse, he shall be excluded from the communion of the church, for his 
contumacy, until he repent. 

[See below, iv., sec. xi., Arthur's case.] 



504 OF DISCIPLINE. 

1. Contumacy not to be Hastily Inferred. 

In the progress of this case the Presbytery proceeded regularly to cite 
the accused, once and again ; and upon his not appearing, they proceeded 
to the trial, and having gone through the evidence they referred the whole 
to the Synod to adjudicate upon it, with the expression of their own opin- 
ion that Mr. Craighead ought to be suspended. The Synod met imme- 
diately after Presbytery, and took up the case, and in concurrence with 
the opinion of the Presbytery suspended Mr. Craighead from the gospel 
ministry. 

In this proceeding the General Assembly are of opinion that there was 
too much haste. Mr. Craighead was not guilty of contumacy, for he wrote 
two letters to the Presbytery excusing himself for non-attendance ; and if 
he had been guilty of contumacy, he ought to have been suspended on 
that ground. — 1824, p. 121. 

[Craighead's case, see below, chap, vii., sec. iii., sub-sec. x.] 

2. Proceedings in Case of Contumacy. 

When an accused church member is contumacious on a second citation, 
the member is suspended for contumacy ; is it the duty of the session after 
having examined witnesses and spread the testimony on the record to 
decide the case, and enter the judgment also on the record ? 

Answered by referring to Book of Discipline, chap, iv., sees, x., xi. and 
xiii.— 1865, p. 537, O. S. 

3. Contumacious. — Restored on Submission. 

The Committee to whom was referred the appeal of Mrs. Maria Hill 
from the decision of the Synod of Albany at their stated meeting at Cats- 
kill in her case respectfully report: 

That after examining the documents presented, and hearing the state- 
ments of the parties, by themselves or counsel, your Committee are satis- 
fied that substantial justice has been done in their case. 

The alleged irregularities in the lower judicatories which are complained 
of are of a technical character, or caused by the course pursued by the 
appellant or her agents. She could at any time have arrested the pro- 
ceedings and prevented a conviction of contumacy by submitting to the 
authority of her session and answering their citations, and can now at 
any moment reverse the sentence and be restored in the manner provided 
by the tenth article of the fourth chapter of our Book of Discipline. 

Your Committee, therefore, recommend that the appeal of Mrs. Maria 
Hill be not sustained. Adopted as the decision of this Assemblv. — 1864, 
p. 504, N. S. 

[See in full below, chap, iv., sec. xiii.— 1866, p. 282-288, N. S.] 

XI. Although, on the first citation, the person cited shall declare in 
writing, or otherwise, his fixed determination not to obey it ; this dec- 
laration shall in no case, induce the judicatory to deviate from the reg- 
ular course prescribed for citations. They shall proceed as if no such 
declaration had been made. The person cited may afterward alter 
his mind. 



OF ACTUAL PROCESS. 505 

1. Contumacy not to be Charged on first Citation. 

The Assembly sustained the appeal of Mr. Arthur from the sentence of 
the Presbyteiy, by which he was suspended from the gospel ministry on 
the ground of contumacy, because the Presbytery appeared to have been 
precipitate, and not to have observed the constitutional rules. [See Dis- 
cipline, chap, iv., sees, vi., x. and xi.] They deem, too, the request of Mr. 
Arthur for a copy of the first sentence to have been reasonable, and that 
it ought to have been complied with. — 1822, p. 53. 

2. The Forms of Process may not be Dispensed with. 

a. Is it within the province of the session to excommunicate, without 
formal trial, a church member who makes a written confession of having 
embraced heretical views, and in consequence having violated covenant 
by long-continued absence from the ordinances of the Church, and who 
requests to be cut off from the Church ? 

The Committee recommend that the party asking the above question be 
referred to the Book of Discipline, chap, iv., and such session be urged to 
follow strictly the order laid down therein. 

The report was adopted. — 1865, p. 12, K S. 

b. [See also under Form of Government, chap, ix., sec. vi.] 

If an accused person confess judgment, the actual process maybe short- 
ened, but it cannot be dispensed with. — 1866, p. 268, N. S. 

XII. The time which must elapse between the first citation of an 
accused person, or a witness, and the meeting of the judicatory at , 
which he is to appear, is at least ten days. But the time allotted for 
his appearance in the subsequent citation is left to the discretion of 
the judicatory; provided always, however, that it be not less than is 
quite sufficient for a seasonable and convenient compliance with the 
citation. 

XIII. The second citation ought always to be accompanied with a 
notice, that if the person cited do not appear at the time appointed, 
the judicatory, besides censuring him for his contumacy, will, after 
assigning some person to manage his defence, proceed to take the tes- 
timony in his case as if he were present. 

1. In the Absence of the Accused Counsel must be Assigned. 

But the appeal from the first sentence, by which the charge of slander 
preferred against him by the Rev. Joshua L. Wilson was declared to be 
substantiated and Mr. Arthur required to submit to a rebuke, the Assem- 
bly could not sustain. For, although the Assembly noticed the omission 
of Presbytery to assign Mr. Arthur counsel to manage his defence (see 
Discipline, chap, iv., sec. xiii.), yet they did judge the pamphlet, of which 
Mr. Arthur admitted himself to be the author, to contain slander against 
Mr. Wilson, and could not but disapprove of the spirit under the influence 
of which it appeared to have been written.— 1822, p. 53. 

2. In case of Contumacy, the Order of Procedure. 

a. Where an accused church member is contumacious on a second cita- 
tion, and the member is suspended for contumacy, is it the duty of the ses- 

64 



506 OF DISCIPLINE. 

sion, after having examined witness and spread the testimony on the rec- 
ord, to decide the case and enter the judgment also on the record ? 

Answered by referring to the Book of Discipline, chap, iv., sees, x., xi. 
and xiii .— 1865, p. 537, O. S. 

b. When the Judicatory has taken the Testimony as above, it may Proceed to 
Trial and final Judgment as if the Accused were present 

[The Assembly of 1865 (N. S.) appointed a Special Committee — Rev. 
Samuel W. Fisher, D.D., Rev. Thomas Brainerd, D.D., Rev. Ezra E. Ad- 
ams, D. D., Hon. William Strong, LL.D., and Hon. Joseph Allison, LL.D. 
— to report to the next Assembly. See Minutes, 1865, p. 49. Their report 
was presented the next year and was adopted, viz. :] 

The undersigned, a Special Committee, to whom was referred Overture 
No. 14, to the General Assembly of 1865, together with the report of a 
former Committee thereon, and who were instructed to report to the pres- 
ent Assembly, respectfully submit the following : 

The overture is in these words: "When the judicatory have proceeded, 
in accordance with chap, iv., sec. xiii., of the Book of Discipline, to take 
the testimony in the case of an accused person, may they proceed to pa^s 
judgment thereon, as if he were present, or shall he be left simply under 
censure for contumacy?" 

The question thus presented is exclusively one of power. It is not 
whether, in all cases, it is advisable that a church judicatory should pro- 
ceed to a final determination of the case ; nor is it what has been the 
usage in some of the tribunals of the Church ; but it is strictly, What 
does the Book of Discipline authorize? It is freely admitted, that a. long 
course of usage under a statute is no inconsiderable evidence of the mean- 
ing of that statute ; but it must be a usage growing out of the enactment 
itself, and claimed to have been authorized by it. Mere neglect to exer- 
cise powers conferred is no proof that they were not granted. Had the 
fathers of the Church generally decided that, by the fourth chapter of the 
Book of Discipline, no power is recognized in a judicatory to proceed to 
the trial of an accused person when he has refused to obey its citations, 
that his contumacious refusal must arrest all steps to purify the Church 
of the offence charged, beyond taking evidence to prove that offence, and 
had such a construction of the Book been generally accepted, it ought to 
have weight in answer to this overture. But there is no evidence that 
any such judicial construction has been generally given to the language 
of the Book. Undoubtedly there have been differences of opinion, and, 
possibly, it may have been decided in some judicatory, that jurisdiction 
over an offence charged is necessarily suspended, whenever an accused 
person disobeys the citations ; but this is of little value in determining 
what the framers of the Book of Discipline meant by its directions re- 
specting process, trial and judgment. It is much more important that, in 
certain cases, where the proof is clear, as where the accused has confessed 
his guilt, or where he has been convicted of violating the civil law and 
has absconded, church sessions have been accustomed to proceed to trial 
and judgment, notwithstanding a refusal of the accused to appear in an- 
swer to citations. Such cases are judicial assertions of power, never de- 
nied, so far as we are informed. 

But there is not enough in judicial decision nor in authoritative usage 
to settle the question. After all, it must be answered from the Book; and 
the true inquiry is, What is the fair interpretation of the rules laid down 
in the fourth chapter ? A universally recognized rule of construction is, 



OF ACTUAL PEOCESS. 507 

that, when the purpose of a statute is clear, the means given for effectu- 
ating it are to be interpreted with reference to the purpose, and, if possi- 
ble, so as to secure its accomplishment. Now the ends of discipline are 
clearly defined. They are declared, by the second section of the first 
chapter, to be "the removal of offences, the vindication of the honor of 
Christ, the promotion of the purity and general edification of the Church, 
and also the benefit of the offender himself." The fourth chapter con- 
tains the directions given to church judicatories, by which these ends are 
to be secured. Manifestly, they were intended to be a complete and ef- 
ficient system adequate to the purposes in view. If they fail of that, the 
avowed object of their framers is defeated. Then there is no power to 
remove an offence in any case where the alleged offender refuses to submit 
himself to trial. Plainly, it is the offence charged which is sought to be 
removed, either by bringing the offender to repentance, or by the judg- 
ment of the Church upon it, and ultimately, if necessary, removing the 
offender. It is from that offence the Church is to be purified, and the 
honor of Christ vindicated, for by that offence the evil has been done. 
Anything that comes short of discipline for that, fails of accomplishing 
the avowed purposes for which the directions of the fourth chapter were 
prescribed. Contumacious disobedience of citations is another distinct 
offence, punishment for which is entirely collateral to discipline for the 
cause that induced the commencement of the process. It is contempt of 
the lawful authority of the Church, and suspension for it is summary pun- 
ishment for the collateral offence alone. Neither directly nor indirectly 
is it an expression of opinion respecting the delinquent's guilt or inno- 
cence of the charge preferred originally against him. Suspension for con- 
tumacy would be proper, without regard to anything beyond it. It is 
quite conceivable that an accused person may willfully disobey citations, 
and yet be innocent of the charges made against him. It certainly would 
be an anomaly in any judicial proceeding to hold that a penalty inflicted 
for a collateral offence vindicates the law against another and possibly 
much greater crime. 

If, therefore, the defined ends of discipline are to be secured, a church 
session must have power to proceed to trial and judgment, though the ac- 
cused person refuse to obey the citations duly served upon him ; and it is 
not to be concluded, without clear evidence, that means given to secure 
those ends are inadequate. When the meaning of the language used in 
the fourth chapter is sought, the best guide to it will be found in the para- 
mount intention the language was designed to subserve. The directions 
given must be construed consistently with that intention; to further rather 
than to defeat it. Looking then to the sections of the fourth chapter, and 
regarding them as part of a system designed for the purposes above men- 
tioned, to be interpreted so as to harmonize with those purposes as well as 
with each other, the conclusion seems inevitable that whenever an accusa- 
tion has been made against a church member, and a church judicatory 
has entered judicially upon its consideration and obtained jurisdiction by 
serving of citations upon him, it may go on to final judgment, though he 
refuses to obey the citations. It is observable that the entire fourth chap- 
ter is but an outline of process. It does not undertake to prescribe min- 
utely each step that may be taken. It does not even expressly authorize 
a judicatory to proceed to trial in any case. It rather assumes that, hav- 
ing taken judicial cognizance of the proceeding, the tribunal will go to 
trial and judgment. Like a writ of summons in a civil court, the citation 
is notice that the judicatory has assumed jurisdiction of the case, and that 
it will proceed to its final determination. When that notice has been 



508 OF DISCIPLINE. 

given as prescribed, it is contemplated rather than expressly required that 
witnesses will be examined ; that a trial will be proceeded with, and that 
a judgment will be given. All these things are implied from what is di- 
rected respecting them. They are not affirmatively enjoined or even per- 
mitted. Thus it is said, " witnesses shall be examined in the presence of 
the accused, or at least after he shall have received a citation to attend," 
and that he shall be permitted to ask any questions tending to his excul- 
pation. This is a regulation of the mode of examination, not a direct 
gift of power to take testimony, yet the implication of power is irresist- 
ible. The fourteenth section prescribes certain things before proceeding to 
trial ; and the fifteenth declares that the trial shall be fair and impartial ; 
but nowhere is it said there shall be a trial. The sixteenth section re- 
quires the judgment to be regularly entered on the record; but no section 
in words authorizes a judgment. Everywhere it is assumed that these 
successive steps in a judicial proceeding may be taken. It would be a 
rash conclusion from the absence of a specific grant of these powers to 
deny any right to take testimony, to try and to give judgment. The 
powers are not only to be implied, but they are comprehensively given by 
the general provision of the first section, that "the judicatory shall judi- 
cially take the offence into consideration when all other means of removing 
it have failed ;" and they are included also in the directions to issue cita- 
tions. Nor is there any substantial distinction made between cases in 
which the accused yields obedience to the citations and those in which he 
is contumaciously disobedient. The thirteenth section is the only one that 
is supposed to make a difference. By that a second citation is required, 
to be accompanied with a notice, that if the person cited do not appear at 
the time appointed, the judicatory, "besides censuring him for his contu- 
macy, will, after assigning some person to manage his defence, proceed to 
take the testimony in his case, as if he were present." It has sometimes 
been asked, if it was intended that the judicatory might proceed in such 
a case to final judgment, why was not notice required that they would 
thus proceed? Why limit the notice to taking testimony ? These ques- 
tions are easily answered. A notice that the judicatory will proceed to 
trial and decision would be unnecessary and superfluous. It has already 
been given in the assumption of jurisdiction over the case and in the ci- 
tations ; but notice of taking testimony is a different matter. Separate 
notice of that is generally given in all judicial proceedings. Its design is 
to give a party an opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses produced 
against him. And, as the judgment in all ecclesiastical courts must be 
founded upon evidence, as a judgment for default of appearance is not 
authorized, it is proper that the accused should have special notice of 
taking the testimony, though he may refuse to appear in answer to the 
citation. In fact, however, notice that the testimony will be taken is 
notice that the judicatory will go on with the trial ; for taking testimony 
is a part of trial, its first stage. Undue inferences are therefore drawn 
from the form of the notice, if it is supposed to indicate that the proceed- 
ings are to stay, when the testimony shall have been taken. At most, it 
raises but a very feeble implication that, because notice of one thing is 
required (a thing very peculiar in itself, and always demanding a special 
notice), therefore nothing else can be done. A similar mode of reasoning 
would render a trial in any case impossible. 

Moreover, the thirteenth section affords strong affirmative evidence that 
a trial and judgment were contemplated by its framers, notwithstanding 
the refusal of the accused to obey the citations. The evidence is found in 
the notice that the judicatory will assign some person, not to appear for 



OF ACTUAL, PROCESS. 509 

the accused at the examination of witnesses, but to "manage his defence." 
The idea of defence in a judicial proceeding is inseparable from answer or 
trial. If, therefore, the non-appearing accused has a defence to be man- 
aged, he has an answer to be put in, a trial to undergo. Taking testimony 
in support of the accusation is no part of the defence. Cross-examination 
of the witnesses may be a part, but the appointee of the judicatory is to 
manage the whole. 

It may also be argued that the provision for taking testimony at all, 
when an accused person fails to respond to the citation, implies that the 
case may proceed to a final determination. For what purpose take testi- 
mony, if no action is to be based upon it? If it be said to preserve it for 
use when the accused, repenting of his contumacy, may choose to appear 
for trial, it may be answered that no such purpose appears in the book. 
None of the provisions usual, when the object sought to be accomplished 
is the perpetuation of testimony, are even hinted at. By the sixteenth 
section the judgment is required to be entered upon the records of the 
judicatory, but nothing is said of the preservation of unused evidence. 
It is not even required to be reduced to writing, unless demanded by one 
of the parties. 

It may also be argued from the language of the fourteenth section that 
a trial for the offence charged is intended, though the citations have been 
disobeyed. In that section it is said that judicatories, "before proceeding 
to trial," "ought to ascertain that their citations have been duly served on 
the persons for whom they were intended." If a person cited is in attend- 
ance, nothing is to be ascertained respecting the service of the citation. 
It is plain, therefore, that this injunction refers mainly at least to proceed- 
ing to trial of an absent accused, and it assumes that the judicatory will, 
after having assured itself of the service of the citations, go on to adjudi- 
cate the case. This section is susceptible of no other meaning. 

A similar implication is found in the next section, the fifteenth, which 
declares that "the trial shall be fair and impartial," and that "the wit- 
nesses shall be examined in the presence of the accused, or, at least, after 
he shall have received due citation to attend." This is a regulation of the 
mode of trial, and it is expressly made applicable both to cases where the 
accused yields obedience to the citation and to cases where he does not. 
With these harmonize the sixteenth section, which assumes that there will 
be a judgment, and the seventeenth, nineteenth and twentieth sections, pre- 
scribing the discipline to be administered in the event of conviction. The 
last of these directs excommunication in certain cases. Its fair interpre- 
tation evidently is that the ground of such extreme action is not contu- 
macy in disobeying process, but the gross offence charged, to answer for 
which the accused had been cited. 

Taking all these sections into consideration, and regarding them as parts 
of one system, as having reference to the same subject-matter and designed 
to secure the ends avowed, the Committee are constrained to regard them 
as applicable to the course of proceeding through all the stages of trial 
alike in cases where the accused does not appear in obedience to the cita- 
tions as when he does. In both the judicatory is empowered to proceed 
to trial and to final judgment. 

To this conclusion an objection has sometimes been urged that at first 
mention seems to have some plausibility. It is that trial of a person in 
his absence and the rendition of judgment against him are in conflict with 
common right and justice; that even criminal courts in State governments 
do not try offenders in their absence, and that ecclesiastical courts ought 
to avoid ex parte proceedings. The objection aims less at the power of a 



510 OF DISCIPLINE. 

judicatory, as recognized by the Book of Discipline, than it does at the 
policy of exercising it. But it misapprehends what are acknowledged 
common right and justice, what are the proceedings of courts of law and 
equity in analogous cases, and what are ex parte proceedings. Nowhere is 
it held that a man may not deny himself his plainest rights. While he 
may not be tried for an alleged offence without having an opportunity to 
be heard, he has no just cause to complain of a trial to which he has been 
summoned by a tribunal having jurisdiction, and which he has persist- 
ently refused to attend. In such a case it is he who throws away his own 
rights. They are not taken from him. This is a principle universally 
recognized in courts of civil law and of equity, and such courts go farther. 
They construe a refusal to obey process requiring an appearance as a sub- 
stantial confession of the complaint, and they render judgment accord- 
ingly. It is true, State courts having criminal jurisdiction do not try 
persons for crimes and misdemeanors in their absence. This is for two 
reasons: They have power to compel attendance, which ecclesiastical 
courts have not ; and the punishments they inflict affect the life, the lib- 
erty or the property of the convicted criminal. In fact, they concern the 
life or the liberty of the accused ; for even if the penalty be only a fine, 
its payment is usually enforced by detention in custody until satisfaction 
be made. But ecclesiastical tribunals can pronounce no judgment that 
touches either the life, the liberty or the property of the accused. Their 
sentences are peculiar. Indeed, it is asserting a false analogy to assimi- 
late a trial before a church session to an indictment and trial in a crimi- 
nal court. It bears a much stronger resemblance to proceedings very 
.common in courts of law, in which members of associations or corporations 
are called upon to respond for some alleged breach of corporate duty, for 
which they are liable to be punished by the imposition of penalties or by 
amotion from membership. In such cases, when the person summoned 
refuses to obey the mandate of the writ, courts proceed at once to dispose 
of his case and render final judgment. No one ever supposed that by so 
doing injustice was done or that any right of the accused was invaded. 
Much less can he complain who has been cited to answer an accusation 
taken into judicial cognizance by a church judicatory and who has contu- 
maciously refused to* obey the citation, if the tribunal proceed to try the 
case, presuming nothing against him but contumacy from his refusal, but 
founding its judgment solely upon the testimony of witnesses. This ob- 
jection, therefore, when examined, appears to be without substance. 

In conclusion, it remains only to recommend, as the opinion of the Com- 
mittee, that the overture be answered by a declaration of the Assembly 
that in the case proposed the judicatory may proceed to trial and final 
judgment as if the accused were present. — 1866, pp. 283-288, N. S. 

XIV. Judicatories, before proceeding to trial, ought to ascertain 
that their citations have been duly served on the persons for whom 
they were intended, and especially before they proceed to ultimate 
measures for contumacy. 

XV. The trial shall be fair and impartial. The witnesses shall 
be examined in the presence of the accused ; or, at least, after he 
shall have received due citation to attend ; and he shall be permitted 
to ask any questions tending to his own exculpation. 



OF ACTUAL PROCESS. 511 

a. In Trying a Case the Judicatory may not Censure One not on Trial. 

The Commission on Judicial Case No. 2 presented the following report, 
which was adopted : 

The Commission to whom was referred Judicial Case No. 2, being the 
complaint of sundry members of the Presbytery of Oxford and others 
against the Synod of Cincinnati in the matter of the complaint of Alex- 
ander Guy against the Presbytery of Oxford, beg leave to report that 
after a careful examination of the case, as it appears of record, and a full 
hearing of the parties, they unanimously recommend the following minute : 

This complaint against the Synod is founded not so much on what the 
Synod did in condemning the record entered by the Presbytery of Oxford 
in the case, as on the failure of the Synod to censure the party to whom 
the record related. Now, in no sense was that party before the Synod. 
No charges had been tabled, no formal complaint against him had been 
laid before that body. It would, therefore, have been incompetent for the 
Synod, in trying the issue between Dr. Guy and the Presbytery of Oxford, 
to have censured another person not on trial before it, and only incident- 
ally connected with the proceedings. 

But whilst refusing to sustain the complaint against the Synod under 
these circumstances, the Assembly would remind the complainants that 
they have a remedy against any grievances under which they may labor 
in the regular forms of procedure laid down in our Book of Discipline. 

It is recommended that the complaint be not sustained. — 1867, p. 360, 
O. S. 

b. Nor Pass Sentence without Conviction by Trial. 

In the complaint of Rev. John Mack, etc., against a decision of the Synod 
of Illinois the Assembly inter alia declare : 

The action of the Presbytery upon a certain resolution was extra- 
judicial. 

Our Book of Discipline, chap, v., sec. vii., pronounces a man a slan- 
derer who on trial fails to make good his charges. 

S. L. Hobson was censured as a slanderer without the court reaching 
by trial the point contemplated in our Book. — 1867, p. 355, O. S. 

[See below, chap, v., sec. vii., 5.] 

XVI. The judgment shall be regularly entered on the records of 
the judicatory ; and the parties shall be allowed copies of the whole 
proceedings, at their own expense, if they demand them. And, in 
case of references, or appeals, the judicatory referring, or appealed 
from, shall send authentic copies of the whole process to the higher 
judicatory. 

1. Appellant Entitled to a Copy of the Sentence. 

They deem too the request of Mr. Arthur for a copy of the first sen- 
tence to have been reasonable, and that it ought to have been complied 
with.— 1822, p. 53. 

2. What is an Authentic Copy? 

a. By "the forms of process" Mr. Bourne ought to be allowed copies 
of the whole proceedings in his case, yet the judicatory appealed from is 
by the same rules "to send up authentic copies of the whole process ;" 



512 OF DISCIPLINE. 

his copy, therefore, which he says was taken by himself, but is not shown 
to the Assembly, is not sufficient ; his affidavit is not required by the course 
of proceeding in this body, and the three papers presented by him are not 
to be considered as the commencement of a cause, or the entry of an 
appeal in this judicatory .—1816, p. 627. 

b. [See Form of Government, chap. xx. : " It shall be the duty of the 
clerk . . . to grant extracts from the records whenever properly required, 
and such extracts under the hand of the clerk shall be considered as 
authentic vouchers of the fact which they declare in any ecclesiastical 
judicatory, and to every part of the Church."] 

3. Where Courts Fail to Send up Documents, the Case is Re- 
manded. 

a. It appearing from the official certificates of the stated clerks of all 
the courts below that important documents in evidence before the session 
which first tried the case were not sent to the Presbytery and Synod, it is 
therefore 

Ordered, That this case be sent back to the Presbytery of Charleston 
for a new trial, and that the session of the church of Columbia be directed 
to correct their record and to send to Presbytery an authentic copy of all 
the evidence and all the documents before them. — 1843, p. 186, O. S. 

b. Lower Courts Directed to Send Up Complete Records. 

It appearing that the record in the case of Abigail Hanna against the 
Synod of Wheeling is incomplete, although the Assembly are informed 
that a complete record was sent by the Synod, it is ordered that the courts 
below send up a complete record to the next General Assembly.— 1843, 
p. 192, O. S. 

c. It appears to the Committee that Mr. Russell has conducted his com- 
plaint in due form, but the Synod has failed to furnish the documents 
needful to its prosecution. The minutes of Synod are present, and com- 
plainant has furnished attested copies of minutes of Presbytery and of 
the testimony of witnesses examined. But we have still no attested copy 
of the charges which had been the basis of the original trial, nor of sundry 
papers referred to in the Presbytery's records, and which had been received 
as testimony. The Committee recommend to the Assembly the adoption 
of the following resolutions in the case: 

Resolved, 1. That the Synod of Georgia be directed to send up to the 
next Assembly authenticated copies of all their records, arid of the whole 
testimony relating to the matter of the complaint, together with their rea- 
sons for not sending up the papers to this Assembly, unless the case shall 
be previously adjusted. 

Resolved, 2. That the papers received from complainant be returned to 
his own custody. Adopted.— 1852, p. 212, O. S. 

XVII. The person found guilty shall be admonished, or rebuked, 
or excluded from church privileges, as the case shall appear to de- 
serve, until he give satisfactory evidence of repentance. 

Censure notto be Removed without Evidence of Repentance. 

The Assembly having heard the complaint of the Presbytery of Car- 
lisle against the Synod of Philadelphia in the case of William S. McDow- 
ell, with the facts and arguments offered both by the Presbytery and the 



OF ACTUAL PEOCESS. 513 

Synod, judged that the Synod had a constitutional right to reverse the 
decision of the Presbytery in the case, either in whole or in part, as to 
them might seem proper, but that in the exercise of this right the Synod 
have not duly regarded the principles of discipline prescribed in the Con- 
stitution, inasmuch as it appears by their records that they have removed 
all censure from a man whom they declare to be deserving of rebuke, 
without directing that rebuke to be administered, and without receiving 
any evidence of his penitence. — 1823, p. 81. 

XVIII* As cases may arise in which many clays, or even weeks, 
may intervene before it is practicable to commence process against 
an accused church member, the session may, in such cases, and ought, 
if they think the edification of the church requires it, to prevent the 
accused person from approaching the Lord's table, until the charge 
against him can be examined. 

The Accused may be Suspended Pending- the Issuing of the 

Case. 

Overture Xo. 21. An inquiry from J. A. Clayton : Whereas, Our Book 
of Discipline, chap, v., sec. ii., says, "the same general method, substitut- 
ing Presbytery for the session," is to be observed in investigating charges 
against a minister as are prescribed in the case of private members, Does 
this authorize the Presbytery to apply the principle contained in chap, iv., 
sec. xviii., to ministers against whom charges exist that cannot be season- 
ably tried, so far as to suspend them from the functions of the gospel min- 
istry until they can be tried ? P. S. — If the above will not apply, what 
should a Presbytery do in the case? 

The Committee recommended the following resolution, which was 
adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, That when charges are tabled against a minister, and it is im- 
practicable at once to issue the case, the Presbytery has the right, if the 
interests of religion seem to demand the measure, to suspend him from 
the exercise of his ministerial functions until the case shall have been 
issued.— 1848, p. 34, O. S. 

See below, under v., ix. 

XIX. The sentence shall be published only in the church or 
churches which have been offended. Or, if the offence be of small 
importance, and such as it shall appear most for edification not to 
publish, the sentence may pass only in the judicatory. 

XX. Such gross offenders, as will not be reclaimed by the private 
or public admonitions of the church, are to be cut off from its com- 
munion, agreeably to our Lord's direction (Matt, xviii. 17), and the 
apostolic injunction respecting the incestuous person. 1 Cor. v. 1-5. 

XXI. No professional counsel shall be permitted to appear and 
plead in cases of process in any of our ecclesiastical courts. But if 
any accused person feels unable to represent and plead his own cause 
to advantage, he may request any minister or elder, belonging to the 
judicatory before wdiich he appears, to prepare and exhibit his cause 

65 



514 OF DISCIPLINE. 

as he may judge proper. But the minister or elder so engaged, shall 
not be allowed, after pleading the cause of the accused, to sit in judg- 
ment as a member of the judicatory. 

1. No one not a Member of the Judicatory may act as Counsel. 

The Committee on Bills and Overtures reported Overture No. 5, as fol- 
lows : " May the session of a church, at the request of an accused brother, 
assign as his counsel a minister of the gospel belonging to the same Pres- 
bytery to which the session belongs?" 

The Committee answered : — " There is no provision for such a case in 
our Constitution ; and, though it does not appear to contravene its spirit 
and design, and might in special cases be allowable with advantage ; yet, 
a strict interpretation of chap, iv., sec. xxi., of the Book of Discipline, 
seems to preclude the employment of any one as counsel who is not a 
member of the judicatory. The report was adopted. — 1851, p. 29, N. S. 

2. Professional Counsel in all Cases Excluded. 

The Committee on Bills and Overtures, reported, No. 1, from the Pres- 
bytery of Tuscaloosa, requesting the Assembly to answer the following 
question: "Is it a violation of our Book of Discipline for professional 
counsel, under all circumstances, to aid in the examination of witnesses?" 

The Committee recommended that the question be answered in the 
affirmative. The report was adopted. — 1852, p. 205, O. S. 

3. One acting- as Counsel may Speak in any Discussion on the 
Adoption of a Minute in the Case. 

[In a judicial case on a motion to adopt a minute expressing the judg- 
ment of the Assembly] " Robert J. Breckinridge rose to speak in opposi- 
tion to it: when objections were made to hearing him, inasmuch as he was 
counsel for one of the parties. The moderator decided that he should be 
heard in any discussion on the adoption of a minute. An appeal was 
taken from this decision of the chair by A. T. Rankin, but was not sus- 
tained. The moderator's decision was approved." — 1858, p. 300, O. S. 

4. Counsel Assigned by Request of the Parties. 

a. The appeal and complaint of Robert Finley and Smith Bloomfield 
against the Synod of New Jersey. 

R. J. Breckinridge was allowed at the request of the former appellant 
to aid him in conducting his cause: and James Hoge and Nathaniel Hew- 
itt were allowed, at the request of Myron Barrett, to aid him, in the ab- 
sence of two other members of a Committee appointed by the Synod of 
New Jersey, to defend the Synod in this case. — 1858, p. 286, O. S. 

b. Rev. Dr. Humphrey, chairman of the Judicial Committee, reported 
case No. 5, being a complaint of William B. Guild against the Synod of 
New Jersey, and stated that the complainant requested the appointment 
of a member to take charge of his interests in the case. The Committee 
recommended the appointment of Rev. S. S. Sneddon, and he was ap- 
pointed.— 1863, p. 19, O. S. 

e. In the absence of the appellant, counsel was appointed by the court. 
—1823, p. 72. 

XXII. Questions of order, which arise in the course of process, 
shall be decided by the moderator. If an appeal is made from the 
chair, the question on the appeal shall be taken without debate. 



OF ACTUAL PEOCESS. 515 

XXIII. In recording the proceedings, in cases of judicial process, 
the reasons for all decisions, except on questions of order, shall be re- 
corded at length ; that the record may exhibit everything which had 
an influence on the judgment of the court. And nothing but what is 
contained in the record, may be taken into consideration in reviewing 
the proceedings in a superior court. 

1. Reasons for Decision must be Recorded in Full. 

a. The Committee appointed to examine the records of the Synod of 
Pittsburg, reported, and the book was approved, excepting the resolution 
on page 74, disapproving of the proceedings of a Presbytery without as- 
signing the reason. — 1820, p. 728. 

b. The records [of the Synod of Ohio] were approved with the exception 
of a minute on page 243, disapproving of a decision of a Presbytery, and 
ordering said Presbytery to reconsider that decision, without any reasons 
being assigned.— 1827, p. 202. 

c. Censured if Unsatisfactory. 

The Synod of Pennsylvania, in approving the action of a Presbytery in 
a judicial case, assigned an entirely unsatisfactory reason. — 1850, p. 314, 
N. S. 

d. The Committee on the Records of the Synod of Onondaga reported, 
recommending that they be approved as far as written, with the following 
exception : 

On page 186 we find the Synod administering censure to the Presbytery 
of Cayuga for an act of discipline toward one of its churches, on the 
ground that the reasons for such discipline were not given according to 
the requirements of our Book of Discipline, yet on the next page we find 
the said Synod reaffirming the acts of a church censured by its Pres- 
bytery, and reversing the decision of the Presbytery without giving the 
required reasons for such singular proceeding. The report was adopted. — 
1863, p. 277, N. S. 

e. Case ordered to a new trial because the reasons for the decision of 
Synod were not recorded according to the requisition in chap, iv., sec. xxiii., 
Book of Discipline.— 1861, p. 344, O. S. 

2. All Testimony before the Court should be Engrossed on the 
Book of Permanent Record. 

a. Also, Overture No. 6, from the Presbytery of Catskill, asking whether, 
in cases of judicial process by church sessions, the testimony of witnesses 
should be engrossed on the book of permanent records. The Committee 
recommended that the following answer be given: 

The testimony of witnesses, in all cases of judicial process by church 
sessions, should be engrossed on the book of permanent records. The end 
to be secured by such a record is indicated in our Book of Discipline, 
chap, iv., sec. xxiii., where it is required, that everything which had an 
influence on the judgment of the court must be exhibited by the record. 
Files are liable to be separated from the book of permanent records ; and 
nothing but what is contained in the record may be taken into considera- 
tion in reviewing the proceedings in a superior court. 

The recommendation was adopted.— 1862, p. 34, N. S. 



516 OF DISCIPLINE. 

b. Filing the Testimony declared to be Sufficient. 

Overture from Angus Johnson, asking whether it be necessary for a 
Presbytery to place testimony on its records in judicial cases. 

The report of the Committee recommended, as amended on motion of 
B. M. Smith, that it is sufficient that testimony be duly authenticated and 
carefully preserved on file to make it part of the record. 

Adopted— 1859, p. 536, O. S. 

3. Testimony not on Record Admitted by Consent. 

a. The following papers were offered and ordered to be entered on the 
minutes, viz. : 

I offer to the Assembly the paper called "An Appendix" as the rec- 
ords furnished by the Presbytery in my case, and request that it may be 
read as containing evidence which was before the- Presbytery, and which 
was not before the Synod. Albert Barnes. 

The prosecutor in the case of Mr. Barnes, and the Committee appointed 
by the Synod of Philadelphia, to defend their decision in the same case, 
hereby agree to the introduction of a document entitled "An Appendix," 
etc. Not, however, as a part of the records of the inferior judicatory, but 
as testimony adduced by the appellant to substantiate any statements he 
has made, or may yet make. 

George Junkin, *] 

S. G. Winchester, t Committee of 

G. W. Musgrave, I Synod of Philadelphia. 

David McKinney, J 
The document called the Appendix, numbered from pp. 1 to 58 inclu- 
sive, containing the trial, testimony of the parties, Junkin and Barnes, and 
final decision of the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, in the said case of 
Junkin and Barnes, was read. — 1836, p. 256. 

b. The decision of the Synod of New Jersey, of which J. Kirkpatrick 
and others complain, was read, together with the complainants' reasons of 
complaint. The records of the Synod in the case were read, and it was 
moved to read a paper which was not before the Synod, but was admitted 
by the parties to be an original paper. After debate, it was moved to 
remit the whole case to the Synod of New Jersey, with an injunction to 
send up a complete record ; and pending the motion, the court rose. 

The motion to remit the case to the Synod of New Jersey was with- 
drawn ; when it was agreed by the court that the paper offered this morn- 
ing be read, which was done.— 1841, p. 428, O. S. 

4. Minutes of Interlocutory Meeting's in Judicial Cases should be 
Recorded; also Report of Judicial Committee in the Case. 

The Presbytery of Louisiana should have recorded the results of the 
interlocutory meeting referred to in the complaint. The Synod acted un- 
constitutionally in permitting the Presbytery of Louisiana to vote on the 
adoption of the report of the Judicial Committee on the complaint of Rev. 
Mr. Smylie. 

The Synod should have placed on its records the above-mentioned re- 
port.— 1850, p. 481, O. S. 

See the case in full under chap, vii., sec. iii., sub-sec. x. See also for 
illustrations of the principle stated under chap, vii., sec. iii., sub-sec. viii. 



OF PROCESS AGAINST A BISHOP OR MINISTER. 517 



5. Everything Influencing the Judgment of the Judicatory should 
be Spread upon the Records. 

The Synod of Illinois have not discharged their duty. They ought to 
have spread upon their record everything which influenced their judgment 
in the case, and also to have sent to this Assembly authentic copies of the 
whole proceedings, with all the documents which had been regularly be- 
fore them.— 1840, p. 302, O. S. 



CHAPTER V. 



OF PROCESS AGAINST A BISHOP OR MINISTER. 

I. As the honor and success of the gospel depend, in a great mea- 
sure, on the character of its ministers, each Presbytery ought, with 
the greatest care and impartiality, to watch over the personal and pro- 
fessional conduct of all its members. But as, on the one hand, no 
minister ought, on account of his office, to be screened from the hand 
of justice, nor his offences to be slightly censured; so neither ought 
scandalous charges to be received against him, by any judicatory, on 
slight grounds. 

See under Form of Government, chap, x., sec. viii., and Discipline, 
chap, i., sec. iii. 

II. Process against a gospel minister shall always be entered before 
the Presbytery of which he is a member. And the same candor, cau- 
tion, and general method, substituting only the Presbytery for the 
session, are to be observed in investigating charges against him, as 
are prescribed in the case of private members. 

1. Discipline of a Minister can be only by his own Presbytery. 

A proposition from the Presbytery of West Lexington and Louisville, 
to the Assembly to authorize them to prosecute ministers of other Presby- 
teries, who may preach heresy within their bounds, w T as taken up and 
read. 

Whereupon it was resolved, That the Constitution in sees, ii., iii. or iv., 
of chap, v., of the Book of Discipline, contains sufficient provision on the 
subject overtured. — 1835, p. 476. 

2. Even when Non-resident. 

a. The Presbytery of New York represented to Synod that one of their 
members now resided in the bounds of New Brunswick Presbytery, whose 
moral character labored under some imputations, and requested the ad- 
vice of Synod as to which of the Presbyteries should make the inquiry 
into that matter, whereupon the Synod judged it to be the duty of the 
Presbytery of New York.— 1782, p. 495. 

[See under v., iii., below.] 



518 OF DISCIPLINE. 

b. Difficulty of Process does not relieve the Presbytery of Responsibility. — 
Discipline by Boards of Missions, etc., not Recognized. 

The Committee on the Polity of the Church made a report, which was 
adopted, and is as follows : 

The Third Presbytery of New York, by overture, inquire what order it 
would be proper for them to take with reference to a member who has 
been excluded from Christian fellowship by a ministerial association under 
the patronage of the A. B. C. F. M., and dismissed from the service of that 
Board for immorality, and with whom a regular process of discipline by 
the Presbytery is difficult, on account of his distance from them and from 
any ecclesiastical body of our connection. The General Assembly reply, 
that the ecclesiastical relations of the individual in question evidently re- 
main unchanged by the action of persons not organized under any dis- 
tinct form of government, and especially not guided by the principles of 
discipline to which he was subject ; and the only correct course for the 
Presbytery to take, if they regard him as a proper subject of discipline, is 
to pursue precisely the forms of process given in our Book of Discipline, 
however difficult or protracted the actual process may be. — 1856, p. 194, 
N. S. 

c. The Board's Discretion as to Expediency of Appointment. 

The Committee, to whom w 7 as recommitted the report on Overture No. 
9, made the following report, which was adopted, viz. : 

In answer to the questions propounded by the Presbyteries of Union 
and French Broad, the Assembly would say, that though they do not 
recognize in the Board of Missions the authority to sit in judgment upon 
the orthodoxy or morality of any minister who is in good standing in his 
own Presbytery, yet, from the necessity of the case, they must exercise 
their own sound discretion upon the expediency or inexpediency of ap- 
pointing or withholding an appointment from any applicant, holding them- 
selves amenable to the General Assembly for all their official acts. — 1830, 
p. 290. 

3. On Petition for Restoration.— Case Transferred to the Presby- 
tery in -which the Party Resides. 

a. Resolved, That the case of Mr. George Bourne be referred to the 
Presbytery of New York, in whose bounds he now resides ; and it is hereby 
ordered that the Presbytery of New York be furnished by the Presbytery 
of Lexington with all the documents relative to the deposition of Mr. 
Bourne ; that they receive testimony as to the character and deportment 
of Mr. Bourne since his deposition, and also the evidences of repentance 
which Mr. Bourne may furnish. And it is ordered, moreover, that the 
said Presbytery of New York do proceed to issue the case, and either 
continue the sentence of deposition or restore him, the said Bourne, to 
the gospel ministry, as they may judge proper. — 1824, p. 124. 

b. The Judicial Committee presented the following supplementary re- 
port: 

10. Case of C. J. Abbott. In the year 1860, Mr. Abbott was tried, on 
what was declared to be a charge of common fame, by the Presbytery of 
St. Louis, and deposed from his office as a minister of the gospel. The 
Synod, at a meeting in the same year, confirmed the action of the Presby- 
tery. Mr. Abbott gave notice of an appeal to the General Assembly, and 
the papers were properly authenticated, and sent to a minister who had 
been elected a Commissioner to the next Assembly, who promised to pre- 



OF PROCESS AGAINST A BISHOP OR MINISTER. 519 

sent them ; but he was taken sick, so that he could not attend, and neg- 
lected to forward them. Soon after, Mr. Abbott had paralysis, and ever 
since has been feeble and poor, so that the case was not prosecuted before 
the Presbytery of St. Louis withdrew from the jurisdiction of the Gen- 
eral Assembly, and the Synod was no longer in existence as at the time of 
his trial. 

Mr. Abbott declares his personal allegiance to this Assembly, as far as 
he can be permitted to express allegiance, and that, had he remained a 
member of the Presbytery, he should not have gone with the majority; 
and now brings this statement, and various papers accompanyiug it, to 
this Assembly, for consideration with a view to his relief. 

From these papers your Committee learn the following facts respecting 
his trial before the Presbytery : 

1. While the charges were based on common fame, efforts were made 
for more than a year to obtain some basis of complaint; and on one oc- 
casion, on receipt of an anonymous letter offering to give information, a 
Committee was appointed "to ferret out" the matter and learn grounds 
for a charge. 

2. The grounds of the principal charges were matters of from eight to 
ten years' standing. 

3. Witnesses were called and allowed to testify, whose names had not 
been given the defendant in the citation, and against his protest. In one 
instance, these were several in number. 

4. Persons prominent in the prosecution were notoriously prejudiced 
against the defendant. 

5. Efforts were made to intimidate those who might be inclined to sus- 
tain the defendant. 

All these items the Committee think to be distinctly opposed to the in- 
structions of our Book of Discipline. Moreover, the trial was at an ad- 
journed meeting, when comparatively few members w r ere present ; and it 
was prosecuted, notwithstanding his physician certified that Mr. Abbott 
was too ill to attend with safety ; and questions deemed important to the 
cause of the defendant were repeatedly ruled out. 

For these reasons, the Committee recommend that Mr. Abbott have a 
rehearing, and that he be referred to the Presbytery of Cleveland, within 
the bounds of which he now resides, with instructions to that Presbytery 
to adjudicate the case. 

The report was adopted. — 1873, p. 540. 

III. If it be found that the facts with which a minister stands 
charged, happened without the bounds of his own Presbytery, that 
Presbytery shall send notice to the Presbytery, within whose bounds 
they did happen, and desire them either (if within convenient dis- 
tance) to cite the witnesses to appear at the place of trial ; or (if the 
distance be so great as to render that inconvenient) to take the exami- 
nation themselves, and transmit an authentic record of their testi- 
mony : always giving due notice to the accused person of the time 
and place of such examination. 

[See the case of Aaron C. Collins, referred by the Assembly to the 
General Association of Connecticut, 1793, p. 68.] 



520 OF DISCIPLINE. 



1. A Suspended Licentiate can be Restored only by the Presby- 
tery which Suspended him. — Another may take Testimony. 

The Committee, to which was referred the statement of the commis : 
sioner from the Presbytery of Fayetteville, respecting a licentiate of the 
Presbytery of Hopewell, who had been suspended, both from the privilege 
of preaching the gospel, and from the enjoyment of the sealing ordinances 
of God's house, reported the following resolution, which being read, was 
adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, That the only correct mode to be pursued by the licentiate, in 
order to obtain restoration to his former standing, is to make direct appli- 
cation to the Presbytery of Hopewell ; and that the Presbytery of Fay- 
etteville may, with propriety, collect and transmit to the Presbytery of 
Hopewell, any testimony, touching the moral character of said licentiate, 
while living within the bounds of the Presbytery of Fayetteville, when- 
ever requested by either the licentiate or the Presbytery of Hopewell. — 
1822, p. 39. 

[See above, under sec. ii., 1835, p. 476.] 

2. Such Presbytery has no Power to Try, but only to take Testi- 
mony. 

2. That in the opinion of this Assembly, the Presbyteries both of Har- 
mony and Steubenville appear to have misconceived the directions as laid 
down in chap, v., sees, iii., iv., of the Book of Discipline ; inasmuch as 
those rules do not transfer jurisdiction from a Presbytery to which a min- 
ister belongs, to the one within whose bounds he resides, so as to authorize 
the latter Presbytery to try such minister ; but only to examine witnesses 
in the case, and transmit an authentic record of the testimony to the Pres- 
bytery which made the application ; therefore, 

Resolved, 3. That the Presbytery of Harmony is at liberty to pursue 
such a course in the case of Mr. Belknap as the circumstances of the case 
and the good of religion shall in their opinion require. — 1831, p. 339. 

IV. Nevertheless, in case of a minister being supposed to be guilty 
of a crime, or crimes, at such a distance from his usual place of resi- 
dence, as that the offence is not likely to become otherwise known to 
the Presbytery to which he belongs • it shall, in such case, be the 
duty of the Presbytery within whose bounds the facts shall have hap- 
pened, after satisfying themselves that there is probable ground of 
accusation, to send notice to the Presbytery of which he is a member, 
who are to proceed against him, and either send and take the testimony 
themselves, by a commission of their own body, or request the other 
Presbytery to take it for them, and transmit the same, properly 
authenticated. 

See above, under sec. iii., 1835, p. 476 ; 1831, p. 339. 

Duty of a Presbytery to give Notice of an Offence. 

Overture No. 6. From the Presbytery of Eock River, being a question 
of interpretation of the Book of Discipline, chap, v., sec. iv. 
The Committee recommends the following answer : 



OF PROCESS AGAINST A BISHOP OR MINISTER. 521 

When it is alleged that a minister has committed an offence in the 
bounds of a Presbytery of which he is not a member, the Presbytery in 
the bounds of which it is alleged the offence was committed, has performed 
its entire duty in the premises when it notifies the Presbytery to which he 
belongs of the allegation and the grounds on which the allegation is based. 

The report was adopted.— 1 869, p. 922, O. S. 

V. Process against a gospel minister shall not be commenced, 
unless some person or persons undertake to make out the charge ; or 
unless common fame so loudly proclaims the scandal, that the Pres- 
bytery find it necessary, for the honor of religion, to investigate the 
charge. 

An Action Based on Common Fame Sustained.— Informalities 
"Waived by Act of the Accused. 

Rev. Samuel Boyd appealed from the Synod of Wheeling sustaining 
the Presbytery of St. Clairsville. The Assembly appointed a commission 
to hear and report on the testimony. Against this Mr. Boyd remonstrated. 
The report of the commission was adopted as follows, viz. : 

The main objection made by the appellant is that there were not written 
charges made against him as part of the process. 

It appears from the testimony and records — 

1. That Mr. Boyd was living separate from his wife on account of domes- 
tic difficulties ; that this was brought to the notice of the St. Clairsville 
Presbytery by common fame ; that Mr. Boyd by common fame was charged 
with unkindness and severity toward his wife ; that he requested the Pres- 
bytery to take the case and investigate it, after an ineffectual attempt had 
been made by the Presbytery to settle the difficulty. 

2. That witnesses were cited ; that the trial was commenced by the 
Presbytery, Mr. Boyd being present ; that the written charge on the rec- 
ords on which the trial proceeded was, " that common fame charges the 
Rev. Samuel Boyd with living in a state of separation from his wife;" 
that a number of witnesses were examined on the part of Mrs. Boyd, and 
in the presence of Mr. Boyd ; that he cross-examined said witnesses ; that 
Mr. Boyd also cited and examined a number of witnesses on his own 
behalf; that it nowhere appears on the records that he objected to pro- 
ceeding without more formal charges. 

The commission are, therefore, of the opinion that Mr. Boyd waived, by 
his own acts, and led the Presbytery to believe that he waived, all infor- 
malities in the proceedings antecedent to the trial. 

The commission are also of the opinion that the record and the defence 
of Mr. Boyd show plainly what the charges were. They are also of the 
opinion that the testimony sustains fully the sentence of the Synod of 
Wheeling, which was unanimous. 

The commission are, therefore, of the opinion that the appeal should be 
dismissed, and the decision of the Synod of Wheeling confirmed. This 
report is agreed upon unanimously by the commission. — 1866, p. 74, O. S. 

VI. As the success of the gospel greatly depends upon the exem- 
plary character of its ministers, their soundness in the faith, and holy 
conversation ; and as it is the duty of all Christians to be very cau- 
tious in taking up an ill report of any man, but especially of a min- 



522 OF DISCIPLINE. 

ister of the gospel : therefore, if any man knows a minister to be 
guilty of a private, censurable fault, he should warn him in private. 
But, if the guilty person persist in his fault, or it become public, he 
who knows it should apply to some other bishop of the Presbytery 
for his advice in the case. 

1. The Character of One Absent and not on Trial not to be Im- 
peached. 

Besolved, That no discussion ought to be allowed which may involve the 
character of Mr. McDowell in his absence. — 1823, p. 74. 
See under vii., below. 

VII. The prosecutor of a minister shall be previously warned, 
that, if he fail to prove the charges, he must himself be censured as 
a slanderer of the gospel ministry, in proportion to the malignancy, 
or rashness, that shall appear in the prosecution. 

2. Failure to prove Charges involves Censure for Slander. 

a. The unfinished business of Saturday, viz., an appeal by Mr. William 
L. McCalla from a decision of the Synod of Kentucky, in which decision 
the Synod declared, that Mr. McCalla had failed to prove certain charges 
which he had brought against the Rev. James Blythe, was resumed, and 
the appellant was heard till he declared himself satisfied. On motion, 

Resolved, That the judgment of the Synod of Kentucky, with respect to 
the charges brought by Mr. William L. McCalla against the Rev. James 
Blythe, be and it hereby is affirmed. — 1815, p. 596. 

b. The complaint of J. W. Davidson, W. C. Koons and J. McElhinny, 
against the Synod of Baltimore. 

This case originated in the Presbytery of Carlisle, as the result of the 
trial of a minister, by which the complainants were severely censured for 
presenting a certain paper containing allegations against the character of 
the said minister, which allegations, though not tabled as charges, were 
adjudged to be slanderous. 

The parties censured complained to the Synod of Baltimore, and the 
complaint was " sustained in part," by a vote of 17 to 12. 

The Synod, in its final minute, still inflict a modified censure, of which 
the said Davidson, Koons and McElhinny complained to the last General 
Assembly. This last complaint was laid over to this Assembly, to enable 
the complainants to correct an informality; which they have since done. 

The Committee report the case in order, and recommend that it be taken 
up according to the directions of the Book of Discipline, as follows : 

1. Read the judgment complained of. 

2. Read the complaint. 

3. Read the paper referred to in the judgment of the Synod, of which 
they complain. 

The Committee recommend, that the only part of the record to be read 
in evidence be the paper originally read to the Presbytery of Carlisle, at 
Newville ; and this may be waived by the parties agreeing ; that the paper 
contains charges, which, if true, would be scandalous. This recommen- 
dation is based on the following reasons : 

1. That it is found by the Synod, in their judgment, that the paper pre- 



OF PROCESS AGAINST A BISHOP OR MINISTER. 523 

sented by complainants was so presented by them without their being pre- 
pared to table charges, or to appear as prosecutors, and that they refused 
to appear as accusers after having presented such a paper. 

II. In the complaint presented to us, these findings of the Synod are 
admitted, in that the, complainants allege (as the ground of their complaint 
in this regard) that the Synod decided that the paper presented at Newville 
by the complainants, was of such a character that it should not have been 
presented, unless the parties presenting it were prepared to table charges 
upon it; when, in fact, as they allege, it was but an offer to aid Presby- 
tery in investigating the difficulty in the congregation of Big Spring, to 
which complainants belonged, and not as the ground of charges. Thus 
it will be seen that they not only admit such findings of the Synod, but 
distinctly allege another and different reason in justification of such pre- 
sentation, viz., that it was but an offer to aid Presbytery, etc. 

III. If it be claimed, on the second ground of appeal, that the testi- 
mony adduced on the original trial be read before the Assembly, then we 
say that it should not be read, for the following reasons : 

1. The accused minister, after a trial (declared by the Synod to be fair 
and impartial) was acquitted by the Presbytery, and no appeal was taken 
from such judgment of acquittal; so that the same thereby long since 
became final and absolute, and this Assembly has no power to reverse this 
judgment of the Presbytery, for the purpose of relieving these complain- 
ants from the censure of the Synod ; to do so would be to pronounce two 
conflicting and contrary judgments upon the same evidence. 

2. Because it has been already adjudicated, in the case of William S. 
McDowell (Assembly's Digest, Rev. Ed., p. 159), that "no discussion 
ought to be allowed (involving the character of an absent person) in his 
absence," much more should this rule be applied to the exclusion of the 
remaining record, in this case, from its peculiar character, and all the cir- 
cumstances attending it. 

Resolved, That the judgment of the Synod of Baltimore be sustained 
pro forma, and that the following paper of E. Thompson Baird be admitted 
to record, viz". : 

The undersigned, counsel appointed to manage the case of Davidson, 
Koons and McElhinny, versus the Synod of Baltimore, begs leave to 
submit, that through an oversight of the complainants in stating their 
causes of complaint on the one hand, and on account of the rulings of 
the Assembly as to technical points on the other hand, it is impossible for 
the case to come before this body on its merits. The complaint ought to 
have brought up the whole proceedings in the courts below, in order to a 
judgment on their regularity as well as justice; but by an omission of 
the complainants, in stating the grounds of their complaint, this matter 
cannot be reached. The second cause of complaint is ruled out, because 
it requires a cross issue, involving the rights of a party not involved in 
the case. And the first cause of complaint — i. e., as to the rights of the 
complainants to place on the table of Presbytery the statement alluded 
to — cannot be justly investigated without taking up all the records and 
ascertaining all the circumstances which led to its presentation. Under 
the rulings of this house this cannot be done, since it would involve an 
absent party. We are thus on technical grounds shut out from a full 
presentation of the case. All that is left for us is to request the Assembly 
to admit this paper to record as our reason for waiving a trial, and agree- 
ing that the judgment of the Synod of Baltimore be sustained pro forma. 

E. T. BAIRD, On behalf of Complainants. 

—1860, pp. 31 and 35, O. S. 



524 OF DISCIPLINE. 



3. Censure for Slander may be Reached only after Trial. 

The Committee to whom was referred Judicial Case No. 7, being " a 
complaint of the Rev. John Crozier and the Rev. John Mack against the 
decision of the Synod of Illinois," report the following minute as the 
deliverance of the Assembly. 

That the irregularities which the Synod made the ground of their decis- 
ion, and of sustaining the complaint against the action of Presbytery, were 
not such as to invalidate the decision of Presbytery, except in resolution 
6th, and that therefore the complaint be sustained, and the action of Pres- 
bytery be reaffirmed, except resolution 6th. As to the character and 
truthfulness of that resolution the Assembly expresses no opinion but that 
the action of Presbytery was thereon extra-judicial. 

Our Book of Discipline, chap, v., sec. vii., pronounces a man a slan- 
derer who fails on trial to make good his charges. 

S. L. Hobson was censured as a slanderer without the court reaching 
by trial the point contemplated in our Book. — 1867, p. 355, O. S. 

VIII. When complaint is laid before the Presbytery, it must be 
reduced to writing; and nothing further is to be done at the first 
meeting, (unless by consent of parties,) than giving the minister a 
full copy of the charges, with the names of the witnesses annexed ; 
and citing all parties, and their witnesses, to appear and be heard at 
the next meeting ; which meeting shall not be sooner than ten days 
after such citation. 

IX. When a member of a church judicatory is under process, it 
shall be discretionary with the judicatory, whether his privileges of 
deliberating and voting, as a member, in other matters, shall be sus- 
pended until the process is finally issued, or not. 

1. Suspension from the Ministry during Process. 

a. Overtured, that a Committee be sent to Rehoboth, with full power 
from the Synod to act in their names and by their authority, in the affair 
between Mr. Clement and that people ; and that Mr. Clement be sus- 
pended from the exercise of his ministry, until the determination of that 
Committee. This overture was carried by a vote in the affirmative, 
nemine contradicente. — 1720, p. 62. 

b. The consideration of Mr. Alexander Miller's complaint resumed, and 
upon full inquiry the Synod conclude that, as the Presbytery of Hanover 
are not present, and it has not been made to appear before us that they 
were cited to be present, or informed that Mr. Alexander Miller intended 
to lodge a complaint against them before the Synod at this time, we cannot 
now enter upon the consideration of the merits of the complaint, but order 
both the Presbytery and Mr. Alexander Miller to attend our next Synod, 
prepared for a full hearing, and in the mean time, on account of Mr. Mil- 
ler's unjustifiable delay for some years to enter his complaint before us, 
the irregularity of his proceedings during that time, and the atrocious na- 
ture of the crimes laid to his charge, we do hereby declare him suspended 
from the exercise of the ministerial office till his complaint can be fully 
heard.— 1769, p. 396. 



OF PROCESS AGAINST A BISHOP OR MINISTER. 525 

2. Suspension from Privileges of Membership. 

a. That as citation on the foregoing plan is the commencement of a 
process involving the right of membership in the Assembly, therefore — 

Resolved, That, agreeably to a principle laid down, chap, v., sec. ix., of 
the Form of Government, the members of said judicatories be excluded 
from a seat in the next Assembly until their case shall be decided. 

Adopted by yeas 128, nays 122.— 1837, p. 425. 

See above, under iv., xviii. 

b. The Assembly of 1866, O. S., excluded the commissioners from 
Louisville Presbytery from a seat until the Assembly should decide upon 
the conduct of their Presbytery. — 1866, p. 12. See Form of Government, 
chap, xii., sec. v. 

X. At the next meeting of the Presbytery, the charges shall be read 
to him, and he shall be called upon to say whether he is guilty or 
not. If he confess, and the matter be base and flagitious ; such as 
drunkenness, uncleanness, or crimes of a higher nature, however pen- 
itent he may appear, to the satisfaction of all, the Presbytery must, 
without delay, suspend him from the exercise of his office, or depose 
him from the ministry ; and, if the way be clear for the purpose, ap- 
point him a due time to confess publicly before the congregation of- 
fended, and to profess his penitence. 

XL If a minister accused of atrocious crimes, being twice duly 
cited, shall refuse to attend the Presbytery, he shall be immediately 
suspended. And if, after another citation, he still refuse to attend, 
he shall be deposed as contumacious. 

XII. If the minister, when he appears, will not confess, but denies 
the facts alleged against him ; if, on hearing the witnesses, the charges 
appear important, and well supported, the Presbytery must, neverthe- 
less, censure him ; and admonish, suspend, or depose him, according 
to the nature of the offence. 

XIII. Heresy and schism may be of such a nature as to infer dep- 
osition ; but errors ought to be carefully considered ; whether they 
strike at the vitals of religion, and are industriously spread; or, 
whether they arise from the weakness of the human understanding, 
and are not likely to do much injury. 

XIV. A minister, under process for heresy, or schism, should be 
treated with Christian and brotherly tenderness. Frequent confer- 
ences ought to be held with him, and proper admonitions adminis- 
tered. For some more dangerous errors, however, suspension may 
become necessary. 

[See case of Alexander Craighead, under chap, xii., sec. v., Form of 
Government.] 

XV. If the Presbytery find, on trial, that the matter complained 



526 OF DISCIPLINE. 

of amounts to no more than such acts of infirmity as may be amended, 
and the people satisfied ; so that little or nothing remains to hinder 
his usefulness, they shall take all prudent measures to remove the 
offence. 

XVI. A minister deposed for scandalous conduct, shall not be re- 
stored, even on the deepest sorrow for his sin, until after some time 
of eminent and exemplary, humble and edifying conversation, to heal 
the wound made by his scandal. And he ought in no case to be re- 
stored, until it shall appear, that the sentiments of the religious pub- 
lic are strongly in his favor, and demand his restoration. 

1. Restoration of a Deposed Minister— Caution Enjoined. 

a. An extract from the records of the Presbytery of New York was laid 
before the Assembly and read. From this and the explanation given, it 
appeared that a certain Aaron C. Collins, formerly a member of that Pres- 
bytery, had been deposed by them from the office of the gospel ministry ; 
that the crimes for which he was deposed were scandalous and highly ag- 
gravated ; that his submission to the sentence of deposition had been only 
partial ; he having exercised the functions of a gospel minister during a 
part of the time he lay under the sentence ; that Mr. Collins had lately 
applied to that Presbytery to restore him to his office, and certain circum- 
stances were stated as evidences of his penitence. The Presbytery there- 
fore requested the advice of the General Assembly in the premises. And 
as the principal crime for which Mr. Collins had been deposed was com- 
mitted within the limits of the General Association of Connecticut, which 
had formerly taken cognizance of the offence, the Presbytery requested 
the co-operation of the Assembly for bringing the case before the Associa- 
tion for their advice. 

The Assembly having taken this subject into consideration, and obtained 
the necessary information, 

Resolved, 1. That they cannot advise the Presbytery of New York to 
restore Mr. Collins under existing circumstances. 

2. That this Assembly comply with the latter request made by the Pres- 
bytery of New York; they accordingly did, and hereby do enjoin it on their 
delegates to the next General Association, to take the necessary measures 
for bringing this subject before that body, for their advice. — 1805, p. 335. 

b. The General Association of Connecticut, having taken into consider- 
ation the case of Mr. Aaron C. Collins, who has been deposed from the 
office of the gospel ministry, on account of an aggravated sin, by which he 
has brought scandal on himself and the ministry, and having attended to 
documents and vouchers presented by the delegates from the General As- 
sembly of the Presbyterian Church, were happy to hear the profession of 
penitence made by Mr. Collins, and the testimony by which it was accom- 
panied to prove it sincere. 

But as it appeared that he had only partially submitted to the sentence 
of deposition, and continued during part of the time he lay under censure 
to exercise the functions of a gospel minister, and that he had made no 
retraction for such disorderly conduct, therefore they agree with the Gen- 
eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, that under existing circum- 
stances, it would not be conducive to the interests of religion for the Pres- 
bytery of New York to restore Mr. Collins to the office of the gospel 
ministry. 



OF PEOCESS AGAINST A BISHOP OE MINISTEE. 527 

Extracts from the doings of the General Association, at their annual 
session in Guildford, Connecticut, June 18, 1805. 

^M^G^HICH, } **" »/ A"*"* 

—1806, p. 349. 

2. Presbytery other than that which Deposed, Authorized to 

Restore. 

Petitions from the churches at Mount Pleasant and Greensburg, in New 
York, and from five ministers of the gospel residing in the vicinity of Mr. 
George Bourne, requesting that Mr. Bourne might be restored to the office 
of the gospel ministry, were overtured, and application on behalf of Mr. 
Bourne was made by Dr. Ely, that on the profession of his penitence he 
may be restored : — Whereupon it was 

Resolved, That the case of Mr. George Bourne be referred to the Pres- 
bytery of New York, in whose bounds he now resides; and it is hereby 
ordered, that the Presbytery of New York be furnished by the Presby- 
tery of Lexington, with all the documents relative to the position of Mr. 
Bourne ; that they receive testimony as to the character and deportment 
of Mr. Bourne since his deposition, and also the evidences of repentance 
which Mr. Bourne may furnish. And it is ordered, moreover, that the said 
Presbytery of New York do proceed to issue the case, and either continue 
the sentence of deposition, or restore him, the said Bourne, to the gospel 
ministry, as they may judge proper. — 1824, p. 124. 

3. The Assembly Recommends Restoration, the End of Discipline 

being gained. 

Resolved, That the prayer of the memorialist be granted so far as that 
this General Assembly recommend to the Presbytery of Fayetteville to 
reconsider their decision in the case of the Rev. Archibald McQueen; and 
if, in their judgment, it should appear conducive to the peace of the Church, 
and the promotion of religion in the region around them, to restore Mr. 
McQueen to the communion of the Church, and to the exercise of the func- 
tions of the gospel ministry, on the ground that in his case the ends of 
discipline are attained by the operation of the sentence under which Mr. 
McQueen has been lying for a period of three years. — 1845, p. 32, O. S. 

4. Deposition and Excommunication, Distinct Acts. 

a. The records of the Synod of Geneva are approved, with the excep- 
tion of a resolution, which declares that a deposed minister ought to be 
treated as an excommunicated person. In the judgment of this Assem- 
bly, the deposition and excommunication of a minister are distinct things, 
not necessarily connected with each other, but when connected, ought to 
be inflicted by the Presbytery, to whom the power of judging and censur- 
ing ministers properly belongs. — 1814, p. 549. 

b. Resolved, That though the causes which provoke deposition are almost 
always such as to involve the propriety of exclusion from the sacraments, 
yet the two sentences are not essentially the same, the one having reference 
to office, and the other to the rights of membership ; and, therefore, Pres- 
byteries should be explicit in stating both, when they mean both. When, 
however, a Presbytery interpret deposition to involve suspension from the 
sacraments, and pronounce the censure in that sense, the sentence obvi- 
ously includes both.— 1848, p. 34, O. S. 



528 OF DISCIPLINE. 

5. A Suspended Minister may not Exercise any Function of the 

Ministry. 

1. That in the opinion of this Assembly, ministers of the Presbyterian 
Church when regularly suspended by the competent judicatories have no 
right to exercise the functions of a minister during that suspension. — 1825, 
p. 156. 

6. Does not Rank as a "Common Christian in Good Standing." 

Mr. Foreman, being suspended from the ministry, ought by no means 
to be considered as occupying the ground of a " common Christian in good 
standing." — 1821, p. 15. 

7. The Names of Deposed Ministers in Certain Cases to be 

Published. 

'Resolved, That it be recommended to the Presbyteries under the care 
of the General Assembly, when they shall depose any of their members 
from the exercise of the ministerial office; and when any person so deposed 
shall, without having been regularly restored, assume the ministerial cha- 
racter, or attempt to exercise any of the ministerial functions, that in such 
case, with a view to prevent such deposed person from imposing himself 
on the churches, Presbyteries be careful to have his name published in the 
Assembly's magazine, as deposed from the ministry, that all the churches 
may be enabled to guard themselves against such dangerous impositions. — 
1806, p. 360. 

XVII. As soon as a minister is deposed, his congregation shall be 
declared vacant. 



CHAPTER VI. 

OF WITNESSES. 



I. Judicatories ought to be very careful and impartial in receiv- 
ing testimony. All persons are not competent as witnesses: and all 
who are competent are not credible. 

II. A competent witness is one who ought to be admitted and 
heard. The competency of a witness may be affected by his want of 
the proper age ; by a want of any of the senses essential to a know- 
ledge of the matter which he is called to establish ; by weakness of 
understanding; by infamy of character; by being under Church cen- 
sure for falsehood or perjury ; by nearness of relationship to any of 
the parties ; and by a variety of considerations which cannot be speci- 
fied in detail. 



OF WITNESSES. 529 

A Prosecutor on Common Fame is not Debarred from Testifying. 

[Exceptions to Records of Synod of Philadelphia.] Page 18, Res. 2d, 
decides, That a prosecutor cannot be a witness in the same case ; whereas 
a prosecutor in behalf of common fame is not excluded from bearing tes- 
timony, nor does our Book exclude any prosecutor from bearing testimony 
on either side of a case pending. MS. endorsement on Synod Book. — 
1858, p. 298, O. S. 

III. Where there is room for doubt with regard to any of these 
points, either party has a right to challenge witnesses; and the ju- 
dicatory shall candidly attend to the exceptions, and decide upon 
them. 

IV. The credibility of a witness, or the degree of credit due to 
his testimony, may be affected by relationship to any of the parties ; 
by deep interest in the result of the trial ; by general rashness, indis- 
cretion, or malignity of character ; and by various other circum- 
stances ; to which judicatories shall carefully attend, and for which 
they shall make all proper allowance in their decision. 

Both Husband and Wife may be Allowed to Testify -where either 

is Interested. 

The Assembly went into the consideration of the case reported by the 
Presbytery of Ohio, which was in the following terms: "A certain mar- 
ried woman charges an unmarried man with immodest conversation and 
conduct in attempts upon her chastity, of which her husband and another, 
or indifferent person, were at a certain time witnesses. Whereas our Con- 
stitution declares that a person accused shall not be convicted by a single 
witness, can the said woman and her husband be admitted witnesses in the 
above case ? 

To the above question the Assembly answered, that in all such cases as 
that submitted by the Presbytery of Ohio, it is a principle that both the 
husband and wife are to be admitted to give testimony. But in every 
particular case as it occurs, the judicature before whom it is tried, ought, 
in order to guard against collusion, to pay a very scrupulous regard to all 
the circumstances attending it, and especially to the characters of those 
who are admitted as evidences, so that on one hand the necessity of the 
case may be consulted, and on the other, that no injury may result to an 
innocent person. — 1797, p. 128. 

V. A husband or wife shall not be compelled to bear testimony 
against each other in any judicatory. 

[See above, sec. iv.] 

VI. The testimony of more than one witness is necessary in order 
to establish any charge; yet, if several credible witnesses bear testi- 
mony to different similar* acts, belonging to the same general charge, 
the crime shall be considered as proved. 

VII. Xo witness, afterward to be examined, except a member of 

67 



530 OF DISCIPLINE. 

the judicatory, shall be present during the examination of another 
witness on the same case, unless by consent of parties. 

VIII. To prevent confusion, witnesses shall be examined first by 
the party introducing them ; then cross-examined by the opposite 
party; after which any member of the judicatory, or either party, 
may put additional interrogatories. But no question shall be put, or 
answered, except by permission of the moderator. 

IX. The oath or affirmation to a witness, shall be administered by 
the moderator, in the following or like terms: "You solemnly prom- 
ise, in the presence of the omniscient and heart-searching God, that 
you will declare the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the 
truth, according to the best of your knowledge, in the matter in 
which you are called to witness, as you shall answer it to the great 
Judge of quick and dead." 

1. The Authority for Administering a Judicial Oath. 

The Committee appointed to draft an answer to the following question, 
overtured from the Presbytery of Georgia, viz. : "Whence do the General 
Assembly derive authority to empower the moderator of a church session 
to administer an oath?" reported the following, which was adopted, viz.: 
"An oath for confirmation, (saith the Apostle,) is to men, an end of all 
strife," Heb. vi. 16. It is a solemn affirmation, wherein we appeal to God, 
as the witness of the truth of what we say; and with an imprecation of 
his vengeance if what we affirm is false, or what we promise be not per- 
formed. Its force results from a belief that God will punish false swear- 
ing with more severity, than a simple lie, or breach of promise ; because 
perjury is a sin of greater deliberation, and violates superior confidence. 

That oaths are lawful is evident from the fact that our Lord, when in- 
terrogated on certain occasions, answered upon oath. See Matt, xxvi, 
63, 64. Paul also uses several expressions which contain the nature of an 
oath. See Rom. i. 9, ix. 1 ; 1 Cor. xv. 31 ; 2 Cor. i. 18; Gal. i. 20. They 
are solemn appeals to God. It is manifest that oaths are not to be used 
on light or trivial occasions. We are expressly commanded not to take 
God's name in vain. But as the Bible does not point out the particular 
occasions when oaths are to be used ; nor the persons who are to adminis- 
ter them, these circumstances are left to the discretion of individuals and 
communities. The necessity of oaths is founded in expediency; and all 
associations, whether civil or ecclesiastical, have a right to use them for 
confirmation, when, in the exercise of a sound discretion, they are deemed 
important. It is lawful for every community, in the compact on which 
their union is founded, to point out the cases in which oaths shall be used, 
and who shall administer them. The authority of moderators in the 
Presbyterian Church to administer oaths, is not derived from the General 
Assembly, but from the Constitution, or articles of compact, which our 
churches have adopted, and by which they have agreed to be governed as 
a Christian community. It may be proper also to add, that the oaths 
prescribed by ecclesiastical authority and administered by civil authority, 
in no respect interfere with our relations to civil society. Nor can the 
administering of them, if rightly viewed, be considered as a violation of 
those laws of the State, which prescribe the manner in which civil oaths 
shall be administered. — 1823, p. 87. 



OF WITNESSES. 531 

2. Testimony should be under Oath, and Recorded. 

Statements were given as evidence by the members of Presbytery, which 
are not recorded, and which do not appear to have been given under the 
usual solemnity of an oath. Craighead's case. — 1824, p. 122. 

X. Every question put to a witness shall, if required, be reduced 
to writing. When answered, it shall, together with the answer, be 
recorded, if deemed by either party of sufficient importance. 

XI. The records of a judicatory, or any part of them, whether 
original or transcribed, if regularly authenticated by the moderator 
and clerk, or either of them, shall be deemed good and sufficient evi- 
dence in every other judicatory. 

Testimony Attested by Moderator and Clerk Valid. 

The following question, signed by William C. Davies — " Whether testi- 
mony taken before a session, and sent up to the Presbytery under the sig- 
nature of moderator and clerk, will not be sufficient in references as well 
as appeals, to render the case thus referred both orderly and cognizable by 
Presbytery," was answered in the affirmative. — 1797, p. 128. 

XII. In like manner, testimony taken by one judicatory, and reg- 
ularly certified, shall be received by every other judicatory, as no less 
valid than if it had been taken by themselves. 

XIII. Cases may arise in which it is not convenient for a judica- 
tory to have the whole, or perhaps, any part of the testimony in a 
particular cause, taken in their presence. In this case a commission 
of the judicatory, consisting of two or three members, may be ap- 
pointed, and authorized to proceed to the place where the witness or 
witnesses reside, and take the testimony in question, which shall be 
considered as if taken in the presence of the judicatory : of which 
commission, and of the time and place of their meeting, due notice 
shall be given to the opposite party, that he may have an opportu- 
nity of attending. And if the accused shall desire on his part, to 
take testimony at a distance for his own exculpation, he shall give 
notice to the judicatory of the time and place when it is proposed to 
take it, that a commission, as in the former case, may be appointed 
for the purpose. 

XIY. When the witnesses have all been examined, the accused and 
the prosecutor shall have the privilege of commenting on their testi- 
mony to any reasonable extent. 

XY. A member of the judicatory may be called upon to bear testi- 
mony in a case which comes before it. He shall be qualified as other 
witnesses are ; and after having given his testimony, he may imme- 
diately resume his seat as a member of the judicatory. 



532 OF DISCIPLINE* 



A Member of the Court Required to Testify on the Spot. 

Besolved, That a member of a judicatory, present when the judicatory 
is taking testimony, is bound, if called upon to do so, to give his testimony 
in the case that is in process, and that his refusal to do so, on the ground 
that he had not been cited beforehand, would subject him to censure for 
contumacy. — 1854, p. 45, O. S. 

XVI. A member of the church, summoned as a witness, and refus- 
ing to appear, or, having appeared, refusing to give testimony, may be 
censured for contumacy, according to the circumstances of the case. 

A Minister Cited to Testify before a Session. 

A request from certain ministers and ruling elders of the Synod of 
Alabama, for the opinion of the General Assembly touching certain ques- 
tions that may arise in the case of a minister, who, when cited by a church 
session as a witness, declines to appear before that court. The Committee 
recommended that the brethren be referred to the Book of Discipline, 
chap, i., sec. v. ; chap, iv., sec. x. ; chap, v., sees. i. and ii. ; chap, vi., sec. 
xvi,, for answer to their questions. Adopted. — 1854, p. 17, O. S. 

XVII. The testimony given by witnesses must be faithfully re- 
corded, and read to them, for their approbation, or subscription. 



CHAPTER VII. 



OF THE VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH A CAUSE MAY BE CARRIED 
FROM A LOWER JUDICATORY TO A HIGHER. 

I. In all governments conducted by men, wrong may be done, 
from ignorance, from prejudice, from malice, or from other causes. 
To prevent the continued existence of this wrong, is one great design 
of superior judicatories. And although there must be a last resort, 
beyond which there is no appeal ; yet the security against permanent 
wrong will be as great as the nature of the case admits, when those 
who had no concern in the origin of the proceedings, are brought to 
review them, and to annul or confirm them, as they see cause ; when a 
greater number of counselors are made to sanction the judgments, or 
to correct the errors of a smaller; and, finally, when the whole 
Church is called to sit in judgment on the acts of a part. 

II. Every kind of decision which is formed in any church judi- 
catory, except the highest, is subject to the review of a superior judi- 
catory, and may be carried before it in one or the other of the four 
following ways : 



OF WAYS OF CARRYING A CAUSE. 533 

1. The Assembly may not Reverse the Judicial Acts of a Prede- 
cessor. 

a. This Assembly has no authority to reverse the judicial acts of a 
former General Assembly, except in cases of such palpable error as would 
manifestly tend to interfere with the substantial administration of justice. 
Case of S. Lowrey. — 1824, p. 115. 

b. This Assembly are of the opinion that the correct mode of proceed- 
ing for the last Assembly would have been to have suspended the decision 
on the appeal until the records of the inferior judicatories should have 
been present, because the rules in our Form of Government prescribe, 
that before a judgment is given all the proceedings of the inferior judica- 
tories in the case should be read, and it is a sound maxim, generally 
admitted in courts of justice, that the best evidence the case admits of 
should be required, which in all trials is undoubtedly the record of the 
j udicatory. 

But while they entertain this opinion of the mode of proceeding, they 
believe that the decision of the last General Assembly was substantially 
correct, and was not different from what it would have been if they had 
had all the proceedings of the inferior judicatories before them. — lb. 

See under chap, vii., sec. hi., sub-sec. viii. 

c. The Assembly not Competent to Revise the Judicial Acts of a Previous 

Assembly. 

Judicial Case No. 4. A memorial of the pastor and ruling elders of 
the church of Bloomington, Illinois, in respect to the decision of the last 
Assembly upon the appeal of Dr. T. F. Worrell. 

The Committee recommend that this memorial be dismissed, on the 
ground that it is not competent for this Assembly to revise the proceed- 
ings of a previous Assembly in a judicial case. 

The recommendation was adopted. — 1864, p. 313, O. S. 

2. But will Correct Error when Shown to Exist. 

In the case of the memorial of the Synod of Onondaga, see Minutes, 
1864, p. 474, N. S., it was determined inter alia as follows : 

2. In view of the whole case, your Committee further find, that the last 
Assembly seem to have acted without such a knowledge of all the facts 
of the case, as a regular presentation of the complaint and the records 
would have given them ; and that, therefore, the case is one which justi- 
fies the action of this Assembly in relief of the Synod. 

3. Your Committee further find, that the action of the Synod was scru- 
pulously conformed to the requirements of our Book. 

They had the right to send the case back to the Presbytery, or to review 
the whole of it, according to their discretion. It is not for this court to 
decide which would have been the wiser course. The Synod judge it best 
to review the whole case, and their discretion is not a matter of review by 
this body. 

Your Committee, therefore, recommend: 

That the requisition of the last Assembly on the Synod of Onondaga 
be rescinded, and that the case be dismissed. 

While the Committee come to this conclusion, they feel constrained also 
to express decidedly their disapproval of the language of the Synod, pro- 
nouncing the action of the Assembly " unjust and unconstitutional." 

The report was adopted.— 1864, p. 475, N. S. 



534 OF DISCIPLINE. 

3. The Assembly will Adhere to the Letter of Section ii., above. 

The Judicial Committee reported that they have had under considera- 
tion the letter of the Rev. A. G. Fraser to this General Assembly. That 
Mr. Fraser states that he has been unavoidably prevented from person- 
ally prosecuting an appeal from the decision of the Synod of New Jer- 
sey, of which due notice was given that Synod, and requesting the Gene- 
ral Assembly to appoint a Committee of ministers and elders to hear and 
adjudicate the whole matter; or, if such a plan is not within the jurisdic- 
tion of the General Assembly, that then this matter of appeal stand over 
to their next stated meeting. The Committee recommended that the fol- 
lowing answer be given, viz. : According to the Book of Discipline of our 
Church, there are but four ways in which the General Assembly can have 
cognizance of a judicial case. As neither of these ways is contemplated 
in the request of Mr. Fraser, the Assembly cannot, without a violation of 
constitutional rules, take any action in the premises. In regard to a 
future prosecution of his appeal, the appellant must present his case, with 
the reasons for previous failure, before the next General Assembly, whose 
province it will then be to decide upon the whole subject. 

The recommendation was adopted. — 1850, p. 463, O. S. 

See under Form of Government, chap, xii., sec. v. 

SECTION I. 

GENERAL REVIEW AND CONTROL. 

I. It is the duty of every judicatory above a church session, at 
least once a year, to review the records of the proceedings of the 
judicatory next below. And if any lower judicatory shall omit to 
send up its records for this purpose, the higher may issue an order to 
produce them, either immediately, or at a particular time, as circum- 
stances may require. 

1. Annual Review Required. 

Ordered, That the minutes of the respective Synods be laid yearly 
before the General Assembly to be by them revised. — 1789, p. 7. 

b. Whereas, It appeared in the course of the free conversation on the 
state of religion, that in one of the Presbyteries under the care of the 
General Assembly, the sessional records of the several church sessions 
were not regularly called up and examined every year by the said Pres- 
bytery, and there is reason to believe that other Presbyteries had con- 
ducted in the same manner ; therefore, 

Resolved, That it be and it hereby is required of all the Presbyteries 
within the bounds of the General Assembly annually to call up and 
examine the sessional records of the several churches under their care, as 
directed in the Book of Discipline.— 1809, p. 429. 

c. The Assembly, after seriously reviewing the order of the last Assem- 
bly, and maturely deliberating on the remonstrance of the Presbytery of 
Philadelphia against it, can by no means rescind the said order, inasmuch 
as they consider it as founded on the Constitution of our Church, and as 
properly resulting from the obligation on the highest judicatory of the 
Church to see that the Constitution be duly regarded ; yet, as it is alleged, 
that insisting on the rigid execution of this order, with respect to some 



OF GENERAL REVIEW AND CONTROL. 535 

of the church sessions, would not be for edification, the Assembly are by 
no means disposed to urge any Presbytery to proceed, under this order, 
beyond what they may consider prudent and useful. — 1810, p. 453. 

"d. Whereas, It is an essential feature of the government of the Presby- 
terian Church that the records of all its Synods should be transmitted an- 
nually to its highest court — the General Assembly — for examination ; and 

Whereas, this Assembly has painful evidence that this important regu- 
lation is, by some of its Synods frequently, and by others entirely neglected ; 
therefore, 

Resolved, That all our Synods be enjoined to take such order on this 
subject as shall ensure hereafter a faithful observance of the above regu- 
lation, and in all cases where the stated clerks of any of our Synods have 
failed this year, or may hereafter fail to obey their order of the rule of 
the Assembly respecting this matter, such Synods are hereby required to 
judge of the reasons which such clerks may offer for their delinquency, 
and to excuse or censure them according to the circumstances of the 
case.— 1839, p. 165, O. S. 

e. The Committee on the Records of the Synod of Wisconsin reported, 
That they had been subjected to an increased amount of labor in exam- 
ining the minutes of this Synod in consequence of the failure of the 
stated clerk to send up the records annually to the Assembly as our rules 
require. The minutes of this body have not been brought under the 
inspection of the Assembly since May, 1860, leaving an accumulation of 
four years of unexamined and unapproved records. — 1864, p. 482, N. S., 
et passim. 

See above, Form of Government, chap, x., sec. ix., and chap, xi., sec. 
vi. ; also Discipline, chap, iv., sec. xxiii. 

2. After Records have been Approved Corrections can be made 
only by Recurrence to trie Court Approving-. 

a. Also Overture No. 7, from the session of the church of Wabash, 
Indiana, on the following questions : 

1. After the records of a church session have been examined and approved 
by the Presbytery, and those of the Presbytery, in like manner, approved 
by the Synod, has either the session or the Presbytery a right or any 
authority to change or erase the record ? 

2. If not, has the session any legal right to make a second record de- 
claring the first erroneous and void ? 

The Committee recommended that the following answer be given : 
A record, once approved by a higher court, cannot be altered or annulled 
by a lower one. If there be an error in the record, the remedy is to be 
sought by an application to the highest judicatory which has endorsed 
such mistake. Adopted. — 1862, p. 34, N. S. 

b. When Records have been Approved, they can be Amended only by a Zfnani- 

moiis Vote. 

It was moved to strike out the exceptions taken to the records of the 
Synod of New Jersey. The moderator suggested that the motion was out 
of order, but he would put it to the house'; which having been done the 
motion was sustained with the exception of one no. The moderator then 
declared the motion lost, as a minute recording a fact could not be amended 
but by a unanimous vote of the house. 

An appeal was taken from this decision, and the decision was sus- 
tained.— 1841, p. 424, O. S. 



536 OF DISCIPLINE. 

3. Records of Recent Meetings may be Demanded for Review. 

The records of the Synod of Cincinnati approved, except " that on pp. 
114-116, it appears that on a motion to require the Presbytery of Chilli- 
cothe to produce the records of their session in Sept., 1837 (the month be- 
fore), which records were reported to contain decisions demanding the im- 
mediate review of the Synod, it was decided that, as there was no com- 
plaint, nor appeal requiring the records in question, and as the Presbytery 
have regularly presented their book for review by the Synod, and the 
Committee of Review have made no charge of delinquency in the Presby- 
tery in not transcribing the minutes of their late meeting, the Synod have 
no right to demand said minutes." — 1839, p. 161, O. S. 

4. Copies of the Originals Accepted only in Extraordinary Cases. 

a. It is recommended to the Synods of Virginia and the Carolinas, to 
send attested copies of their minutes by their delegates to the Assembly 
yearly, whenever they find it inconvenient to send their books. — 1790, 

p- 23 - 

b. Resolved, That the dispensation allowed to the Synods of Virginia 
and the Carolinas by the Assembly of 1790, to send up attested copies of 
their records instead of the records, be and it is hereby rescinded. — 1841, 
p. 423, O. S. 

c. The Committee on the Records of the Synod of West Tennessee re- 
ported, and their report was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : " That the 
document presented to your Committee is not the original book of rec- 
ords, but purports to be a true copy from the original record under the 
hand of the stated clerk. Accompanying this report is a letter from the 
clerk, urging the acceptance of the transcript, on the ground of a standing 
rule of the Assembly, authorizing the reception of a transcript when the 
original cannot be transmitted. Your Committee are not aware of such a 
standing rule, and are of opinion that the document produced does not 
come up to the requirement of the Constitution. Your Committee therefore 
cannot report as to the manner in which the records are kept. Your 
Committee recommend that the Synod of West Tennessee be required to 
produce their original book of records for examination at the next Gen- 
eral Assembly."— 1847, p. 381, O. S. 

[The records of the Synod of China, kept in Chinese, were accepted in 
a translated copy by the Assembly of 1871.] 

5. Members of a Judicatory may not Vote upon Review of their 

own Records. 

a. A protest signed by a number of members of the Synod of Geneva, 
against a decision of that Synod, excluding the Presbytery of Geneva 
from voting on the question, Whether their own records should be attested 
by the moderator of the Synod, as approved. Your Committee were, how- 
ever, of opinion that the decision of the Synod was consonant to the pre- 
valent usage of the judicatories of the Presbyterian Church, as well as to 
the usage of other analogous bodies in similar cases, and that it ought 
therefore to be approved. [Adopted.] — 1816, p. 611. 

b. The records of the Synod of Kentucky approved, except "that the 
members of the West Lexington Presbytery voted in approbation of their 
own proceedings, which is deemed to be irregular." — 1821, p. 23. 

[See also under vii., iii., xii., iv.] 

II. In reviewing the records of an inferior judicatory, it is proper 



OF GEXERAL REVIEW A^'D CONTROL. 537 

to examine, First, Whether the proceedings have been constitutional 
and regular; Secondly, Whether they have been wise, equitable, and 
for the edification of the Church; Thirdly, Whether they have been 
correctly recorded. 

[See under vii., i., vi., below. — 1857, p. 45, O. S. Also under hi., be- 
low, for specimens of the application of this rule.] 

1. Unconstitutional and Irregular. 

a. The Synod of Philadelphia, resolution 3d, annuls a sentence of sus- 
pension ; and in resolution 4th, substantially acknowledges the justice of 
the sentence thus annulled. 

The Synod interposes to restore a man to the exercise of the ministry 
of the gospel, who they acknowledge has frequently made representations 
without clue regard to truth and candor ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the Assembly direct the Synod to review and amend 
their record on p. 18, in the case of the appeal of the Presbytery of Don- 
egal. Discipline, chap, vii., sec. i., sub-sees, ii., iii. 

[MSS. indorsement on records of Synod of Philadelphia.] — 1858, p. 298. 

b. The Committee appointed to examine the records of the Synod of 
Geneva, reported, and the book was approved to page 257, with the fol- 
lowing exception, viz. : That the Synod decided improperly, in saying that 
the complaint of D. C. Hopkins was not strictly sustained, while they at 
the same time say, that each and every act of the Presbytery of Onon- 
daga complained of, was irregular and improper. — 1822, p. 40. 

c. A Synod may not Institute and Prosecute Judicial Proceedings. 

That the proceedings of the Synod of Cincinnati, in the institution and 
prosecution of judicial process against William Graham, subjecting him 
lirst to censure, and afterward to suspension, under which he now labors, 
are unconstitutional and irregular, therefore null and void ; and that the 
Synod be, and is hereby enjoined to take constitutional action in the case, 
and to revise and correct its proceedings accordingly. While the Assem- 
bly thus speak on the constitutionality of the matter, they do it without re- 
ference to the error or truth of the sentiments he advanced. — 1846, p. 31, 
X. S. 

III. In most cases, the superior judicatory may be considered as 
fulfilling its duty, by simply recording, on its own minutes, the ani- 
madversion, or censure, which it may think proper to pass on records 
under review; and, also, by making an entry of the same in the book 
reviewed. But it may be, that, in the course of review, cases of ir- 
regular proceedings may be found, so disreputable and injurious as to 
demand the interference of the superior judicatory. In cases of this 
kind, the inferior judicatory may be required to review and correct 
its proceedings. 

1. The Records must be Full.— Reasons for Decisions Required. 

a. The records of the Synod of Pittsburg approved, "excepting the res- 
olution on p. 74, disapproving the proceedings of a Presbytery without 
assigning the reason." — 1820, p. 728. 

b. The records of the Synod of Ohio were approved, with the " excep- 



538 OF DISCIPLINE. 

tion of a minute on p. 243, disapproving of a decision of a Presbytery, 
and ordering said Presbytery to reconsider that decision, without any rea- 
sons being assigned."— 1827, p. 202. 

And Satisfactory Reasons given for all Decisions. 

c. The Synod of Pennsylvania in approving the action of a Presbytery 
in a judicial case, p. 259, assigned an entirely unsatisfactory reason. — 
1850, p. 314, N. S. 

The Subject Matter of Process mast be Stated, 

d. The records of the Synod of Philadelphia approved, except that it 
appears from p. 282 that an appeal and complaint was issued in the usual 
form, without any intimation of what the sentence or proceeding was, 
against which the complaint was made. 

That it appears from p. 273 that another complaint was issued without 
any record of the proceeding complained of, or the body whose proceeding 
was the subject of complaint. — 1852, p. 216, O. S. 

e. Records of the Synod of Albany approved, " except that on page 
257 we read of 'a complaint of the Minority of the Presbytery of Albany' 
to the Synod ; but there is no intimation what they complained of; and 
when Synod took up the business, there is no evidence on record that the 
moderator gave notice that they were about to proceed to judicial business, 
as the Constitution requires."— 1848, p. 48, O. S. See 1853, p. 434, O. S. 

2. Exceptions must be Recorded in the Minutes. 

a. The records of the Synod of Indiana approved, " except that on p. 
342, the records of Greencastle Presbytery, are reported as approved, with 
exceptions, while these exceptions are not spread on the minutes of the 
Synod as required by the Book of Discipline, chap, vii., sec. i., art. iii." — 
1857, p. 387, N.S. 

6. Synod of Wheeling, p. 409. The exceptions to the records of New 
Lisbon Presbytery are not recorded, in violation of the Book of Discipline, 
chap, vii., sec. i., sub-sec. 3. — 1859, p. 550, O. S. 

c. Exception to the records of the Synod of Onondaga, "On p. 186 
we find the Synod administering censure to the Presbytery of Cayuga, for 
an act of discipline toward one of its churches, on the ground that the 
reaso?is for such discipline were not given according to the requirements of 
our Book of Discipline, yet on the next page we find the said Synod reaf- 
firming the acts of a church censured by its Presbytery, and reversing the 
decision of the Presbytery, without giving the required reasons for such 
a singular proceeding." — 1863, p. 277, N. S. 

d. Records of the Synod of Cincinnati, "except that on pp. 6 and 13 
a complaint was received, referred and decided, without any statement in 
regard to the character of said complaint,"— 1865, p. 553, O. S. 

e. Kecords of Synod of Cincinnati, approved, "except that on p. 36 the 
minute is defective, in that a complaint was received, referred and de- 
cided without any statement in regard to the subject matter of said com- 
plaint," 

This defect in the minutes disables this Assembly from deciding as to 
the validity of the recorded reasons given for the decision of the Synod in 
the case on p. 37. 

This defect in the minutes is the more to be excepted against, inasmuch 
as it records the implied censure of the complainant, while the Assembly 
is deprived of the opportunity to pass upon the case. — 1866, p. 50, O. S. 



OF GENERAL REVIEW AND CONTROL. 539 

3. The Lower Courts must Respect the Decisions of the Superior. 

a. The records of the Synod of Missouri were approved, except a resolu- 
tion on page 324, viz., " That the action of the General Assembly in May 
last, in relation to the political condition of the country, was unscriptural, 
unconstitutional, unwise, and unjust; and we therefore solemnly protest 
against it, and declare it of no binding force whatever upon this Synod, or 
upon the members of the Presbyterian Church within our bounds." — 1862, 
p. 631, O. S. 

b. The records of the Synod of Kentucky were approved with the fol- 
lowing exception : 

That this General Assembly cannot approve the Synod's disapproval of 
the action of the Assemblv of 1861, as recorded in the Synod's minutes on 
pages 49 and 50.— 1862, p. 631, O. S. 

4. A Synod Reproved for Failure to make a Deliverance. 

The Committee on the Records of the Synod of Kentucky presented a 
report, which was amended and adopted, and is as follows: 

The Committee recommend that the records be approved with the fol- 
lowing exceptions : 1st. The action of Synod on page 144, taking excep- 
tions to the action of the last General Assembly on slavery. 2d. That the 
Synod has wholly failed to make any deliverance during the past year cal- 
culated to sustain and encourage our government in its efforts to suppress 
a most extensive, wanton, and wicked rebellion, aiming at nothing short 
of the life of the nation. — 1865, p. 541, 0. S. 

5. Censured for Insubordination. 

a. Resolved, That this Assemblv does not approve the records of the 
Synod of Missouri ; that so much of said records as attempt to declare 
null and void the previous action of the Synod, which had been formally 
approved by the Assembly, is an act of insubordination, which said Synod 
is hereby required to reconsider and reverse ; that they report to the next 
Assemblv what they have done or failed to do in the premises, and until 
that time the usual certificate of the moderator be withheld.* 

The remaining portion of the report was then adopted as follows : 
On page 365, where the Synod reaffirm their testimony of November, 
1861, with regard to the action of the Assembly of the same year, known 
as the Spring Resolutions — which testimony declares the action of that 
Assembly on the state of the country to be "unscriptural, unconstitutional, 
unwise, and unjust ; of no binding force whatever on this Synod, or upon 
the members of the Presbyterian Church within our bounds." 

The Committee also recommend that, besides excepting to the record as 
above stated, the repeated exhibition of such a rebellious spirit, on the part 
of any inferior court toward the supreme judicatory of the Church, should 
not pass without censure. — 1866, p. 97, O. S. 

b. The Synod of Albany claim and exercise the right of disregarding 
the exceptions to their records by the General Assembly of 1847, which 
they cousider disrespectful and disorderlv.— 1848, p. 48, 6. S. Also 1824, 
p. 116. 

c. Finally, the Assemblv cannot but express their disapprobation of the 
concluding paragraph of the memorial of the Synod of Ohio, in which they 

^The next year, the Synod having complied with the requirements of the Assem- 
bly, as appeared from an official transcript of its records on the subject read to the 
Assembly, the moderator was directed to approve the records of the Svnod of Mis- 
souri of last year.— 1867, p. 316, O. S. 



540 OF DISCIPLINE. 

say, "the S}mod consider the judgments entered upon their records against 
Samuel Lowrey in October, 1822, as remaining in full force," etc. 

This declaration, notwithstanding the respectful expressions of the Synod, 
is apparently wanting in the respect due from an inferior to a superior ju- 
dicatory ; and is repugnant to the radical principles of the government of 
the Presbyterian Church. If an inferior court has authority to declare 
that its own decisions are in force, after they have been reversed by a su- 
perior court, then all appeals are nugatory, and our system, as it relates 
to judicial proceedings, is utterly subverted. The Assembly are willing to 
believe, however, that the Synod of Ohio did not mean to set themselves 
in opposition to the highest judicatory of the Church, and that when they 
have reconsidered the matter, they will rescind what is so manifestly in- 
consistent with the principles of the Constitution, which they have bound 
themselves to support. — 1824, p. 116. 

[For illustrations of the exercise of the power of review and control see 
Form of Government, chap, xi., sec. i., 1, a, b; sec. ii., 1, a, b, c; 6, a, b; 
sec. iv., 2, 3 ; sees. v. and vi., passim.'] 

TV. No judicial decision, however, of a judicatory, shall be re- 
versed, unless it be regularly brought up by appeal or complaint. 

a. [In a case where the organization of a Presbytery was irregular, see 
above, Form of Government, chap, x., sec. ii. The Assembly inter alia 
declare — ] 

The Book of Discipline, however, prescribes, chap, vii., sec. i., sub-sec. 
iv., that "no judicial decision of a judicatory shall be reversed, unless it be 
regularly brought up by appeal or complaint." 

The trial of a minister under the circumstances proposed in the overture 
must be regarded as any other trial where there has been informality or 
irregularity in the citation or other preliminary stages of the process. 
The trial, with the judgment based upon it, must be respected until the 
Synod, as the superior judicatory, shall judge how far the irregularity 
vitiates the proceedings and defeats the ends of justice, and shall annul 
or confirm the same. — 1861, p. 457, N. S. 

b. The Synod likewise seems to have erred in censuring as they did the 
Committee of the Miami Presbytery, and in acting inconsistent with Con- 
stitutional Rules, chap, vii., sec. i., sub-sees. ii. and iv., by virtually revers- 
ing a judicial decision, and this without citing the Presbytery to appear 
and answer, on the mere review of their records. — 1857, p. 45, O. S. 

V. Judicatories may sometimes entirely neglect to perform their 
duty ; by which neglect, heretical opinions, or corrupt practices, may 
be allowed to gain ground; or offenders of a very gross character 
may be suffered to escape: or some circumstances in their proceed- 
ings, of very great irregularity, may not be distinctly recorded by 
them. In any of which cases, their records will by no means exhibit 
to the superior judicatory a full view of their proceedings. If, there- 
fore, the superior judicatory be well advised by common fame, that 
such neglects or irregularities have occurred on the part of the infe- 
rior judicatory, it is incumbent on them to take cognizance of the 
same; and to examine, deliberate, and judge in the whole matter, as 



OF GENERAL REVIEW AND CONTROL. 541 

completely as if it had been recorded, and thus brought up by the 
review of the records. 

[See Form of Government, chap, xii., sec. v.] 

VI. When any important delinquency, or grossly unconstitutional 
proceedings, appear in the records of any judicatory, or are charged 
against them by common fame, the first step to be taken by the judi- 
catory next above, is to cite the judicatory alleged to have offended, 
to appear at a specified time and place, and to show what it has done, 
or failed to do, in the case in question: after which, the judicatory 
thus issuing the citation, shall remit the whole matter to the delin- 
quent judicatory, with a direction to take it up, and dispose of it in a 
constitutional manner, or stay all farther proceedings in the case, as 
circumstances may require. 

[See Form of Government, chap, xii., sec. v.] 

1. Citation of Judicatories on Beview or on Common Fame. 

a. 1. Resolved, That the proper steps he now taken to cite to the bar of 
the next Assembly, such inferior judicatories as are charged by common 
fame with irregularities. 

2. That a Special Committee be now appointed to ascertain what judi- 
catories are thus charged by common fame ; prepare charges and specifi- 
cations against them ; and to digest a suitable plan of procedure in the 
matter ; and that said Committee be requested to report as soon as practi- 
cable. 

3. That, as citation on the foregoing plan is the commencement of a 
process involving the right of membership in the Assembly; therefore, 

Resolved, That agreeably to a principle laid down chap, v., sec. ix., of 
the Form of Government, the members of said judicatories be excluded 
from a seat in the next Assembly, until their case shall be decided. — 1837, 
p. 425. 

[After the passage of the acts declaring the Synods of Western Reserve, 
Utica, Geneva and Genesee to be no longer integral parts of the Presby- 
terian Church in the United States, the following was adopted, viz. :] 

b. Dr. Cuyler, from the Committee appointed to consider and report to 
the Assembly on the subject of citing inferior judicatories, presented a 
report, which was amended and adopted, and is as follows, viz.: 

The Committee believe, that, for the present, there is no urgent necessi- 
ty to cite any inferior judicatories; and after what has been done toward 
the reform of the Church during the present sessions of the General As- 
sembly, they believe it will be best to wait for a time, without further de- 
cisive action, in the hope that those portions of the Church against which 
serious charges are still made by common fame, will see the necessity of 
taking order on the subject, and doing, without delay, what truth and 
righteousness may require of them. 

We deem it proper, however, to say, that several of the Synods are so 
seriously charged, in several respects, that this Assembly would be want- 
ing in faithfulness to itself, to them, and to the cause of Christ, as well as 
to the principles of justice and fair dealing, in carrying out its own prin- 
ciples, if it did not specially urge several of them to give prompt and par- 



542 OF DISCIPLINE. 

ticular attention to certain matters, in which they, or some of their Pres- 
byteries or churches, are specially charged. We, therefore, recommend 
the adoption of the following resolutions, viz.: 

1. Resolved, That the Synods of Albany and New Jersey be enjoined 
to take special order in regard to the subject of irregularities in church 
order, charged by common fame upon some of their Presbyteries and 
churches. 

2. That the Synod of Michigan be enjoined to take special order in 
regard to the subject of errors in doctrine, so charged upon all its Presby- 
teries. 

3. That the Synod of Cincinnati be enjoined to take special order in 
regard to error in doctrine, so charged as being connived at by several of 
its Presbyteries, and held by some of its members. 

4. That the Synod of Illinois be enjoined to take special order in regard 
to errors in church order and errors in doctrine, so charged upon several 
of its Presbyteries. 

5. That besides the general reference to the word of God and our stand- 
ards, we refer the Synods above named to the testimony of this General 
Assembly, as to the nature of the errors and irregularities intended by it, 
in these resolutions. And said Synods are enjoined to take order on the 
subjects now referred to them for consideration and action, at their first 
stated meeting after this Assembly adjourns ; and to report their doings 
herein, with whatever else seems to them necessary to elucidate the whole 
subject, in writing, to the next General Assembly. 

6. And the said five Synods are especially enjoined, and all other 
Synods in our bounds are required, to cause to be laid before the next 
General Assembly, as far as possible, copies of all the abbreviated creeds 
and church covenants in use among their churches; which subject is also 
particularly commended to all our Presbyteries, both in relation to the 
present demand, and with reference to the testimony of this Assembly on 
that subject.— 1837, p. 496. 

SECTION II. 

OF REFERENCES. 

I. A reference is a judicial representation, made by an inferior 
judicatory to a superior, of a case not yet decided ; which represen- 
tation ought always to be in writing. 

[The language of this section strictly interpreted would seem to limit 
the subject-matter of reference to judicial cases, and the parties referring 
to inferior judicatories. The usage of the Assembly, however, has been 
uniform, to receive, under the general head of " Overtures," memorials, 
questions and petitions from all sorts of sources and upon all manner of 
questions.] 

1. The Right to Petition and to Memorialize the Assembly Affirmed. 

a. We, the undersigned, members of Assembly, respectfully enter our 
protest against the action of the General Assembly in postponing indefi- 
nitely the resolution offered by Dr. Neill, in favor of the right of petition 
by our Presbyteries and Synods ; because, 

1st. No opportunity was offered to any member to express his views on 
the subject previously to the vote; thus the Assembly was hurried into a 



OF REFERENCES. 543 

decision, -without opportunity to consider the great injuries done by thus 
virtually denying this sacred right. 

2d. Because the spirit of our free Form of Government is thus vio- 
lated, inasmuch as it secures to the lower judicatories the right of being 
heard on all moral and religious subjects, when they present their views 
in a regular and constitutional manner. 

To this the Assembly reply : 

The protest imputes to this Assembly a principle which it never adopted, 
viz., the denial of the right of petition. The true reason of the indefinite 
postponement of Dr. Neill's paper was, that as no one doubted the right 
of petition, a further consideration of the subject would consume time by 
useless debate and legislation. The Committee regard this statement as a 
sufficient answer to the protest in question. — 1841, p. 449, O. S. 

b. The Committee to whom was referred the protest of W. Bushnell 
and others in relation to the action of the Assembly on certain petitions 
respecting the abolition of slavery reported, recommending the adoption 
of the following minute : 

The General Assembly recognizing the right of inferior judicatories, 
and private members, upon their oivn responsibility, to memorialize this 
body on any subject which they may regard as connected with the inte- 
rests of the Church, and finding no fault with the language of the protest, 
admit it to record without further notice. — 1844, p. 376, O. S. 

2. One "who does not Submit is Debarred the Right. 

The Committee to which was referred the petition of Mr. Bourne 
reported, and their report being read was accepted. Whereupon it was 
resolved, that as it appears to be a fact that Mr. Bourne has not submitted 
to the judgment of the Assembly in affirming a decision by which he was 
deposed from the gospel ministry, he be permitted to withdraw his peti- 
tion.— 1823, p. 93. 

II. Cases which are new, important, difficult, of peculiar delicacy, 
the decision of which may establish principles or precedents of ex- 
tensive influence, on which the sentiments of the inferior judicatory 
are greatly divided, or on which, for any reason, it is nighty desir- 
able that a larger body should first decide, are proper subjects of 
reference. 

a. The Synod of the Carolinas referred to the Assembly the case of 
Rev. Hezekiah Balch, charged with error in doctrine. — 1798, p. 151. 

b. The Presbytery of Philadelphia on the propriety of their ordain- 
ing to the work of the gospel ministry a licentiate under their care who 
now holds the office of a chaplain in the navy of the United States. See 
Form of Government, chap, xv., sec. xv. — 1826, p. 171. 

c. The Presbytery of Cayuga relative to the constitutionality of a rule 
of that body. See Form of Government, chap, x., sec. viii. — 1830, p. 2cS4. 

d. The Synod of Philadelphia in relation to the right of Presbyteries 
to require every minister or licentiate, coming to them by certificate from 
another Presbytery or other ecclesiastical body, to submit to an examina- 
tion before he be received. — 1832, p. 355. 

e. Overture No. 4, viz. : A reference from the Presbytery of West Ten- 
nessee, requesting an answer to the two following questions, viz. : " 1. What 
are the nature and duties of the office of deacons? 2. What is the scrip- 
tural and appropriate mode of ordination ?" was taken up, and after some 



544 OF DISCIPLINE. 

discussion, committed to Mr. Beach, Mr. Vail and Mr. Hoyt. — 1833, 
p. 393. 

f. The Committee to whom was referred Overture No. 2 made a report, 
which was read and adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

The Committee appointed to consider and report on Overture No. 2, 
which is in the following words : " Is it lawful and consistent with the 
order of our Church for a church court to reconsider and set aside its 
own decision in a case of discipline, after a lapse of five or six years from 
the time the decision was made, after the court has so changed, that many 
of its members were not members at the time of the decision, and when 
no new testimony is proposed ?" beg leave to report that, in their opinion, 
the proper answer to this overture will be found included in the following 
principles, viz. : 

1. Our Book of Discipline, chap, ix., sec. i., provides, that if after a 
trial before any judicatory, new testimony be discovered, which is supposed 
to be highly important to the exculpation of the accused, it is proper for 
him to ask, and for the judicatory to grant, a new trial. 

2. It is very conceivable that after the lapse of five or six years the 
sentence of an ecclesiastical court, which was originally considered as just 
and wise, although no new testimony, strictly speaking, has appeared, may 
in the view of the church appear under an aspect equivalent to new testi- 
mony, and calling for reconsideration ; yet, 

3. Inasmuch as the frequent reconsideration of cases adjudged by the 
inferior judicatories, without the appearance of new testimony, admits of 
great and mischievous abuse, and might lead to an endless recurrence of 
reviews and reversals of former decisions, in the absence of a majority of 
the court pronouncing the same ; it is evidently more regular, safe and for 
edification, when a review of a decision, without the disclosure of new 
testimony, is thought desirable, to refer the case to the next higher judica- 
tory.— 1833, p. 405. 

III. References are either for mere advice, preparatory to a decis- 
ion by the inferior judicatory; or for ultimate trial and decision by 
the superior. 

a. A reference from the Presbytery of Chenango asking advice in the 
case of Rev. Edward Andrews, a member of that body, who has recently 
withdrawn and received episcopal ordination, w r as taken up. See Form 
of Government, chap, x., sec. viii. — 1828, p. 239. 

See also 1832, p. 363. 

b. The permanent clerk announced to the Assembly that there had 
been put into his hands a reference from the Presbytery of Philadelphia 
of the whole case of the Rev. Albert Barnes before that body. This case 
was referred to the Judicial Committee. — 1831, p. 321. 

IV. In the former case, the reference only suspends the decision 
of the judicatory from which it comes: in the latter case, it totally 
relinquishes the decision, and submits the whole cause to the final 

judgment of the superior judicatory. 

[Against the reference above, iii., a complaint was entered, as also a 
complaint against the action of the Presbytery in the case. After the 
whole proceedings of the Presbytery had been read, and the sermon enti- 
tled " The Way of Salvation ,"] the parties then agreed to submit the case 
to the Assembly without argument, when it was resolved to refer the 



OF REFERENCES. 545 

whole case to a select Committee. Dr. Miller, Dr. Matthews, Dr. Lan- 
sing, Dr. Fisk, Dr. Spring, Dr. J. McDowell, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Koss, Mr. 
E. White, Mr. Jessup and Mr. Napier were appointed this Committee. — 
1831, p. 325. 

Subsequently, the Committee to whom was referred the whole case in 
relation to the Rev. Albert Barnes, made a report, which being read was 
adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

That after bestowing upon the case the most deliberate and serious con- 
sideration, the Committee are of the opinion that it is neither necessary, 
nor for edification, to go into the discussion of all the various and minute 
details which are comprehended in the documents relating to this case. 
For the purpose, however, of bringing the matter in controversy, as far as 
possible, to a regular and satisfactory issue, they would recommend to the 
Assembly the adoption of the following resolutions, viz. : 

Resolved, 1. That the General Assembly, while it appreciates the consci- 
entious zeal for the purity of the Church, by which the Presbytery of Phila- 
delphia is believed to have been actuated in its proceedings in the case of 
Mr. Barnes; and while it judges that the sermon by Mr. Barnes, entitled 
" The Way of Salvation," contains a number of unguarded and objec- 
tionable passages, yet is of opinion that, especially after the explanations 
which were given by him of those passages, the Presbytery ought to have 
suffered the whole to pass without further notice. 

Resolved, 2. That in the judgment of this Assembly, the Presbytery of 
Philadelphia ought to suspend all further proceedings in the case of Mr. 
Barnes. 

Resolved, 3. That it will be expedient, as soon as the regular steps can 
be taken, to divide the Presbytery in such way as will be best calculated 
to promote the peace of the ministers and churches belonging to the Pres- 
bytery. 

With respect to the abstract points proposed to the Assembly for their 
decision in the Reference of the Presbytery, the Committee are of the 
opinion that if they be answered they had better be discussed and decided 
in thesi separate from the case of Mr. Barnes. 

The Judicial Committee reported that the other complaints and the ref- 
erence in relation to the case of Mr. Barnes, they considered as merged 
in the report just adopted. This report was accepted. 

The Assembly having finished the business in relation to Mr. Barnes, 
united in special prayer, returning thanks to God for the harmonious re- 
sult to which they have come; and imploring the blessing of God on their 
decision.— 1831, p. 329. 

V. Although reference may in some cases, as before stated, be 
highly proper; yet it is, generally speaking, more conducive to the 
public good, that each judicatory should fulfill its duty by exercising 
its judgment. 

VI. Although a reference ought, generally, to procure advice from 
the superior judicatory; yet that judicatory is not necessarily bound 
to give a final judgment in the case, even if requested to do so ; but 
may remit the whole cause, either with or without advice, back to the 
judicatory by which it was referred. 

[See under viii., below. 

The Committee appointed to draw a minute on the subject of the 
69 



546 OF DISCIPLINE. 

memorial from the session of the First Church in Genoa, reported the fol- 
lowing, which was adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, That the church of Genoa be referred to the minute of the 
Assembly formed in the case of David Price, in the year 1825 ; from 
which it will appear, that in the judgment of the Assembly, "an admon- 
ition" was "deserved" by the said Price, in consequence of his unchris- 
tian conduct. And it is the judgment of this Assembly, that the session 
ought immediately to have administered such admonition ; that they ought 
still to administer it ; and that if the said Price refuse to submit to such 
admonition, or do not thereupon manifest repentance and Christian tem- 
per, to the satisfaction of the church, he ought not to be received into the 
communion of that or any other Presbyterian Church. — 1827, p. 202. 

VII. In cases of reference, the members of the inferior judicatory 
making it, retain all the privileges of deliberating and voting, in the 
course of trial and judgment before the superior judicatory, which 
they would have had, if no reference had been made. 

VIII. References are, generally, to be carried to the judicatory 
immediately superior. 

1. Reference Directly to the Assembly Permitted. 

a. The General Assembly sympathize with you (the Presbytery of Har- 
mony) an the painful business detailed to them, and lament the unpleasant 
events which have taken place relative to Dr. Kollock. And it would 
afford the Assembly no small degree of pleasure fully to comply with the 
request of the Presbytery, and in such manner as to remove their difficul- 
ties and heal the wounds which have been inflicted. It will be admitted 
by all that the decisions of the Assembly should be marked with correct- 
ness and wisdom, and it will be as generally admitted that it is highly 
needful to enable them to do this, that they have a correct and clear view 
of the cases or facts on which they are to decide. The Presbytery of Har- 
mony request the Assembly to examine their conduct, and to censure or 
support them, as they shall appear to have done right or wrong. The 
Assembly are ready to do this, and it is believed will cheerfully do it as 
soon as the records of the Presbytery of Harmony, which relate to this 
subject, shall be fully before them. In the mean time, it is with pleasure 
that the Assembly reflect that the Presbytery of Harmony, by carrying 
this subject to the Synod of which they are a constituent part, may prob- 
ably obtain a more speedy relief than they could receive in the event of 
■waiting for the decision of the next General Assembly. — 1816, p. 615. 

b. The Permanent Clerk announced to the Assembly, that there had 
been put into his hands a reference from the Presbytery of Philadelphia 
of the whole case of the Rev. Albert Barnes before that body. This case 
•was referred to the Judicial Committee. — 1831, p. 321. 

c. And the case of the Rev. Horace Belknap, referred to the General 
Assembly by the Presbytery of Harmony. Referred to the Judicial Com- 
mittee.— 1831, p. 319. 

[See also 1832, pp. 362, 363.] 

d. Overture No. 6, viz.: A request from the Presbytery of Delaware 
for advice in a certain case, was referred back again to the Presbytery for 
a more particular statement of the case, and that said Presbytery may 
send it, in the first place, to the Synod for advice. — 1832, p. 362. 



OF REFERENCES. 547 

IX. In cases of reference, the judicatory referring ought to have 
all the testimony, and other documents, duly prepared, produced, and 
in perfect readiness ; so that the superior judicatory may be able to 
consider and issue the case with as little difficulty or delay as pos- 
sible. 

1. Testimony Attested by the Moderator and Clerk Sufficient. 

The following question, signed by William C. Davis, "Whether testi- 
mony taken before a session, and sent up to the Presbytery under the sig- 
nature of moderator and clerk, will not be sufficient in references as well 
as appeals to render the case thus referred both orderly and cognizable by 
Presbytery," was answered in the affirmative. — 1797, p. 128. 

2. A Superior Court may Entertain a Reference -which is not Ac- 
companied by the Testimony, and Proceed itself to take it. 

The records of the Synod of Kentucky approved, "with one exception, 
viz. : According to the record on page 66, the Synod taught and acted on 
the principle that a Presbytery acts irregularly, which upon the reference 
of a church session, takes the testimony and issues the case according to 
its bearings, even when the parties concerned agree to the reference. 
Your Committee are of opinion that this principle is wrong in itself, and 
evil in its tendency, and therefore recommend this Assembly to express its 
disapprobation of it." — 1853, p. 455, O. S. 

In reply to a protest against this decision, the Assembly says : 
The action condemned is not " in exact accordance with the Constitu- 
tion, Discip., chap, vii., sec. ii., art. ix.," as asserted by the protestant; the 
article referred to containing a rule, designed to facilitate business, but as 
its language shows, it does not preclude a Presbytery from taking original 
testimony in certain cases, and it does not appear from the records that 
the Presbytery of Muhienburg was irregular in so doing. — 1853, p. 456, 

o. s. 

Reference, except from Synods or Presbyteries, Discouraged. 

The report of the Joint Committee on Keconstruction recommended the 
following, which was adopted: 

As much time is consumed, and the attention of the Assembly dis- 
tracted with overtures and questions of minor importance, coming up 
from various quarters, impeding the transaction of business of more 
general interest, it is recommended that the Assembly order that, here- 
after, bills and overtures come up only from Synods or Presbyteries; yet, 
that this may not prevent any Committee of Bills and Overtures from 
bringing before the house, of its own motion, upon a two-thirds vote of the 
Committee, any matter which they may deem of sufficient importance to 
engage the attention of the General Assembly. — 1870, p. 90. 



548 OF DISCIPLINE. 

SECTION III. 

OF APPEALS. 

I. An appeal is the removal of a cause already decided, from an 
inferior to a superior judicatory, by a party aggrieved. 

[Before the adoption of the Constitution in its present form, in 1821, 
no distinction was made between an appeal and a complaint. The com- 
mon form was, " we appeal and complain." Under this broad title any 
decision whatever was carried by any parties from the lower courts to the 
higher. Appeals are limited, by the present Constitution, to the original 
parties to a case who may deem themselves aggrieved, and to cases which 
have been judicially decided by a lower judicatory. Under this head, 
however, are included all cases of whatever character which have been 
the subject of a decision by an inferior judicatory. Cases showing the 
parties whose appeals have been entertained, and the subjects to which 
they pertain, may be found under sees. ii. and iii. : sections vi., vii., viii., 
ix., x. and xi., apply also to complaints. The same case was tried both as 
an appeal and a complaint.— 1834, p. 431 ; 1835, p. 490 ; 1836, p. 276. 

1. The Death of the Respondent bars further Prosecution. 

And on page 277 it appears that the Synod of New York decided that 
the death of Rev. Mr. Griffith should be no bar in the way of the prose- 
cution of an appeal by his prosecutor from the decision of the Presbytery 
of Bedford acquitting Mr. Griffith. With these exceptions, the Com- 
mittee recommended that the records be approved. Their report was 
adopted.— 1833, p. 400. 

2. Appeals Limited to Judicial Cases. 

The complaint of A. D. Metcalf, etc., against the Synod of Virginia, 
for deciding that appeals may lie in cases not judicial, was taken up. 
The decision complained of, the reasons of complaint assigned by the 
complainants, and the whole record of the Synod in the case were read. 
The complainants were heard in support of their complaint. The Synod 
were heard in defence of their decision. The roll was called, that each 
member of the Assembly might have an opportunity of expressing his 
opinion. After which, the vote was taken, and the complaint was sus- 
tained.— 1839, p. 160, O. S. 

II. All persons who have submitted to a regular trial in an infe- 
rior, may appeal to a higher judicatory. 

III. Any irregularity in the proceedings of the inferior judicatory ; 
a refusal of reasonable indulgence to a party on trial ; declining to 
receive important testimony; hurrying to a decision before the testi- 
mony is fully taken ; a manifestation of prejudice in the case ; and 
mistake or injustice in the decision — are all proper grounds of ap- 
peal. 

[Appeals have been Entertained and Issued for Causes Named, 
viz.,] 1. For Refusing to Permit a Call. 

a. The unfinished business of yesterday, viz., an appeal from a decision 
of the Synod of Philadelphia, affirming a decision of the Presbytery of 



OF APPEALS. 549 

Carlisle, in which decision the Presbytery resolved not to put into his 
hands a call for the Rev. Henry R. Wilson, from the congregation of Car- 
lisle, being resumed and fully discussed, it was 

Resolved, That the decision of the Synod of Philadelphia be affirmed. 

And it was accordingly affirmed. — 1814, p. 548. 

b. The business left unfinished yesterday was resumed, viz., the consid- 
eration of the appeal of the Presbytery of Hudson from a decision of 
the Synod of New York and New Jersey, reversing a decision of said 
Presbytery, by which the Presbytery determined not to give leave to the 
congregation of Goodwill to prosecute before the Presbytery of New York 
a call which they had prepared for the Rev. William Gray, a member of 
that Presbytery. 

It was moved and seconded that the appeal of the Presbytery of Hud- 
son be sustained. After a full discussion of the subject, the question 
being taken on this motion, it was determined in the affirmative, and the 
appeal was therefore sustained. — 1817, p. 644. 

2. Against a Refusal to Obey the Superior Court. 

An appeal from, and complaint against, a vote of the Synod of Phila- 
delphia, in the case of Mr. Hindman, was introduced before the Assem- 
bly through the Committee of Overtures, and read. It was as follows, 
viz. : 

It was overtured by the Presbytery of New Castle, that the Synod be 
requested to review the minute of their last meeting on the case of Mr. 
Hindman, and also to take into their consideration the conduct of Lewes 
Presbytery, in the affair of his licensure. 

The vote being put, grant their request or notf it was carried not. 

We, whose names are hereunto annexed, dissent from the aforesaid vote 
of Synod, and complain of and appeal therefrom, to the next General 
Assembly, for the following reasons : 

1. Because, in our apprehension, the Synod have, by their vote in this 
affair, deprived aggrieved members of a privilege to which they have a 
just claim. 

2. Because the Synod by this vote have, in our opinion, refused to 
correct the errors in their proceedings of last year, which were censured 
by the General Assembly, and which, in consequence of that censure, 
ought to be corrected. 

3. Because the vote, as we believe, will, in its effects, tend to keep alive 
and increase uneasiness in the Presbyteries of New Castle and Lewes. 

4. Because we believe that the whole transactions of the Synod of Phila- 
delphia, relative to this affair, have been in direct violation of a known 
and wholesome rule of the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, respect- 
ing the licensure of candidates, and contained in their Minutes of 1764, 
pages 78 and 80. And we likewise believe, that this violation has a tend- 
ency to promote irregularity, deception and injury, both among the churches 
and judicatures of the Presbyterian body. — 1792, p. 53. 

[This appeal was entertained and issued, see p. 56. The Synod was cen- 
sured, but the licensure complained of was confirmed, though declared to 
be irregular.] 

3. Appeal for Refusing to receive an Applicant. 

A complaint and appeal of the Rev. Thomas Ledlie Birch, against cer- 
tain proceedings of the Presbytery of Ohio, in the case of Mr. Birch, par- 
ticularly for refusing to receive him as a member of their body, on the 
ground of a supposed want of acquaintance with experimental religion, 



550 OF DISCIPLINE. 

together with a representation of the congregation of Washington, in the 
bounds of said Presbytery, on the same subject, was brought in by the 
Committee of Bills and Overtures. On motion, 

Resolved, That the Assembly will proceed, on Monday morning next, to 
hear said complaint and appeal. — 1801, p. 213. 

Subsequently the Assembly — 

Resolved, That no evidence of censurable procedure in the Presbytery 
of Ohio, in the case of Mr. Birch, has appeared to this. house; inasmuch 
as there is a discretionary power necessarily lodged in every Presbytery to 
judge of the qualifications of those whom they receive, especially with 
respect to experimental religion. — 1801, p. 218. 

The Assembly having examined Mr. Birch, especially upon his acquaint- 
ance with experimental religion, Resolved, That they find no obstruction 
against any Presbytery to which he may apply taking him up and pro- 
ceeding with him agreeably to the rules and regulations in this case made 
and provided. — 1801, p. 221. In the next Assembly-Mr. Birch complains, 
inter alia, " That the Presbytery of Ohio rejected him, in opposition to the 
decision and intention of the General Assembly." — 1802, p. 246. This 
complaint was not sustained. 

4. Appeal against an Order or Decision of the Superior Court. 

a. An appeal from the session of the Third Presbyterian Church of Phila- 
delphia from the decision of the Synod of Philadelphia, affirming a decision 
of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, in which decision the Presbytery re- 
quired said session within twenty days from the date of their decision, or 
after the final determination of the case, to convene the congregation for 
the purpose of electing a pastor, was determined in the affirmative. — 1814, 
p. 559. 

For the full minute of the decision, see Form of Government, chap, 
xiv., sec. i. 

b. [The Second Presbytery of Philadelphia appealed against and com- 
plained of the act of the Synod of Philadelphia, ordering it to be merged 
in the Presbytery of Philadelphia. Both appeal and complaint were sus- 
tained and the act of the Synod pro tanto declared void.] — 1834, p. 432. 

c. The Assembly took up the appeal and complaint of the Second Pres- 
bytery of Philadelphia in relation to the decision of the Synod of Phila- 
delphia dissolving them as a Presbytery. 

The final vote was taken, first on the appeal, which was sustained, and 
then on the complaint, which was also sustained. — 1836, pp. 273-276. 

5. An Appeal will not Lie against a Judicatory for Obeying the 
Order of a Superior Judicatory. 

Appeal of Rev. Mr. Hummer against the Presbytery of Highland. The 
last General Assembly passed the following order, viz.: Overture No. 19. 
That the General Assembly would take action and give relief in the case 
of Rev. Michael Hummer, who, having been deposed by the Presbytery 
of Iowa, had been restored by the Presbytery of Highland against the 
remonstrance of the Presbytery of Iowa, just as if he was an independent 
minister. 

In answer, the Assembly declares that it is irregular and unconstitu- 
tional for any Presbytery to receive and restore a member of another 
Presbytery who had been deposed, and therefore the action of the Pres- 
bytery of Highland, in restoring Mr. Hummer, was improper ; and the 



OF APPEALS. 551 

Presbytery- of Highland is directed to reconsider its action, and proceed 
according to the requirements of the Constitution. 

The report was adopted. 

The Presbytery of Highland adopted the following minute: 

Whereas, We believe that our action in the reception of Brother Hum- 
mer was unconstitutional ; and whereas, we have no choice, in view of the 
direct injunction of the General Assembly; therefore, 

Resolved, That we do now proceed to reconsider the action of this Pres- 
bytery, by which Mr. Hummer was received into this body. 

Resolved, That this action of Presbytery be understood as putting the 
case into the position it occupied previous to his reception. 

Resolved, That Presbytery earnestly advise Mr. Hummer to appeal once 
more to the Presbytery of Iowa to take up his case, in order that, in the 
event of their refusal to do him justice, he may appeal to the Synod, and 
thence, if necessary, to the General Assembly — which resolution was 
adopted. 

Against this proceeding Mr. Hummer appeals. 

But it appears that the Presbytery of Highland did nothing more than 
they were required to do by the General Assembly; that is to say, they 
reconsidered and set aside the action which the Assembly had declared 
"irregular," " unconstitutional," and "improper." In the judgment of 
the Committee, an appeal does not lie in such a case, and they recom- 
mend that it be dismissed, and Mr. Hummer have leave to withdraw his 
papers. 

The report was accepted and adopted, and the case dismissed, — 1863, p. 
35, O. S. 

6. An Appeal Dismissed because no Evidence is presented to 

Sustain the Allegation. 

Appeal and complaint of certain persons claiming to be ruling elders 
of the church at Little Falls vs. the Synod of Albany. 

That they have examined the records and papers in said case; and 
although the appeal has been taken in proper form, and after due notice, 
yet, as there has been presented no evidence to sustain the allegations set 
forth as grounds of reversal, and as the allegations cannot therefore be 
tried by the Assembly, the Committee recommend that the said appeal 
and complaint be dismissed. Adopted. — 1861, p. 312, O. S. 

Also case of William McElwee vs. Synod of Toledo.— 1873, p. 509. 

7. Appeal will not Lie against a Refusal to Adopt a Paper or 

Determine a Constitutional Question in thesi. 

a. The Judicial Committee having had under consideration No. 1, the 
appeal and complaint of the Rev. Robert J. Breckinridge, D. D., and 
others, against a decision of the Synod of Philadelphia, on the quorum 
question ; and No. 2, the appeal and complaint of the Rev. R. J. Breck- 
inridge, D. D., and others, against a decision of the Synod of Philadel- 
phia, on the question of the imposition of hands in ordination, report, that 
in their opinion the Form of Government and Discipline of the Presbyte- 
rian Church do not authorize the appellants and complainants to bring 
before the General Assembly, either an appeal or complaint in the cases 
referred to. The report was adopted. — 1844, p. 366, O. S. 

[Against this a protest was entered, and the Assembly rejoin. See 
below, chap, vii., sec. iv., sub-sec. ii.] 



552 OF DISCIPLINE. 



8. Nor where the Court acts within the Limits of its Power and 

Authority. 

The Special Committee, appointed to prepare a minute expressive of the 
sense of the Assembly in passing the vote in the case of the appeal of 
Silas Miller from the decision of the Synod of Illinois, recommended the 
adoption of the following minute: 

The Assembly, having heard the appeal of Silas Miller from the decis- 
ion of the Synod of Illinois, the sentence appealed from and the reasons 
assigned therefor, the whole record of the proceedings of the Synod in the 
case, including all the testimony and the reasons of their decision ; and 
having heard the original parties by their counsel, namely, the appellant, 
by his counsel, Rev. George I. King, D. D., and the session of the church 
of Tuscola, by the Rev. Edwin Black ; and having also heard the Rev. 
Livingston M. Glover, D. D., and others, members of the said Synod, in 
explanation of the grounds of their decision, and having carefully consid- 
ered said appeal and the reasons assigned therefor by the appellant, are 
of the opinion that there is no valid ground for the appeal, in that it does 
not appear that the Synod exceeded its power and authority in the prem- 
ises, or that it did any of the matters or things specified in chap, vii., sec. 
iii., paragraph 3, of the Book of Discipline, as being proper grounds of 
appeal ; and therefore the Assembly do now order the appeal of said Silas 
Miller to be dismissed, and the decision of the Synod of Illinois to be con- 
firmed.— 1867, p. 516, -N.S. 

9. Nor where the Action below was Regular, and Itself accord- 

ing to the Equities of the Case. 

Sixth. Case of M. A. Rockefeller, H. N. Waples, and M. E. Starick vs. 
the Synod of Harrisburg. 

These persons complain and appeal, because the Synod decided their 
case without hearing both sides fully, since their representative was absent 
on the last day of the hearing; and because of injustice, in that the Synod 
did not regard the embarrassments of their position, and the irregularity 
of the action of the session and the Presbytery, from which they appealed. 

The Committee learn from the records of the Synod, to which these ap- 
pellants refer, as their ouly testimony, that a full hearing was granted, 
their representative being heard as long as he desired to speak, and in his 
absence, after having addressed the Synod, another representative was 
permitted to serve in his place ; and all the provisions of the Book were 
granted the appellants. Moreover, the decision of the Synod, from which 
the appeal was taken, contained an injunction upon the Presbytery, to 
enjoin the session to invite these members of the Church to return to their 
duties and privileges in the Church, with the assurance that, if they. would 
do so, the action against them should be annulled. The Committee, there- 
fore, fail to find ground for their complaint, for either of the reasons they 
specify, and recommend that the case be dismissed. Adopted. — 1873, p. 
509. 

IV. Appeals may be, either from a part of the proceedings of a 
judicatory, or from a definitive sentence. 

V. Every appellant is bound to give notice of his intention to 
appeal, and also to lay the reasons thereof, in writing, before the 
judicatory appealed from, either before its rising, or within ten days 



OF APPEALS. 553 

thereafter. If this notice, or these reasons, be not given to the judi- 
catory while in session, they shall be lodged with the moderator. 

1. Notice must be Given and Reasons in 'Writing. 

a. An appeal of Mr. Benjamin Bell from a decision of the Presbytery 
of Geneva, and also an appeal of Mr. Bell from the decision of the Synod 
of Geneva, were laid before the Assembly by the Judicial Committee. 
These appeals were both dismissed, on account of the judicatories, from 
whose decisions they had been taken, not having received due notice from 
Mr. Bell that he designed to prosecute them before this Assembly. — 1821, 
p. 25. 

b. The appeal of Mr. Charles Yale from a sentence of the Presbytery 
of Bath, deposing him from the gospel ministry, was taken up and dis- 
missed, because it appeared that Mr. Yale gave notice to said Presbytery 
that he should appeal to the Synod of Geneva, several days before he sig- 
nified his desire to the moderator of Presbytery to appeal to the General 
Assembly.— 1826, p. 187. 

c. Resolved, That the appeal [of certain pew owners of the First Pres- 
byterian Church in Troy] be dismissed, on the ground that the Synod has 
not had the constitutional notice of the reasons of the appeal. — 1828, 
p. 242. 

2. Evidence that Notice has been Given is Required. 

a. The Judicial Committee, to whom was recommitted the appeal of the 
church of Bergen, made the following report, which was adopted, viz. : 

They recommend that said appeal be dismissed, on the ground that the 
only paper which appears to be intended as an appeal, is without date or 
signature, or evidence that it was ever before the Synod of Genesee, or 
lodged with the moderator of said Synod. — 1830, p. 292. 

A Synod Censured for Entertaining an Appeal without Notice. 

b. The records of the Synod of Utica were approved with the follow- 
ing exceptions: 

1. That the Synod issued an appeal from the inferior judicatory, when 
it appeared before them that an appellant had not given notice in writing 
that he should appeal, with his reasons assigned for appealing, as required 
by the Book of Discipline, before the rising of the judicatory appealed 
from, or within ten days thereafter. 

2. That the Synod violated the principles of the Constitution in quali- 
fying -the members of the inferior judicatory to ascertain whether an 
appeal had been given, when the Book of Discipline requires that the 
appeal shall be lodged in the hands of the moderator; and further, that 
the inferior judicatory shall send authentic copies of all the records, and of 
all the testimony relating to the matter of appeal up to the Synod, whose 
duty it is to issue the appeal, when found to be in order, and in accord- 
ance with the Book of Discipline.— 1840, p. 12, N. S. 

c. The Committee further reported No. 13, viz.: Complaint of John 
Cochran against the Synod of Philadelphia, and recommended that the 
complainant have leave to withdraw his papers, on the ground that the 
Committee have no evidence that notice of said complaint was given to 
the Synod.— 1834, p. 434. 

70 



554 OF DISCIPLINE. 

3. "When a New Trial is Granted by the Superior Court, Notice 
must be Given by the Appellant. 

The appeal of Mr. Craighead from a decision of the Synod of Ken- 
tucky was taken up, and being read, it appeared on inquiry that the 
Synod of Kentucky was not ready for trial, because Mr. Craighead had 
failed to give them notice that he intended to avail himself of the privi- 
lege granted by the last Assembly, by prosecuting his appeal ; therefore, 
Resolved, That the further consideration of this appeal be postponed, and 
that Mr. Craighead be informed, that if he wishes to prosecute his appeal 
before the next General Assembly, he must give notice of his intention to 
the Synod of Kentucky.— 1823, p. 92. 

4. Failure of the Court to Receive Notice does not bar the Ap- 
pellant. 

This Assembly are of opinion that Mr. Lowrey complied with the rule 
of the Book of Discipline, respecting the notice given, in the case of his 
appeal ; but as this notice appears not to have been received by the Synod, 
they were not censurable for not sending up the records. — 1824, p. 115. 

[In this case the Assembly satisfied itself that the notice was sent within 
the ten days after the rising of the judicatory.] 

5. Leave to Show that Notice has been Given to the Court Ap- 
pealed from. 

On motion of E. P. Humphrey, it was Resolved, That the case be re- 
ferred to the next General Assembly with leave to appellants to show 
them that they gave the Synod notice for an appeal. — 1859, p. 540, O. S. 

6. On Evidence of Notice the Case Reinstated. 

No reasons accompany the complaint, and there is no evidence that 
any notice of complaint was given to the Synod. Complaint dismissed 
and leave given to withdraw papers. — 1865, p. 542, O. S. 

[The next year the complainant above came before the Assembly by 
overture or memorial, when action was taken, as follows, viz.:] 

Also Overture No. 21, relating to an appeal of the Rev. L. R. Lock- 
wood, presented by his counsel, Rev. James Remington. 

This appeal against the Synod of Iowa, for not sustaining his appeal 
from the Presbytery of Dubuque, was dismissed by the last Assembly, on 
the ground that no reason accompanied the complaint, and there was no 
evidence that any notice of complaint was given to the Synod. Mr. Lock- 
wood now memorializes this Assembly, and alleges that the required notice 
of appeal was given to the Synod, and that he was then, and still is, pre- 
vented from attending the Assembly during its last and present sessions, 
and he asks that his appeal may be reinstated, and referred to the next 
Assembly for trial. 

The Committee recommend that his request be granted. He further 
asks that the Assembly direct the Presbytery of Dubuque to grant him 
a new trial, on the ground of new testimony. 

The Committee recommend that this application be referred to the 
Presbytery of Dubuque, to the end that if the new testimony be found 
of sufficient importance to justify, that Presbytery may afford Mr. Lock- 
wood the relief he asks. But if, in their judgment, a new trial ought not 
to be granted, that then the appeal shall stand for trial on the record as 
now existing, before the next General Assembly. 

The report was adopted. — 1866, p. 72, O. S. 






OF APPEALS. 555 

VI. Appeals are generally to be carried in regular gradation, from 
an inferior judicatory to the one immediately superior. 

1. Appeals may be Prosecuted directly before the Assembly. 

a. That inasmuch as the request of Mr. Bourne to be tried on an appeal 
before the General Assembly rather than the Synod may be reasonable, 
and inasmuch as the words of our Constitution, viz. : " The Assembly 
shall receive and issue all appeals and references which may be regularly 
brought before them from the inferior judicatories," etc., have been inter- 
preted favorably to such a request, the General Assembly do order, that 
a certified copy of the records of the Lexington Presbytery in this case be 
duly made, and transmitted to the next Assembly, unless the Synod of 
Virginia, to which the Assembly can have no objection, shall have previ- 
ously received the appeal. [But that this constitutional question, as well 
as the merits of the case, shall remain open for discussion at that time.] — 
1816, p. 627. 

b. Resolved, That the records of the Synod of Virginia be approved, 
except their censure of the Presbytery of Lexington for allowing an ap- 
peal from their decision directly to the Assembly, without noticing the 
supposed irregularity of such appeal. — 1818, p. 688. 

c. An overture from the Presbytery of Baltimore, in relation to the 
practice of inferior judicatories in carrying appeals and complaints directly 
to the General Assembly, without first bringing them to their respective 
Synods, made the following report, which was adopted, viz. : That the 
Constitution of our Church is so explicit that it requires no order of the 
Assembly in relation to the case brought to view in this overture. — 1833, 
p. 396. 

[The principle guiding the Assembly seems to be that where there is no 
sufficient reason for passing by the next superior court, the case should 
go there. But where good reasons for carrying it directly to the Assem- 
bly are assigned, it will be entertained. In this the "usage is the same 
both as to appeals and complaints.] 

2. Appeals Dismissed because not first Brought in the Lower 

Courts. 

a. The Judicial Committee reported two appeals of Samuel Lowrey ; 
the first from a special decision of the session of the Second Presbyterian 
Church of Cincinnati ; the second from a decision of the Presbytery of 
Miami. These appeals were dismissed, because the appellant had not 
prosecuted his appeals before the inferior judicatories. — 1822, p. 36. 

b. The Judicial Committee made the following report on the complaint 
of the Presbytery of Philadelphia against the Presbytery of Columbia, 
relative to the licensure of Mr. Samuel Shaffer, which was adopted, viz. : 
That it is a desirable thing to prevent the unnecessary accumulation of 
business before the General Assembly-; that no good reason appears why 
the Synod of Albany, who must be entirely competent to issue the com 
plaint, should be passed by, and that, therefore, in their judgment, the 
matter ought to go before that body. — 1828, p. 237. 

c. The Judicial Committee made a report in relation to the appeal of 
Mr. Matthew H. Rice, from a decision of the Presbytery of East Hanover, 
which was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

That the appellant had leave to withdraw his appeal on the following 
ground, viz.: No reasons are assigned by the appellant for making this 
appeal to the General Assembly instead of the Synod. — 1830, p. 298. 



556 OF DISCIPLINE. 

d. The Judicial Committee reported on the complaint of John Cochran 
against the session of the Eighth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, 
and against the Presbytery of Philadelphia, and their report was adopted, 
and is as follows, viz.: 

The complaint of John Cochran against a decision of the session of the 
Eighth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, which was dismissed by the 
Presbytery of Philadelphia as " irrelevant and unfounded," appears to 
have been regularly conducted, except that it is brought directly to the 
Assembly, from the Presbytery, instead of being carried first to the Synod; 
and no reasons are assigned for this course. Your Committee would there- 
fore recommend that this case be sent to the Synod for adjudication, should 
Mr. Cochran choose to prosecute his complaint. — 1833, p. 409. 

e. The Judicial Committee reported on judicial business No. 7, viz.: 
the appeal from the decision of the Presbytery of Otsego, by the church 
at Cooperstown, that it appears from the documents that the appeal is 
made by said church immediately from Presbytery to the Assembly; and 
they recommend that the appellants have leave to withdraw their appeal, 
and prosecute it before the Synod of Utica. This report was adopted. — 
1834, p. 432. 

/. The appeal of Mr. Charles Yale, from a sentence of the Presbytery of 
Bath, deposing him from the gospel ministry, was taken up and dismissed, 
because it appeared that Mr. Yale gave notice to said Presbytery that he 
should appeal to the Synod of Geneva, several days before he signified his 
desire to the moderator of Presbvterv to appeal to the General Assembly. 
—1826, p. 187. 

g. That John Turbitt have leave to withdraw his appeal from the de- 
cision of the Presbytery of Peoria, deposing him from the ministry, be- 
cause the case has not been presented before the Synod. — 1859, p. 516, 
O. S. 

h. It is earnestly recommended by this Assembly to the Synod of Illi- 
nois, to reconsider their judgment in the case of Mr. John Turbitt, de- 
clared at their late meeting, October, 1859 ; and without regarding the 
circumstance of his having originally passed over the Synod and appealed 
directly to the Assembly, nor the circumstance of so much time having 
elapsed since the decision of the Presbytery against him, to take up his 
case, and either try it as an appeal against the Presbytery upon the old 
evidence, or else remand it to the Presbytery for their hearing of the new 
testimony.— 1860, p. 46, O. S. 

i. Case of Rev. W. M. White vs. the Presbytery of Washington. From 
the papers before the Committee, it appears that Mr. White was suspended 
from the ministry, and excluded from the communion of the church by 
the Presbytery of Washington at its sessions in November, 1870 ; that 
since that time he has resided within the bounds of the Presbytery of 
Pittsburg, and that he made application to the Presbytery of Washington, 
at its sessions in April, 1873, for a dismission, with a certificate of his 
standing, to the Presbytery of Pittsburg. This request the Presbytery of 
Washington declined to grant; and, respecting their decision, have come 
into the hands of your Committee, 1. A complaint of Rev. W. M. White; 
2. A complaint of Revs. David McKinney and Richard Lea, resident in 
Pittsburg; 3. A petition, signed by ministers and church members, living 
in and near the city of Pittsburg, praying that the decision of the Pres- 
bytery of Washington may be reversed, together with the answers of said 
Presbytery to these complaints. 

The complaints have not been before the Synod, with which these Pres- 
byteries are connected, for the alleged reason that there has been no meet- 



OF APPEALS. 557 

ing of the Synod since the action of Presbytery, and the complainants 
prefer not to" wait until the session of the Synod in the autumn. Your 
Committee, however, do not see sufficient cause in this case for departure 
from the rule of our Book of Discipline (chap, vii., sec. iii.), viz.: "Ap- 
peals are generally to be carried in regular gradation, from an inferior 
judicatory to the one immediately superior," — and therefore, recommend 
that all the papers in the case be referred to the Synod of Pittsburg. 
Adopted.— 1873, p. 508. 

3. Where there is no Common Relation, a Complaint is Allowed. 

Also, Judicial Case No. 3. Being a complaint of the Third Presbytery 
of Philadelphia, against the Presbytery of Luzerne, for an alleged invasion 
of Presbyterial jurisdiction. The case is brought before the Assembly, 
because of these Presbyteries having had no common Synodical relations. 

The Committee propose that the new Synod take up the case, and that 
the Presbytery of Luzerne cease all action until the Synod decides. — 1870, 
p. 27. 

VII. The appellant shall lodge his appeal, and the reasons of it, 
with the clerk of the higher judicatory, before the close of the second 
day of their session. 

[The same rule applies to complaints.] 

1. The Appellant must Furnish the Necessary Documents. 

a. The Judicial Committee reported that they had had under their con- 
sideration papers marked — Benjamin Bell's appeal, which purports to be 
an appeal from a decision of the Synod of Geneva ; but there has been 
laid before the Committee no copy of the decision appealed from, no ap- 
peal, nor reasons of the appeal, nor indeed anything but Mr. Bell's plea, 
intended by him to be laid before the Assembly ; wherefore the Commit- 
tee requested to be discharged from further consideration of this case. 

The request of the Committee was granted, and they were accordingly 
discharged. — 1822, p. 45. 

b. The Judicial Committee reported that they had before them an ap- 
peal of Mr. Benjamin Bell, and requested that they be discharged from 
any further consideration of this appeal, inasmuch as Mr. Bell has pre- 
sented no documents but his plea, and no notice of this appeal is to be 
found on the records of the Synod of Geneva; and their request was 
granted.— 1823, p. 87. 

c. Debarred as not being within the Constitutional Time. 

The permanent clerk reported that a complaint had been put into his 
hands this morning, the ninth day of the session, from Mr. James Dick- 
inson, a ruling elder in the Church of Ripley, in the Presbytery of Buf- 
falo. 

Resolved, That inasmuch as this complaint was not presented within 
the constitutional time, the Assembly do not receive it. — 1834, p. 429. 

[See also 1837, p. 480.] 

2. Deferred in the Absence of Necessary Documents. 

Mr. Bourne's petition states a decision to have passed against him in 
the Lexington Presbytery, which by a supplementary paper, he says was 



558 OF DISCIPLINE. 

on the 27th of December last, and contained a sentence of deposition, 
from which, on the next day, he gave notice to the Presbytery that he 
claimed an appeal to the General Assembly. By his affidavit, taken be- 
fore an alderman of this city, he further declares, that he, by the permis- 
sion of the Presbytery, transcribed the minutes of their proceedings ; that 
he afterward wrote in form what he denominates an appeal (meaning, it 
is presumed, his causes of appeal), and transmitted it to the clerk of the 
Presbytery with a demand of the copy of the records, and of that paper; 
but that he had received a letter from the clerk refusing to remove them 
from the post-office. By his petition, he asks to prosecute his cause before 
the Assembly, without having first brought his case before the Synod of 
Virginia; and that if such hearing cannot be granted him at present, that 
the Assembly will assign him a day. Whereupon, 

Resolved, 1. That inasmuch as the records of the Lexington Presbytery, 
the names of the parties to the suit, the charges made before them in 
writing against Mr. Bourne, the depositions of the witnesses, and other 
written* documents, are not before the Assembly ; and as every principle 
of equity forbids a process in the absence of documents so essential to its 
being rightly conducted — prayer for a hearing at this time cannot be 
granted.— 1816, p. 626. 

[See vi., above. The appeal was taken up and issued. — 1817, pp. 644, 
646.] 

3. Dismissed as not Lodged in Time. 

a. The Committee report that the complaint of Geo. P. Strong and 
others, against the Presbytery of St. Louis, was not put into the hands of 
the clerk of the Assembly until the third day of its business, it is there- 
fore barred by the rule. 

It was dismissed. — 1863, p. 23, O. S. 

b. Also complaint of Dr. Alfred Nevin, against the Synod of Philadel- 
phia. The complaint did not come into the hands of the moderator of 
this Assembly until Monday, the fourth day of the sessions. It is there- 
fore barred by the rule. 

Dismissed.— 1863, p. 24. 

c. The Judicial Committee reported an appeal and complaint of Kev. 
Dr. John W. Martin, against the action of the Presbytery of Allegheny 
City, for alleged irregularity in dissolving a pastoral relation. -Also 
an appeal and complaint of Dr. Martin, against the Synod of Alle- 
gheny, in reference to its approval of the minutes of the Presbytery al- 
leged to be defective. Also an appeal from the Synod of Southern Iowa, 
in the case of Bobert Fulton, with the statement, in each of these cases, 
that the papers were not placed in the hands of the Assembly within the 
constitutional time; and, therefore, they recommended, that the appellants 
have leave to withdraw the papers. 

The report was adopted. — 1870, p. 106. 

d. A complaint of Erwin Wheeler and A. Hallstraft, against the Pres- 
bytery of Des Moines, in the case of the Kev. Fisk Harmon. The papers 
in this case were not presented until the fourth day of the sessions of the 
Assembly, and they are also imperfect. The Committee recommend that 
the parties have leave to withdraw their papers. The recommendation 
was adopted. — 1872, p. 51. 

e. Case of Robert Byers vs. the Synod of Illinois, South. 

The papers in this case did not come into the hands of the Committee 
until the fourth day of the session, and after parties interested in it had left, 



OF APPEALS. 559 

having been told that no such papers had come before us within the time 
prescribed by the Book, and we report no action in the case. 
Adopted.— 1873, p. 509. 

Case of Ignorance of the Rule. 

f. The chairman of the Judicial Committee stated to the Assembly that 
an appeal had been put into his hands from Duncan Hamilton and his 
wife, from a decision of the Synod of Pittsburg, which appeal had not 
been reported to the clerk of the house, and asked the direction of the 
Assembly in the case. On inquiry, it appeared this appeal was in the 
house in season ; and the persons to whom it was entrusted were not 
aware of the constitutional rule requiring that it be lodged with the 
clerk. 

Resolved, That, in the opinion of the Assembly, the rule has virtually 
been complied with. — 1830, p. 302. 

The Rule Interpreted Liberally ivhere due Diligence has been Used. 

g. That, in examining the papers and records in the matter so referred, 
your Committee find as follows : 

1. That, although, in bringing the case before the General Assembly, 
there are some mistakes and omissions in the required forms of procedure, 
such has been the good faith and diligence of the complainant, and such 
would be the manifest and irretrievable injury he must experience, if his 
complaint be dismissed, that your Committee believe that, according to 
the spirit of our Book of Discipline, the complaint is properly before this 
body. That, in proof of the good faith and diligence of the complainant, 
it appears, that he was advised, by one of the oldest members of the Synod, 
to lodge his complaint in the hands of the stated clerk; that, according 
to the certifying of the stated clerk, the complaint was directed to him 
within the time prescribed by the Book of Discipline; and that the stated 
clerk of the Synod, when receiving the notice, believing it to be properly 
directed, neither informed the moderator of it, nor advised Mr. Todd of 
any mistake in its direction ; but informed other members of the Synod 
of the complaint, and finally put all the documents into the hands of the 
commission to this Assembly, to place them in due form before it. Your 
Committee are also assured, that Mr. Todd wrote to the stated clerk, two 
or three days previous to the opening of the Assembly, earnestly request- 
ing that the papers might not fail of coming before the Assembly; and, 
also, that he expressed the desire that, if his presence were necessary, he 
might be notified of it by telegram. — 1863, p. 278, N. S. 

4. In the absence of Records through the Non-attendance of the 
Commissioner, the Appeal Received and Referred. 

Dr. Musgrave, from the Judicial Committee, reported Case No. 3, being 
the appeal of Kev. C. J. Abbott against the action of the Synod of Mis- 
souri. The Committee reported as follows : 

The Committee are verbally informed, that this case originated in the 
Presbytery of St. Louis, upon charges preferred by common fame against 
the appellant. The charges were sustained in the Presbytery, and on 
appeal to the Synod, were also sustained by the Synod of Missouri. 

The Committee were also verbally informed, that an appeal was taken 
from the action from the Synod, which in due course ought to have been 
presented to the last Asssmbly ; that the record was forwarded to the city 



560 OF DISCIPLINE. 

of Philadelphia, but in consequence of the absence from that body of the 
commissioner to whose care the record was committed, it failed to be pre- 
sented ; and the appellant now asks that his appeal may be entered, and 
that it be referred to the next General Assembly for trial. 

The Committee recommend that the request of the appellant be granted. 

The report was adopted, and the case referred to the next General As- 
sembly.— 1862, p. 608, O. S. see ante, p. 518. 

5. "Where the Appeal Failed to be Lodged in Due Time through 
Mistake of the Appellant, it was Entered and Referred. 

Also, Judicial Case No. 5, the appeal of Kev. John Turbitt from the 
decision of the Synod of Illinois, by which the action of the Presbytery of 
Peoria, in deposing the appellant, was affirmed. 

The Committee reported as follows : 

This appeal appears to have been regularly taken, but was not lodged 
with the clerk of this Assembly before the close of the second day's ses- 
sions. (See chap, vii., sec. iii., sub-sec. vii.) The Committee have reason 
to believe that the appellant was under the impression that the present 
meeting of this Assembly was to be at Dayton, in this State, and by for- 
warding his papers to that place, they were delayed, so that they were not 
received here until after the end of the fourth day's sessions. Under these 
circumstances, the Committee recommend that the appeal be docketed. 
And as it satisfactorily appears to the Committee that the appellant has 
been providentially hindered from attendance at this session, they further 
recommend that the case be deferred to the next Assembly for trial. 

The report and recommendation were adopted. — 1862, p. 611, O. S. 

VIII. In taking up an appeal, after ascertaining that the appellant 

on his part has conducted it regularly, the first step shall be to read 

the sentence appealed from : secondly, to read the reasons which were 

assigned by the appellant for his appeal, and which are on record : 

thirdly, to read the whole record of the proceedings of the inferior 

judicatory in the case, including all the testimony, and the reasons of 

their decision : fourthly, to hear the original parties : fifthly, to hear 

any of the members of the inferior judicatory, in explanation of the 

grounds of their decision, or of their dissent from it. 

[The order for taking up a complaint is the same as in an appeal. On 
questions of regularity on the part of the appellant see above, sections v. 
and vii.] 

1. In the Absence of Records, the Decision of the Appeal should 
be Suspended. — Parol Evidences will not Supply the Place of 
the Records. 

In the case of Samuel Lowrey (see 1823, p. 92) it appeared on inquiry 
that neither the records of the Synod of Ohio nor the records of the Pres- 
bytery of Miami were brought to the Assembly ; but as the delegates be- 
longing to the Synod admitted it to be a fact, as stated in Mr. Lowrey's 
appeal, that the Presbytery of Miami did appoint a special session, com- 
posed of elders belonging to different congregations, for the purpose of 
trying Mr. Lowrey, and that the decision of such a special session was 
affirmed by the Synod of Ohio ; therefore, 



OF APPEALS. 561 

Resolved, That the appeal of Mr. Lowry be sustained, and it hereby is 
sustained. — 1823, p. 92. 

Against this decision the Synod of Ohio memorialized the Assembly, 
and the Assembly inter alia declare — 

This Assembly are of opinion that the correct mode of proceeding for 
the last General Assembly, would have been, to have suspended a decision 
on the appeal, until the records of the inferior judicatories should have 
been present, because the rules in our Form of Government prescribe, that 
before a judgment is given, all the proceedings of the inferior judicatories 
in the case should be read, and it is a sound maxim, generally admitted 
in courts of justice, that the best evidence which the case admits of should 
be required, which, in all trials, is undoubtedly the record of the judicatory. 
But while they entertain this opinion of the mode of proceeding, they be- 
lieve that the decision of the last General Assembly was substantially cor- 
rect, and was not different from what it would have been if they had had 
all the proceedings of the inferior judicatories before them : for the fact 
on which they founded their judgment, has been fully confirmed to this 
Assembly, by the records which have been read in the discussion of the 
ease.— 1824, p. 115. 

On page 375, in case of a complaint against the decision of a Presby- 
tery, no evidence appears that the records of the Presbytery were read. 
Exceptions to Records, Synod of Indiana, 1837, p. 480. 

2. Reading of the Documents by Consent Dispensed -with. 

The Assembly entered on the consideration of the two appeals of the 
Rev. Robert B. Dobbins, from the decision of the Synod of Kentucky, in 
the cases of the Rev. William L. Maccalla, and the session of the church 
of Augusta. The Rev. Dr. E. S. Ely appeared in behalf of Mr. Dobbins. 
The parties were heard until they declared themselves satisfied (the facts 
having been admitted by them, and the reading of the documents by con- 
sent dispensed with). The roll was then called, that the members of the 
Assembly might express their opinions on the subject; after which Drs. 
Wylie, M'Dowell and Leland were appointed a Committee to prepare a 
minute on the subject. — 1824, p. 120. 

3. The Hearing- of a Voluminous Case Declined. — The Case Termi- 
nated by the Assembly without further Trial. 

On the complaint of the Rev. Mr. Smylie, in the case of the Rev. Dr. 
Scott, the Assembly adopted the following report of the Judicial Com- 
mittee : 

There are three ways in which this complaint might be disposed of. 

1. The Assembly might take it up, wade through the testimony, re- 
ceive the new testimony that it is understood the complainant wishes to 
offer to decide the case. But against this course, besides other difficulties, 
it may be mentioned as a very serious one, that the bare reading of the 
records of the Presbytery would consume four or five days. 

2. Another mode might be adopted, by referring the case for reconsid- 
eration to the Presbytery of Louisiana, who might be directed to take any 
new testimony that should be properly offered. 

3. Or the General Assembly might remand the case to the Synod of 
Mississippi, to hear the complaint, and dispose of it in a regular and con- 
stitutional manner. This, it is deemed, would be the wisest course. 

But, were either of these modes adopted, it would require a great con- 
sumption of time, and subject the judicature that might adjudicate on the 
71 



562 OF DISCIPLINE. 

case to great inconvenience, and no inconsiderable expense; and instead 
of resulting in practical good, might produce great excitement, and conse- 
quences injurious to the peace and edification of an important section of 
our Church. The testimony is so voluminous, that to form a correct 
judgment on it, would require a retentive memory, patient attention, dili- 
gent comparison of its several parts, as well as a discriminating mind. 
It is to be regretted that the Presbytery sanctioned by their authority the 
publication of the speeches on both sides of the question. 

The Committee after carefully deliberating on the subject were unani- 
mously of the opinion that if the case could be disposed of, consistently 
with the rights of Mr. Smylie, without remanding it to either of the in- 
ferior courts, and without the Assembly's adjudicating on it, all the ends 
of justice would be gained, and the peace of the Church would be pro- 
moted. They therefore invited Mr. Smylie to a friendly interview, in 
which they expressed their opinion, and he stated his views. He did not 
concur with the Committee in regard to the probable consequences of the 
case being remanded to the Synod or the Presbytery; and stated that in 
prosecuting his complaint he was influenced by no personal feeling against 
Dr. Scott, but by a desire that truth might be sustained, justice done to 
all concerned, and the Constitution of our Church upheld ; but if the Com- 
mittee would, without his concurrence, assume the responsibility of recom- 
mending to the General Assembly to terminate the case without any fur- 
ther trial, and the Assembly should determine to adopt this as the wisest 
way of terminating it, he would submit, and feel that he had discharged a 
duty, which, while it was troublesome and painful, had put him to no in- 
considerable expense. 

It is due to the Rev. Mr. Smylie to say, that the Committee believe, 
that in prosecuting his complaint, he has been prompted by a sense of 
duty and a regard to the Constitution of our Church, and governed by 
what he deemed its purity and best interests required. 

The Committee recommend to the Assembly the adoption of the follow- 
ing resolution : 

Resolved, That in view of the representation of the case given in the 
above statement by the Judicial Committee, of the voluminous nature of 
the testimony, and of the difficulties attending the case, and believing that 
the interests of the Church will be best promoted by adopting the course 
recommended by the Committee, and being willing to assume the responsi- 
bility of acting accordingly, this General Assembly do hereby terminate 
this unhappy case without any further judicial trial. — 1847, p. 385, O. S. 

4. Matters Foreign to the Issue may by Consent be Omitted in 

trie Reading. 

a. Resolved, That in reading the minutes of Lexington Presbytery, the 
names of the voters in calling the yeas and nays be omitted, unless called 
for by one or other of the parties litigant ; and that the proceedings of 
Presbytery, in reference to other matters foreign to the issue before us, be 
also omitted, unless called for specially by one of the parties. — 18-18, p. 
30, O. S. 

b. The Assembly then proceeded to take up the business, according to 
the recommendation of the Judicial Committee. After the usual admon- 
ition, read from the Book, to the members in their judicial capacity, the 
papers were read, according to the constitutional order ; and after all the 
papers presented by the Committee had been read, a recess was taken for 
half an hour. 



OF APPEALS. 663 

After the recess, George Howe moved that the whole records of the 
Presbytery in relation to the case now before the Assembly be read. 

This motion was carried, and the minutes of the Presbytery of Eliza- 
bethtown were accordingly read, in everything pertaining to the case, 
until it was carried by appeal to Synod of New Jersey; the moderator 
deciding that any subsequent record should not be read. — 1858, p. 291, 
O. S. 

5. Documents not Read may be used in Pleading. — In a Case un- 
der Common Fame, the Appellant the only Original Party. 

In the appeal of Alexander Frazer, against the Synod of Buffalo, the 
course required in the Book for conducting appeals was then pursued ; 
and at the third stage of the proceedings, a question having arisen as to 
the reading of certain printed pamphlets as a part of the evidence, it was 

Resolved, That in the judgment of the Assembly it is not necessary to 
read the pamphlets in extenso, but counsel can make such use of them as 
they see fit in the course of their argument. — 1859, p. 5-12, O. S. 

The original parties being called for, the moderator decided that the 
case having arisen without an individual prosecutor, there was but one 
original party before the court, who was now to be heard by A. G. Hall 
and J. Bliss, representing him. — 1859, p. 543, O. S. 

The moderator ruled that the fifth stage of the proceeding was to hear 
any member of the Synod of Buffalo, present as a commissioner. An ap- 
peal was taken from the decision of the moderator, but was not sustained. 
—lb. 

6. Case Remanded for New Trial because the Original Parties 
had not been Heard. 

Complaint and appeal of the Presbytery of Passaic against the Synod 
of New Jersey [not entertained as an appeal because not made by one of 
the original parties. See Discipline, chap, vii., sec. iii., sub-sec. xvii.] con- 
tinued as a complaint. 

Resolved, That the case be returned to the Synod for a new trial, if a 
new trial be required. 

1. Because it appears from the record of the Synod that the original 
parties in the case were never heard by them, the original parties in the 
judgment of the Assembly being Mr. William B. Guild and the Commit- 
tee-prosecuting for common fame. 

2. Because the reasons for the decision of the Synod were not recorded 
according to the requisition in chap, iv., sec. xxiii., Book of Discipline. — 
1861, p. 344, O. S. 

7. Case Issued -where no Person Appears on Behalf of the 

Respondent. 

The Assembly took up the complaint of the minority of the Synod of 
Kentucky, against a decision of the majority of said Synod, in the case of 
Mr. Benedict H. Hobbs. 

The decision complained of, the complaint, and the proceedings of the 
several judicatories in the case were read. The complainants were then 
heard : no persons appeared on the part of the Synod. 

After due consideration, the following resolution was adopted, viz.: 

That the complaint be, and it is hereby sustained, and the judgment of 
the Synod is reversed. — 1831, p. 342. 



564 OF DISCIPLINE. 

8. Reasons Assigned by an Appellant must be Recorded. — They 

must be Couched in Decent and Respectful Language. 

Overture No. 6, from certain ministers and ruling elders, requesting the 
Assembly to decide whether the clause in the Book of Discipline, chap, 
vii., sec. iii., sub-sec. viii., "and which are on record," requires that these 
reasons are to be spread on the book of the minutes of the court appealed 
from, or whether they may be considered as on record when simply on file. 
And if said clause requires the reasons to be spread on the minutes, whether 
the judicatory has authority to require that the reasons be couched in de- 
cent and respectful language, and contain no offensive reflections or insin- 
uations against the judicatory, as in the case of dissent and protest. 

Recommended that this Assembly decide, first, that th reasons must be 
spread on the minutes ; second, that the question respecting the language 
be answered affirmatively. 

The recommendation was adopted. — 1862, p. 596, O. S. 

9. Commission Appointed by the Assembly with Full Powers by 

Consent of Parties. 

a. Case of Mrs Maria Hill. — Appeal vs. Synod of Albany. 

The Assembly proceeded to the second order, being the appeal of Mrs. 
Maria Hill from a decision of the Synod of Albany. 

The moderator reminded the Assembly, in due form, of the judicial 
character which they now assumed. 

The sentence appealed from was read. 

The reasons for the appeal were read, and also the proceedings of the 
inferior judicatory. 

At this stage, by consent of the representatives of the original parties, 
the whole matter was referred to a Committee consisting of Mr. Samuel 
H. Perkins, Hon. Charles Noble and Mr. Edward D. Mansfield.— 1864, 
p. 477, N. S. 

[The commission reported, and their report was adopted as the action 
of the Assembly. See decision under chap, iv., sec. x., above.] 

b. Complaint of Seventh Church and Presbytery of Cincinnati vs. Synod, of 

Cincinnati. 

Also, Judicial Case No. 5 — being a complaint of the session of the Sev- 
enth Church of Cincinnati, and the appeal and complaint of the Presby- 
tery of Cincinnati, against the decision of the Synod of Cincinnati, in the 
case of the Misses Brown, which was referred to this Assembly by the last 
General Assembly (see Minutes, page 313). The Committee find the case 
in order, and ready to be taken up and adjudicated, if this body so please, 
in the usual manner. As it is, however (Digest, p. 287), declared to be 
the province of the Judicial Committee not only to ascertain whether ap- 
peals and references to the Assembly are in order, but also to propose to 
the Assembly the best mode of proceeding in each case, the Committee 
will be pardoned, perhaps, for the suggestion that all the ends of justice 
may be answered, and the whole matter harmonized, if this very unusual 
case be dealt with in a somewhat unusual way. It is of such a nature as 
to be unfit for public discussion, and it is in every way exceedingly unde- 
sirable that the testimony should be read or the case debated in the open 
sessions of this body. According to the Digest (p. 144, note), no deviation 
from the regular order prescribed in the Book should be allowed, unless 
upon the consent of all the parties, expressed in open court. The parties 



OF APPEALS. 565 

in this case, feeling as every one does who knows anything of its character, 
that it ought not to come directly before the Assembly, if a satisfactory 
result can be arrived at in any other way, have consented to have it 
referred to a Committee of nine, of this body, taken from Presbyteries so 
remote as to be without prejudice in the matter. Influenced by these 
considerations, which are altogether of an extraordinary character, we 
venture to propose that such a Committee be appointed, consisting of five 
ministers — Kev. Dr. Perkins of the Presbytery of Burlington, Dr. Ban- 
nard of the Presbytery of Albany, Dr. Samuel Wilson of the Presbytery 
of Bedstone, Dr. Breed of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, and Rev. A. V. 
C. Schenck of the Presbytery of Missouri, and four ruling elders — J. K. 
Davidson of the Presbytery of Carlisle, T. T. Alexander of the Presbytery 
of Transylvania, D. W. Patterson of the Presbytery of Donegal, and 
Charles Crosby of the Presbytery of Rock River. That this Committee 
be directed to hear the parties, and report to this body during its present 
sessions, for their final action in the case ; and that they hold their first 
meeting for this purpose at half-past seven o'clock this evening, in the 
lecture-room of this church. 

The report was adopted.— 1865, p. 538, O. S. 

See under sec. x., below. 

c. Appeal of Lewis Loelcwood vs. Synod of Iowa. 

Judicial case No. 3 — being the appeal of the Rev. Lewis R. Lockwood 
from the judgment of the Synod of Iowa affirming the judgment of the 
Presbytery of Dubuque, by which the appellant was suspended from the 
ministry. The original charges against Mr. Lockwood were tabled in the 
name of common fame. The accuser here represented by the commis- 
sioner from the Presbytery of Dubuque, and the appellant by his counsel, 
the Rev. A. T. Rankin, consent that the case may be referred to a com- 
mission of seven members, to be appointed by the moderator of the As- 
sembly, to hear and determine it ; their judgment to be reported to the 
Assembly for its approval. The Committee recommend that such a com- 
mission be appointed with the powers and duties thus indicated and con- 
sented to. 

The recommendation was adopted, and the following commission ap- 
pointed : Ministers — W. C. Matthews, D. D., Andrew Vance, D. D., Wil- 
liam J. Gibson, D. D., J. O. Murray, P. D. Young. Ruling elders — W. 
R. Bush, William McCrea.— 1867, p. 327, O. S. 

[The appeal was not sustained, and the judgment of the lower Court 
was affirmed.] — lb., p. 347. 

d. Two other cases of appeal were, by consent of parties or their repre- 
sentatives, referred to commissions by the same Assembly, p. 341. Their 
reports respectively are found on pages 355 and 360, Minutes, 1867, O. S. 

e. Appeal of Church of Miffllnsburg vs. Synod of Philadelphia. 

Also, judicial case No. 6 — being an appeal and complaint of the church 
of Mifflinsburg, against the Synod of Philadelphia, for its action in the 
appeal and complaint of Rev. Isaac Grier, D. D. 

The Committee find the papers to be in order, and they recommend, as 
the parties are so agreed, that a commission, consisting of Rev. William 
M. Paxton, D. D., Rev. S. G. Spees, D. D., Mr. H. N. McAlister, Hon. I. 
S. Spencer, Hon. J. B. Skinner, Hon. Daniel Haines, and Messrs. H. G. 
Spafford and Joseph D. Reinboth, be now appointed to sit on this case 
outside of the house, and to report to this Assembly. — 1870, p. 27. 



566 OF DISCIPLINE. 

* IX. After all the parties shall have been fully heard, and all the 
information gained by the members of the superior judicatory, from 
those of the inferior, which shall be deemed requisite, the original 
parties, and all the members of the inferior judicatory, shall with- 
draw; when the clerk shall call the roll, that every member may 
have an opportunity to express his opinion on the case ; after which 
the final vote shall be taken. 

1. The Withdrawal Construed Literally. 

a. The appeal of Mr. Joseph E. Bell, from a decision of the Presbytery 
of Concord, suspending him from the office of the gospel ministry, was 
taken up. 

The appellant having requested that some person may be appointed to 
manage his appeal, the Rev. 1ST. S. S. Beman was accordingly appointed. 

The decision of the Presbytery appealed from, the reasons assigned by 
the appellant for his appeal, which were on record, and the whole record 
of the proceedings of the inferior judicatory in the case were read. 

After which, Mr. Beman, on behalf of Mr. Bell, was heard. The Pres- 
bytery of Concord was then heard by their delegate, in explanation of 
the grounds of their decision. 

Mr. Beman and the delegate from Concord then withdrew. The roll 
was then called, to give each member an opportunity to express his opin- 
ion ; after which the final vote was taken, and the appeal of Mr. Bell was 
sustained.— 1828, p. 238. See also 1836, p. 265. 

b. The moderator having decided that the rule requiring the parties to 
withdraw, should be understood in the obvious and literal sense, an appeal 
was taken from his decision, and the decision was sustained by a large 
majority.— 1848, p. 40, O. S. 

c. Judicial Case, No. 2, was resumed, and the roll was called for an 
expression of opinions, the parties, with the appellant's counsel, having 
withdrawn from the house. — 1849, p. 262, O. S. 

d. The records of the Synod of Georgia were approved, with the excep- 
tion that on page 337 we have the following minute: "That the rule in 
the book requiring the members of the inferior judicatory to withdraw 
from the house be understood metaphorically, and that the rule be under- 
stood as fully complied with, by excluding the Flint Presbytery from any 
further participation in the discussion, and from voting in the case." — 
1858, p. 289, O. S. See also 1858, p. 296, O. S. ; 1859, p. 546, O. S. 

2. "Withdrawal Construed Metaphorically. 

The parties were then considered as withdrawn. — 1834, p. 443. 
The parties in the case were heard, and then considered as withdrawn. — 
lb., p. 454 ; also 1835, p. 490 ; 1836, p. 276 ; 1828, p. 244. 

3. Calling the Roll for Expression of Opinion. 

a. Resolved, That during the remaining sessions of this Assembly it shall 
be understood that when the roll is called, in the trial of any case, the 
members shall be confined to the giving of their opinion without reasons, 
according to the letter of the constitutional rules. — 1836, p. 276. 

b. There is no record of calling the roll for remarks of the members 
before taking the vote in the case of an appeal by A.. King. Exception to 
records, Synod of Cincinnati.— 1849, p. 177, N. S. 

e. It was moved and carried, That the calling of the roll be dispensed 



OF APPEALS. 567 

with. Complaint of Rev. K West vs. Synod of New York.— 1864, p. 328, 
O. S. See Discipline, chap, i., sec. iii. 

4. The Final Vote must be Taken. 

Inasmuch as the Synod of Indiana did not take an express vote on 
sustaining the appeal of Mr. Harne , and the sentence on record is vague 
and inconsistent with itself, that the whole case be remitted to the said 
Synod, with an injunction to them to reconsider the case, and pass a defi- 
nite, precise and just sentence. — 1837, p. 480. 

5. It is taken Separately on each Charge. 

The business left unfinished yesterday was resumed, viz., the trial of 
Mr. Bourne's appeal from the decision of the Presbytery of Lexington, 
by which Mr. Bourne was deposed from the gospel ministry, and the fol- 
io ing resolution was again brought before the Assembly, and being 
amended, and fully discussed, was adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, That the appeal of Mr. Bourne be dismissed, and that the 
decision of the Presbytery of Lexington, declaring him deposed from the 
gospel ministry be, and it is hereby confirmed, on the first, second, third, 
fifth and sixth charges. 

The vote was taken separately on each of these charges, and was de- 
clared in the affirmative. — 1818, p. 682. 

X. The decision may be either to confirm or reverse, in whole, or 
in part, the decision of the inferior judicatory ; or to remit the cause, 
for the purpose of amending the record, should it appear to be incor- 
rect or defective ; or for a new trial. 

I. THE DECISION MAY CONFIRM THE DECISION OF THE LOWER 

COURT. 

1. a. 1814, p. 559, 560. See under Form of Government, chap, xv., sec. i. 

b. 1868, p. 648, O. S. See under Form of Government, chap, xvii., 
sec. v. 

e. 1872, pp. 15, 75, 80. See Form of Government, chap, xiii., sec. ii., 
13, a, b, c. 

d. 1859, p. 546 and 547. See Discipline, i., iii., 12, a, b, case of Alex- 
ander Frazer vs. the Synod of Buffalo, and Alexander Gordon vs. the same. 

e. 1866, p. 74, O, S. See Discipline, chap, v., sec. v. Case of Samuel 
Boyd. In this case it was held that the appellant, not having objected to 
alleged informalities at the time of trial, " had waived all informalities in 
the proceedings antecedent to the trial." 

/. 1867, p. 847, O. S. The commission report, That the appeal be not 
sustained, and that the judgment of the lower court be affirmed. Adopted. 
Also 1866, p. 74, O. S. 

2. In Confirming the Decision, the Assembly Directs that if a New 
Trial as Ordered be not Instituted within Six Months the Decis- 
ion shall be Final. 

And, therefore, the Assembly do now order and direct that the appeal 
of the said Silas Miller be dismissed, and the decision of the Synod 
of Illinois be confirmed; and the Assembly further order and direct 
that, if the session of the church of Tuscola do not, within six months 



568 OF DISCIPLINE. 

from the date hereof, refer the case to the Presbytery of Wabash for a 
new trial, in accordance with the decision of the Synod of Illinois, then 
the decision of the said Synod sustaining the appeal shall become abso- 
lute and final, and the said Silas Miller shall be thereupon restored to all 
the rights and privileges which he had and enjoyed as a member of the 
church of Tuscola, and from which he was suspended by the judgment 
and sentence of the session of said church. 

The report was adopted.— 1867, p. 517, N. S. 

3. Confirmed, because "It does not appear that the new testimony offered 
by Mr. Gwinn has in any important point changed the aspect of his 
case." — 1823, p. 90. See below, chap, ix., sec. iv. 

II. THE DECISION MAY EEVERSE THE DECISION OF THE LOWER COURT. 

4. Reversed on Review of Testimony. 

An appeal having been taken by Mr. John Gordon, from the decision 
of the Synod of Pittsburg, affirming the judgment of the Presbytery of 
Redstone, by which the Presbytery had suspended Mr. Gordon and his 
wife from the distinguishing privileges of the church, on the charge of 
ante-nuptial fornication, was brought in by the Committee on Overtures. 
The Assembly having before them the evidence which had been before 
the Synod, and having fully heard the members of that Synod present in 
defence of their decision, it was, on motion, 

Resolved, That the decision of the Synod, in affirming the judgment of 
the Presbytery of Redstone, be reversed. 

And it, therefore, was reversed. — 1807, p. 386. 

5. Reversed without Assigning- a Reason. 

The consideration of the appeal of the Presbytery of Ohio, from the 
decision of the Synod of Pittsburg, in the case of Mr. Gwinn, was re- 
sumed, and the parties were heard until they said they had nothing far- 
ther to add. 

The decision of the Synod of Pittsburg reversed a decision of the Pres- 
bytery of Ohio, by which decision the Presbytery had suspended the Rev. 
Andrew Gwinn, sine die, from the office of the gospel ministry. 

A motion was made and seconded, that the appeal of the Presbytery 
of Ohio be sustained, and the decision of the Synod in the case be re- 
versed, which was determined in the affirmative. — 1819, p. 709. 

[See also 1821, p. 25.] 

6. Reversed because of Disproportionate Sentence. 
[See above, chap, i., sec. v., a, 6, c] 

7. Reversal on the Ground of undue Severity does not Determine 
the Innocence of the Accused, nor Relieve him from other Pro- 
cess. 

Judicial Case No. 6 was then taken up — the appeal of T. F. Worrall 
against the Synod of Illinois. The usual charge was read by the moder- 
ator; and the Assembly proceeded with the case according to the order 
prescribed in the report of the Committee, which is as follows : 

The Committee report as follows: This case originated before the ses- 
sion of the church of Bloomington, on charges preferred against the ap- 
pellant by the session on "general rumor." 



OF APPEALS. 569 

After an examination the session convicted him, and passed sentence 
excluding him from the communion of the Church. 

An appeal was taken from this decision to the Presbytery of Blooming- 
ton, which refused to sustain the appeal. An appeal was taken from 
thence to the Synod, which refused also to sustain the appeal. From 
this decision of the Synod of Illinois this appeal is taken to the General 
Assembly. . . . 

The final vote was 40 to sustain, 39 to sustain in part, and 5 not to sus- 
tain. 

On motion, a Committee was appointed to bring in a minute, expressive 
of the judgment of the Assembly in the case. 

Messrs. Hodge, J. D. Smith and H. K. Clark were appointed this Com- 
mittee. They subsequently reported the following, which was adopted : 

Resolved, as the expression of the judgment of this Assembly, That the 
sentence of excommunication against T. F. Worrall, by the session of the 
church at Bloomington, Illinois, be reversed, as being unduly severe. The 
Assembly, however, do not intend by this decision to restore Dr. Worrall 
to the communion of the Church, from which he is now understood to be 
suspended, on other charges still under adjudication; nor do the Assembly 
intend to decide that he did not deserve censure for the improper language 
which is set forth in the charges against him. — 1861, pp. 346, 347, O. S. 

8. Where one has Absented himself from the Ordinances of the 
Church, a Qualified Certificate is Sustained. — Decision of Synod 
Reversed as in Error in Prescribing a Form of Certificate. 

The Assembly took up Judicial Case No. 6, being the complaint of the 
Rev. N. West, D. D., against the Synod of New York. 

Mr. Rowland had absented himself from the ordinances of the Second 
Church of Brooklyn, New York, for some months. Upon application for 
his certificate, the session gave him a certificate omitting the words, " at 
present in good and regular standing" and substituting for them a testi- 
monial to his previous good Christian character ; inserting, at the same 
time, a statement of the fact of his recent absence from the ordinances of 
the church. Mr. Rowland brought a complaint against the session, before 
the Presbytery of Nassau, and the Presbytery sustained the complaint. 
Mr. West complained to the Synod against the Presbytery. The Synod 
of New York, by a vote of 10 to sustain, 12 to sustain in part, and 21 not 
to sustain, sustained the complaint of Rev. N. West against the Presby- 
tery; and then, in its final minute, ordered a letter in the usual form to 
be given to Mr. Rowland. Against the decision of the Synod, in adopt- 
ing this minute, Mr. West complains. 

The moderator reminded the members that, as they w T ere about to sit in 
a judicial capacity, they should regard their high character as members of 
a court of Jesus Christ. 

The sentence complained of was read, and is as follows : 

"The Committee appointed to bring in a minute in the case of. the com- 
plaint of the Rev. N. West against the action of the Presbytery of Nas- 
sau, report as follows : 

"The vote of the Synod was — to sustain the complaint, 10; to sustain in 
part, 12; not to sustain, 21. The Synod therefore sustains the complaint 
only in part. In this judgment the Synod does not decide that the papers 
given to Mr. Rowland were unconstitutional, but that, under the circum- 
stances, they deem them to have been unadvised, and therefore, as a meas- 
ure of peace, the Synod directs the session of the Second Church to give 
72 



570 OF DISCIPLINE. 

to Mr. Rowland and wife certificates of church membership, in such form 
as is usual among the churches of this city, in dismissing members in good 
, standing." 

The reasons assigned by the complainant for his complaint were then 
read ; also the whole record of the inferior judicatories in the case, in- 
cluding the testimony and the reasons for their action. 

The Rev. N, West, D. D., the complainant in the case, was heard. 
. The Synod of New York was heard, the clerk calling the names of its 
commissioners. After which the parties were directed to retire. 

It was moved and carried, that the calling of the roll be dispensed with. 

The vote was then taken, and the complaint was almost unanimously 
sustained. 

Dr. Rodgers offered the following resolution, which was adopted : 

Resolved, That the complaint of the Rev. N. West, D.D., be sustained, 
and the decision of the Synod, in its final minute, be, and it hereby is 
reversed ; and further, that the Synod erred in prescribing to the session 
of the Second Church of Brooklyn, the form of a certificate to be granted 
to Mr. Rowland, after they had already granted a certificate to him which 
was agreeable to the Constitution of the Church and to the truth. — 1864, 
p. 328, O. S. 

9. Reversed because of Unconstitutional Action of the Court Ap- 

pealed from. 

The Committee to which was referred the motion on the appeal of Mr. 
Lowrey reported, and their report being read was adopted, and is as fol- 
lows, viz.: 

Mr. Lowrey's appeal from the decision of the Synod of Ohio being taken 
up, and the sentence appealed from, having been read, together with the 
reasons of his appeal, it appeared on inquiry, that neither the records of 
the Synod of Ohio, nor the records of the Presbytery of Miami were 
brought to the Assembly; but as the delegates belonging to that Synod 
admitted it to be a fact as stated in Mr. Lowrey's appeal, that the Presby- 
tery of Miami did appoint a special session composed of elders belonging 
to different congregations, for the purpose of trying Mr. Lowrey, and that 
the decision of such a special session was affirmed by the Synod of Ohio ; 
therefore, resolved, that the appeal of Mr. Lowrey be sustained, and it 
hereby is sustained ; and that all the proceedings in the case be, and they 
hereby are reversed on the ground that the appointment of such a special 
session is entirely unconstitutional; and if Mr. Lowrey has done anything 
offensive, he ought to be tried by the courts that have been instituted by 
the Constitution of our Church.— 1823, p. 92. 

10. 'Where Sentence is Reversed for Irregularity, either Party may 
Institute a new Trial.— If Process be not Commenced within the 
time Limited, he may Demand a Letter, as in Good Standing*. 

The appeal of Mr. Joseph E. Bell, from a decision of the Presbytery 
of Concord, suspending him from the office of the gospel ministry, was 
taken up. 

The appellant having requested that some person may be appointed to 
manage his appeal, the Rev. N. S. S. Beman was accordingly appointed. 

The decision of the Presbytery appealed from, the reasons assigned by 
the appellant for his appeal, which were on record, and the whole record 
of the proceedings of the inferior judicatory in the case were read. 

After Which, Mr. Beman, in behalf of Mr. Bell, was heard. The Pres- 



OF APPEALS. 57.1 

bytery of Concord was then heard by their delegate, in explanation of the 
grounds of their decision. 

Mr. Benian and the delegate from Concord then withdrew. The roll 
was then called, to give each member an opportunity to express his opin- 
ion ; after which the final vote was taken, and the appeal ot Mr. Bell was 
sustained. 

Mr. Frost, Mr. Plumer, and Mr. Fine, were appointed a Committee to 
prepare a minute in relation to the above decision. 

The Committee reported the following, which was adopted : 

1. Resolved, That in the judgment of the Assembly, Mr. Bell was and 
still continues to be fully amenable to the Presbytery of Concord. 

2. That while the Assembly do not wish to protect the guilty, they do 
judge that great caution, deliberation, and, as far as may be, the rules of 
discipline, where ministerial character is impeached, ought to be strictly 
observed, and that in this case the informality was exceptionable. 

3. That if it be deemed necessary for the good of religion and the honor 
of the ministerial character, the Presbytery of Concord are entirely compe- 
tent to commence a new trial; or if Mr. Bell shall desire, for his own sake, 
a new trial, the door is still open. 

4. That in the mean time, Mr. Bell's ministerial standing shall be con- 
sidered regular, and if no process shall be commenced by either party 
within the space of six months from the first of June next, then Mr. Bell 
may claim from the Presbytery of Concord a dismission, declaring him to 
be in regular standing. — 1828, p. 240. 

11. Reversed for Haste and Unconstitutional Action. 

The Assembly sustained the appeal of Mr. Arthur, from the sentence 
of Presbytery, by which he was suspended from the gospel ministry on the 
ground of contumacy, because the Presbytery appeared to have been pre- 
cipitate, and not to have observed the constitutional rules. See Discipline, 
chap, iv., sects, vi., x. and xi. — 1822, p. 53. 

[See under Form of Government, chap, xiii., sec. ii., 10; chap, xiii., sec. 
vii., 6.] 

12. Sentence Reversed, and the Appellant Declared to be in Reg- 
ular Standing. 

The unfinished business of the forenoon was resumed, viz.: the consider- 
ation of the appeal of Mr. James Atwater from the decision of the Synod 
of Geneva, affirming a decision by which Mr. Atwater had been excom- 
municated by the church at Genoa. 

The parties were fully heard, and the following resolution, after some 
discussion, was adopted, viz.: 

Resolved, That the appeal of Mr. Atwater be sustained, and it hereby 
is sustained ; and that Mr. Atwater have liberty, as a member of the Pres- 
byterian Church in regular standing, to connect himself with any church 
which may be disposed to receive him. — 1821, p. 27. 

13. The Decision may Declare the Acts of the Lower Courts 

Void. 

a. Resolved, That the appeal and complaint of the Second Presbytery 
of Philadelphia, against the Synod of Philadelphia, be and the same are 
hereby sustained ; and the act of said Synod, so far as it was intended to 
unite the said Second Presbvtery with the Presbytery of Philadelphia, is 
hereby declared void.— 1834,' p. 432; 1854, p. 33; O. S. 



572 OF DISCIPLINE. 

b. In the appeal of persons claiming to be the church of St. Charles it 
was 

Resolved, That the Assembly herein sustain the appeal, pro forma, and 
orders the entire setting aside of all the proceedings in the whole case in 
all its stages, from the time that notice was first given to call a meeting 
of the congregation for the election of the three elders, and directs all the 
parties to stand precisely where they did before any step was taken in it.- — 
1838, p. 19. 

c. Resolved, That this Assembly understands the act of the Assembly of 
1838, as sustaining the appeal of Rev. Hiram Chamberlain, not upon the 
merits of the case, but on account of informality of the courts below, and 
that " in the entire setting aside of all the proceedings in the whole case," 
they intended not only to annul the past, but also to forbid all subsequent 
action contrary to the will of the regularly-constituted authorities of that 
church, and they hereby declare any such unconstitutional action that 
may have been had by any person, or persons, in connection with that 
church, to be null and void.— 1840, p. 302, O. S. 

14. The Reversal Annuls the Acts Complained of. 

a. The appeal and complaint of Thomas Bradford and others, from a 
decision of the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, relative to the installa- 
tion of Mr. Duffield, were taken up. The appeal, with the reasons of it, 
and all the documents in the case, were read. The parties were heard, and 
were then considered as withdrawn from the house. The roll was called 
to give the members an opportunity of expressing their opinion. After 
which, the final vote was taken, and the appeal and complaint were sus- 
tained. 

The following resolution was then adopted as explanatory of the above 
decision, viz.: 

That the appeal be sustained, and the acts of the Presbytery in relation 
to the call and installation of Mr. Duffield be and they herebv are reversed. 
—1835, p. 490. 

b. In regard to the complaint of Mr. Dobbins against the session of the 
church of Augusta for receiving members suspended by the session of the 
church of Smyrna, the Assembly are of opinion that both sessions acted 
unconstitutionally, the session of Smyrna in suspending said members, and 
the session of Augusta in receiving them when suspended. Therefore, 

Resolved, That the appeal on this complaint be and it is hereby sus- 
tained ; and the members in question are hereby declared to be still mem- 
bers in good standing in the church of Smyrna, and the session of the 
church of Smyrna are hereby directed to dismiss said members, if they 
still desire it, that they may regularly connect themselves with the church 
of Augusta. — 1824, p. 125. 

III. THE DECISION MAY CONFIRM OR REVERSE IN PART. 

15. Reversed in Part, on Ground of Irregularity.— Sustained in 

Part. 

a. The Judicatory may not Inflict a New Sentence ivithout New Trial. 

Resolved, That the General Assembly, having heard and considered in 
detail the circumstances and merits of the appeal of Newton Hawes, are 
of the opinion that in the proceedings of the Synod of Genesee in the case, 
there appears to be nothing irregular or censurable until they come to 
their last decision, in which they pass a new and severe censure on the 



OF APPEALS. 573 

appellant. In this particular, the Assembly judge that the proceedings 
of the Synod were not regular, inasmuch as they inflicted a new censure 
without a new and regular trial. Had the Synod contented themselves 
with approving the doings of the church of Warsaw, in declining to restore 
the appellant to their communion, and left him in the condition of a sus- 
pended member, they would have acted with entire regularity ; but not 
pausing at this point, the Assembly consider them as acting on matters 
not regularly brought before them ; and therefore resolved, that the sen- 
tence of the Synod, requiring the appellant to make a new and second 
confession, be reversed, and it is hereby reversed, and that the other part 
of their proceedings and decision be affirmed, and they are hereby affirmed. 
—1823, p. 79. 

b. Nor Remove all Censure where they find Rebuke Deserved. 

The Assembly having heard the complaint of the Presbytery of Carlisle 
against the Synod of Philadelphia in the case of William S. McDowell, 
with the facts and arguments offered both by the Presbytery and the Synod, 
judge that the Synod had a constitutional right to reverse the decision of 
the Presbytery in the case, either in whole or in part, as to them might 
seem proper; but that in the exercise of this right the Synod have not duly 
regarded the principles of discipline prescribed in the Constitution, inas- 
much as it appears by their records that they have removed all censure 
from a man whom they declare to be deserving of rebuke, without direct- 
ing that rebuke to be administered, and without receiving any evidence of 
his penitence. — 1823, p. 81. 

16. Reversed in Part, on the Ground that Irregularity of Proceed- 
ing does not Necessarily Invalidate.— 1856, p. 517, O. S. 

See under Form of Government, chap, xiii., sec. ii., 6, a. Reversed in 
part and confirmed in part, see below, sec. xiii., case of Josiah B. Andrews. 
—1824, p. 106. 

17. Sustained in Part, Reversed in Part.— Minute in the Case. 

a. Dr. Perkins, chairman of the Special Committee on Judicial Case 
No. 5, presented a report, which was adopted, and is as follows : 

The Committee to whom was referred the judicial case originating in 
the session of the Seventh Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, beg leave 
to report: 

1. They find that said session tried certain parties upon five several 
charges, and found them guilty upon the first, second and fifth, and ad- 
judged them worthy of serious admonition on the ground of the first and 
fifth, and suspension upon the second. 

2. The Presbytery of Cincinnati deciding the case upon appeal, affirmed 
the decision of the session. 

3. The Synod of Cincinnati also acting upon it under appeal, reversed 
the decision of the Presbytery and session. 

4. Your Committee, after hearing all the testimony in the case, and all 
the parties thereto by their representatives ; and after full and protracted 
consideration, while they find in the proceedings of the session and Pres- 
bytery no evidence of other than a kind and conscientious desire to do 
justice to all the parties concerned, respectfully recommend the following 
as the judgment of the Assembly in the case: 

Resolved, 1. That the decision of the Synod reversing the action of the 
Presbytery and session upon the first and fifth charges be itself reversed, 



574 OF DISCIPLINE. 

and the session be instructed to administer the serious admonition of 
which they wisely judged the parties to be worthy. 

Resolved, 2. That the decision of the Synod, reversing the action of the 
Presbytery and session upon the second charge, be sustained in part, on 
the ground that the suspension of the parties accused was too severe in the 
case, and that the session be recommended to revoke the suspension and 
admonish the parties. — 1865, p. 550, O. S. 

[On the final vote, those voting " to sustain in part " are counted with 
those voting simply to "sustain" The result, however, is to modify the 
decision. See below.] 

b. The order of the day was taken up, viz., Judicial Case, No. 3. The 
appeal and complaint of Kev. John Skinner, D. D., against a decision of 
the Presbytery of Lexington, declaring him guilty of libel and defama- 
tion, and a sentence of suspension from ministerial functions founded 
thereon. . . . 

The question was then taken on Judicial Case, No. 3, viz., the appeal 
and complaint of John Skinner, D. D., against the Presbytery of Lexing- 
ton, and the complaint of Rev. Mr. Calhoun against the same Presbytery ; 
and the result was as follows, viz. : To sustain the appeal, 40; to sustain 
in part, 58 ; not to sustain, 66. 

The Special Committee in the case of Rev. John Skinner, D. D., pre- 
sented a report, which was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

The appeal and complaint of the Rev. John Skinner, D. D., against the 
Presbytery of Lexington, is sustained pro forma; the sentence of the 
Presbytery is revoked, and the appellant restored to all the functions of 
the ministry of the gospel. 

The complaint of the Rev. William Calhoun and others against the 
same Presbytery is dismissed. 

While the Assembly do fully restore the appellant to the functions of 
the ministry, and take pleasure in recording that for about seven years he 
exhibited talents and zeal well adapted to edify the Church of God, and 
while they trust that he will hereafter show the same ability and fidelity 
in the Master's cause, they are constrained to express their deep concern 
at the uncharitable temper and litigiousness exhibited by him before the 
inferior judicatory, and their disapprobation of his course in printing and 
circulating his Lexington speech, pending his complaint to the Synod of 
Virginia. 

Wherefore, he is hereby solemnly admonished in relation to these mat- 
ters, and warned carefully to avoid them in future. 

The Assembly regret, moreover, that they find no evidence that any of 
the parties have, at any stage of this unhappy controversy, resorted to the 
more private and fraternal methods of making peace among brethren, 
which are suggested in the word of God. 

And the Assembly do now affectionately and solemnly enjoin on all 
concerned to cultivate a spirit of charity and forgiveness, to study the 
things that make for peace, and to seek by importunate prayer the influ- 
ences of the Holy Spirit, that the wounds inflicted in the progress of this 
painful case may be healed, and the kingdom and glory of Christ may 
prevail in the region where these brethren are called to labor. — 1848, 
pp. 26, 41 and 49, O. S. 

18, The Decision censures the Irregular Excommunication of a Mem- 
ber, and Prescribes the Steps which should have been Taken. 

Complaint of Rev. William Perkins, et al., against the Synod of Illinois. 
The final vote was taken, with the following result, viz. : To sustain the 



OF APPEALS. 575 

complaint, 38 ; to sustain in part, 43 ; not to sustain, 79. A Committee 
was appointed to bring in a minute, which was adopted, as follows, viz. : 

The Committee appointed to bring in a minute in reference to Judicial 
Case, No. 1, report, first, the facts in the case. A communicant, by the 
name of Ambrose Stone, in the Irish Grove church, for a long time ab- 
stained from partaking of the communion of the Lord's Supper. He 
also, for a long time, ceased to worship God in his family. He repeatedly 
requested the session to dissolve his connection with the Church of Christ, 
assigning as the only reason for this course of conduct, that he believed 
he had never been born again, and that he had no love to Christ. The 
session did eventually comply with this request, and resolved that his con- 
nection with the church be dissolved. 

This church was under the care of Sangamon Presbytery. The Presby- 
tery upon reviewing the records of the session of Irish Grove church, con- 
sidered this a case of excommunication, and declared the action of the 
session not only unconstitutional, but also null and void, and that Mr. 
Stone was still a member of the Irish Grove church. The moderator and 
elder from that session claimed the right to vote in this disapproval of 
their records, which was refused by Presbytery. The session then com- 
plained to the Synod of Illinois of the whole action of the Presbytery in 
the case. The Synod sustained and approved the action of the Presbytery. 

The case was then brought before the General Assembly by the Irish 
Grove church session, in the form of a complaint against the Synod of 
Illinois, because it sustained the action of the Presbytery. The Assembly 
having fully heard the parties in the case, adopted the following resolu- 
tions, viz. : 

Resolved, 1. That no church session has authority to dissolve the connec- 
tion of a communicant with the Church of Christ, except by excommuni- 
cation, and that the sessions of our Church are bound to proceed according 
to the directions given in our Book of Discipline, when they do excom- 
municate a member. The Assembly does, therefore, condemn the action 
of the Irish Grove session in dissolving the connection of Mr. Stone with 
the Church of Christ, in the manner in which it did, as irregular and 
unconstitutional. 

Resolved, 2. That the Presbytery of Sangamon acted correctly in not 
permitting the members of the Irish Grove session to vote for approving 
or disapproving their own records ; that {lie Presbytery acted correctly in 
declaring the action of the session, in Mr. Stone's case, to be irregular and 
unconstitutional ; and that then the Presbytery, without proceeding further, 
ought to have required the session to review and correct its proceedings, 
in this case, according to the directions given in our Book of Discipline. 

Resolved, 3. That the Synod ought to have directed the Presbytery to 
require the session to review and correct its proceedings, according to the 
directions given in our Book of Discipline. — 1851, p. 33, O. S. 

19. The Decision finds Error in the Courts Below.— A Presbytery 
may not Unduly Direct and Control a Session, Synod may not 
Refuse an Appeal from a Party Aggrieved. 

This General Assembly sustains the appeal and complaint of Robert S. 
Finley and Smith Bloomfield, against the Synod of New Jersey. 

In this decision, it is not intended to censure the courts below for want 
of zeal and faithfulness in doing according to their best judgment what 
the case required. Much less is it intended to reverse, in form, what has 
been done in the case of Mr. Finley, so as to restore him to his pastoral 



576 OF DISCIPLINE. 

relation, in the Second Church of Woodbridge • for this would be not 
only impracticable, in the circumstances, as they now exist, but inexpedi- 
ent, even if it were practicable. 

But the Presbytery of Elizabethtown erred in attempting too much to 
direct and control the action of that session, interfering without being 
called to do so, according to the forms of our Constitution ; in arresting 
the process of discipline, before it had been issued, while the session were 
pursuing it in an orderly manner; and in dissolving the pastoral relation 
upon a mere presumption of a majority of the people desiring it, without 
the regular application of either party ; thus making what they judged a 
necessity in the case, of more importance than the forms of the Consti- 
tution. 

The Synod of New Jersey erred, not only in sustaining the action of 
the Presbytery in this case, but also in refusing to entertain as an appeal 
the remedy sought by a party, who was both injured and aggrieved by 
said action of the Presbytery. — 1858, p. 300, O. S. 

IV. THE DECISION MAY EEMIT THE CASE TO THE LOWER COURT. 
20. It may Remand the Cause for Reconsideration. 

The business left unfinished yesterday, viz., the consideration of the 
appeal of Mr. Todd from the decision of the Synod of Kentucky, affirm- 
ing a decision of the Presbytery of Transylvania, by which decision Mr. 
Todd was deposed from the gospel ministry [was taken up], and after 
considerable discussion of the subject of the appeal, the following resolu- 
tion was adopted, viz. : 

The Assembly having heard the documents in this case, were of opinion 
that the way is not clear at present for a reversal of the sentence of sus- 
pension; but as it appears to the Assembly that Mr. Todd's opinions have 
not been perfectly understood, and whereas, there appears to have been 
some irregularity as to the nature of the testimony admitted on the trial 
before the Presbytery ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the Presbytery of Transylvania be directed to reconsider 
the case of Mr. Todd, to afford him another opportunity of explaining him- 
self, and if they should be satisfied, to restore him to his former standing. 
—1817, p. 666. 

See Discipline, chap, iv., sec. vii., case of J. H. Spillman vs. Synod of 
Kentucky.— 1860, p. 45, O. S. 

21. Judgment Reversed and Case Remitted on Grounds Stated. 

On the complaint of William H. Beecher and others against the Synod 
of Genesee, in the case of the appeal of Dr. Frank from the decision of 
the Presbytery of Genesee, the General x\ssembly sustain the complaint 
and reverse the judgment of the Synod on the following grounds, viz.: 

1. That the merits of the case seem to be expressly declined by the 
Synod as the subject-matter of adjudication. 

2. That the Synod appear not to have adhered to the alternatives pre- 
scribed by the Constitution. See Book of Discipline, chap, vii., sec. iii., 
sub-sec. x. 

3. That the Synod seem to have forgotten the nature and the limits of 
their appellate, as distinguished from the original jurisdiction in the case, 
in that they censure at their bar the appellant, in a way competent, in 
any circumstances, only to the session of the church to which the appel- 
lant was primarily amenable. 

4. That they seem to have forgotten also, in restoring the appellant, 



OF APPEALS. 577 

that some expression of repentance ought to have been exacted, especially 
if their reprimand could, from any tribunal, have been deserved. 

The Assembly therefore rule that the Synod of Genesee should review 
their proceedings in this case, and regarding alike the rules of the Con- 
stitution and the merits of the case, that they proceed to issue the same 
with equity and wisdom. — 1840, p. 11, N. S. 

22. Referred back to the Court below with Instructions. 

Whereas, It appears that the decision of the Synod of Missouri, in the 
case of the complaint of Franklin Knox, has been recorded in resolutions 
which set forth, not the reasons for the decision in the case, but which are, 
in fact, a compromise; which also admit that, at most, there is a strong 
presumption of guilt, but not evidence, agreeably to the Constitution, suf- 
ficient to convict ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the complaint of Franklin Knox against the Synod of 
Missouri be referred back to the lower judicatory, and that the Synod be 
and hereby is instructed to reconsider said resolutions, and record their 
decision agreeably to the evidence and the principles of justice recognized 
in our Constitution. — 1852, p. 173, N. S. 

23. The Decision details the Irregularity of the Courts below. 

The consideration of the report of the Committee appointed to prepare 
a minute on the subject of Mr. Craighead's appeal from a decision of the 
Synod of Kentucky, suspending him from the gospel ministry on certain 
charges of heresy, founded on a sermon preached before the Synod, was 
resumed, and after some discussion, the report was adopted, and is as fol- 
lows, viz. : 

1. The General Assembly are of opinion that the conduct of Mr. Craig- 
head in preaching such a sermon, and in such circumstances, before the 
Synod of Kentucky, especially as he had been suspected by his brethren 
of holding erroneous opinions, was highly reprehensible. 

2. The General Assembly approve the conduct of the Synod in relation 
to this matter. While they were firm and zealous in maintaining what 
they believed to be truth, they were to an uncommon degree, respectful 
and affectionate in their manner of dealing with Mr. Craighead. As the 
sermon was delivered in their hearing, believing, as they did, that it con- 
tained dangerous error, they were bound to take notice of it and express 
their opinion to the preacher. 

3. But they cannot approve the conduct of Mr. Craighead when before 
the Synod. He indeed manifested a lofty and independent spirit, that 
would not be controlled by authority, and there was not exhibited a due 
respect for the Synod as an acknowledged judicatory of the Church of 
Christ. His conduct was not respectful and conciliatory — which certainly 
was a return that their tenderness to him called for — but it was that of a 
bold and confident controvertist, who sets his opponents at defiance. 

4. The publication of this sermon and defence by Mr. Craighead, after 
he had been so earnestly entreated by the Synod "not to offend against 
the doctrines of the Confession and the feelings of his Christian brethren," 
was even more reprehensible, as far as evidence is before us, than the first 
preaching of it. 

5. The Presbytery of Transylvania, to which Mr. Craighead belonged, 
in the faithful discharge of their duty, could not have connived at such 
conduct. They acted properly, therefore, in calling upon Mr. Craighead 
to answer for this publication. Indeed, they deserve much commendation 
for their watchfulness, zeal and firmness in promptly meeting an evil which 

73 



578 OF DISCIPLINE. 

threatened greatly to injure the welfare of the Church. And when it is 
considered that the man with whom they had to deal was distinguished 
for his learning and eloquence, reputable in his character and standing in 
society, and venerable for his age, it was a duty of no small difficulty and 
self-denial which they were called to perform. But they did not shrink 
from it. Therefore, whatever may have been their errors in the manner 
of conducting this business, or the errors of the Synod, it is the opinion of 
the General Assembly that they performed their duty in difficult circum- 
stances, and that their whole proceedings were prompted by pure and 
conscientious motives. 

6. It is not surprising that in a case so new and difficult some consider- 
able errors in point of form should have occurred ; the principal of these 
the General Assembly will now briefly point out. 

a. There was a great deficiency in the charges preferred against Mr. 
Craighead as it relates to precision. All charges for heresy should be as 
definite as possible. The article, or articles of faith impugned, should be 
specified, and the words supposed to be heretical shown to be in repug- 
nance to these articles, whether the reference is made directly to the Scrip- 
tures, as a standard of orthodoxy, or to the Confession of Faith, which our 
Church holds to be a summary of the doctrines of Scripture. But in none 
of the charges against Mr. Craighead is this done ; and in two of them, 
third and fourth, it would be very difficult to say what articles of faith are 
supposed to be contravened in the errors charged on Mr. Craighead. And 
the last two charges appear to be so vague and indefinite as to be incapa- 
ble of proof. In the fifth Mr. Craighead is charged with perverting, etc., 
the sentiments of the preachers and writers in our connection. Now, in 
our connection there are a multitude of preachers and writers differing by 
many shades of opinion from each other. How then can this be a just 
ground of accusation ? In the sixth, he is charged with the false coloring 
of facts, etc. But no facts are established by evidence ; none are specified 
in the charge ; and to make it a just ground of accusation, it ought to 
have been a designed and malicious discoloring of the facts, etc. 

b. In the progress of this case, the Presbytery proceeded regularly to 
cite the accused, once and again, and upon his not appearing, they pro- 
ceeded to the trial, and having gone through the evidence, they referred 
the whole to the Synod to adjudicate upon it, with the expression of their 
own opinion, that Mr. Craighead ought to be suspended. The Synod met 
immediately after Presbytery and took up the case, and in concurrence 
with the opinion of the Presbytery, suspended Mr. Craighead from the 
gospel ministry. 

c. In this proceeding, the General Assembly are of opinion, that there 
was too much haste. Mr. Craighead was not guilty of contumacy, for he 
wrote two letters to the Presbytery, excusing himself for non-attendance; 
and if he had been guilty of contumacy, he ought to have been suspended 
on that ground. Perhaps no man ought to be tried on charges preferred, 
and to be supported by evidence, who is not present, without his own con- 
sent. A trial, in the nature of things, cannot be impartial, when there is 
but one party heard. And in this case no injury would have been sus- 
tained by delay, for the Synod might have proceeded instantly to condemn 
the errors of Mr. Craighead's book, as the General Assembly did in the 
case of The Gospel Plan of W. C. Davis ; the process against the author, 
however, did not commence till some time afterward. But, however this 
may be, the General Assembly think that the Synod were in too much 
haste. It was reasonable that Mr. Craighead should have been informed 
of this transfer of the cause to a higher tribunal. 



OF APPEALS. 579 

d. There is only one other thing in the proceedings on which the Gen- 
eral Assembly will remark, which is, that statements were given as evi- 
dence, by the members of Presbytery, which are not recorded, and which 
do not appear to have been given under the usual solemnity of an oath.— 
1824, pp. 120-122. 

24. And Remits the Case with Instructions. 

Resolved, That as the proceedings in the case of Mr. Craighead, have 
been, in many respects, irregular, and he has suffered much injury from 
the delay produced by these irregularities: And, whereas, also the charges 
are not so conclusively established as to remove all doubt, the General 
Assembly cannot see their way clear finally to confirm the sentence of the 
Synod of Kentucky, although they are of opinion, that Mr. Craighead 
has subjected himself, by preaching and printing this sermon, to just cen- 
sure. But as Mr. Craighead has had no fair opportunity of vindicating 
himself, or of making satisfactory explanations or retractions, therefore, 

Resolved, That the whole cause be transmitted to the Presbytery of 
West Tennessee, in the bounds of which Mr. Craighead resides ; and that 
they be directed to give him an early opportunity of offering that satis- 
faction which the Church expects, for the offence received; and that upon 
receiving such explanations or retractions as to them shall be satisfactory, 
Mr. Craighead be restored to the gospel ministry from which he had been 
suspended.— 1824, p. 124. 

Mr. Craighead Restored, 

Mr. Craighead was restored to the ministry by the Presbytery of West 
Tennessee, but died before the next meeting of the General Assembly. 

25. A like Decision. 

The Committee to prepare a minute expressive of the sense of the 
Assembly in sustaining the complaint of Rev. J. A. Smylie against the 
Synod of Mississippi, submitted the following, which was adopted, viz. : 

1. That the decision of this Assembly in sustaining the complaint of 
Rev. Mr. Smylie against the Synod of Mississippi, is not to be regarded as 
deciding the merits of the original question, that is. the guilt or innocence 
of the individual in respect to whom this case originated. 

2. That the Presbytery of Louisiana should have recorded the results 
of the interlocutory meeting referred to in the complaint 

3. That the Synod acted unconstitutionally in permitting the Presbv- 
tery of Louisiana to vote on the adoption of the report of the Judicial 
Committee on the complaint of Rev. Mr. Smylie. 

4. That the Synod should have placed on its records the above-men- 
tioned report. 

5. That the Presbytery of Louisiana erred in pleading the limitation of 
time for their noncompliance with the resolution of the Synod, referring 
this whole case to them for a full investigation. 

6. That the case be remanded to the Presbytery of Louisiana, accord- 
ing to the resolution of the Synod, for such action as is demanded by the 
Book of Discipline. 

7. That the decision of the Assembly, together with the foregoing min- 
ute, be recorded in the Minutes of the Synod of Mississippi and of the 
Presbytery of Louisiana. — 1850, p. 481, O. S. 



580 OF DISCIPLINE. 



26. Referred back by Consent of Parties. 

Judicial business No. 9, reported by the Judicial Committee, viz. : the 
complaint of Alexander M. Cowan against the Synod of Utica, was taken 
up and the complaint read, when, with the consent of Mr. Cowan and the 
members of the Synod present, it was 

Resolved, That the subject be referred back to the Synod of Utica; and 
they are hereby directed to issue the case as referred to them by the Pres- 
bytery of Otsego.— 1834, p. 434. 

27. Referred back on Account of Irregularities. 

The unfinished business on Judicial Case No. 4 was resumed, and after 
further discussion, the previous question was moved by Judge Ewing and 
sustained. The vote was then taken, on the motion of Drs. Edwards and 
Imbrie, which was adopted, as follows : 

Resolved, That the case be returned to the Synod for a new trial, if a 
new trial be required. 

1st. Because it appears from the record of the Synod that the original 
parties in the case were never heard by them ; the original parties, in the 
judgment of the Assembly, being Mr. Win. B. Guild, and the Committee 
prosecuting for common fame. 

2d. Because the reasons for the decision of the Synod were not re- 
corded according to the requisition in chap, iv., sec. xxiii., Book of Disci- 
pline.— 1861, p. 344, O. S. 

28. Discretion of a Court is not Subject to Review. 

They had the right to send the case back to the Presbytery or to review 
the whole of it, according to their discretion. It is not for this court to 
decide which would have been the wiser course. The Synod judged it 
best to review the whole case, and their discretion is not a matter of re- 
view by this body.— 1864, p. 475. N. S. 

29. Remitted on the Recommendation of the Judicial Committee. 

a. Also, Judicial Case No. 2. A complaint of Christian Kern and 
others of the First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans. 

The Committee recommend, that it be again referred to the Presbytery 
of New Orleans, with the injunction that the complainants be allowed a 
hearing. 

Adopted.— 1871, p. 547. 

b. The Judicial Committee reported in part — Case No. 2 — an appeal of 
the Rev. Francis M. Dimmick, from the Presbytery of Missouri River, 
recommending that the papers in the case be returned to the parties pre^- 
senting them, that they may be adjudicated by the Synod of Iowa, South. 

The recommendation was adopted. — 1872, p. 50. 

c. The Judicial Committee reported No. 4, a complaint of the Rev. 
Christian Kern, against the Presbytery of New Orleans. The Committee 
recommend that the complainant be referred to his Synod for redress. 

The report was adopted. — 1872, p. 84. 

30. In Passing Judgment a Judicatory may not Open a Case 
already Settled. 

Judicial Case, No. 11, is the appeal of Dr. Thomas F. Worrell against 
the Synod of Illinois, together with the complaint of the Rev. Isaac A. 
Cornelison against the same Synod. 



OF APPEALS. 581 

The Committee report that the appeal and complaint relate to the same 
matter, and they recommend that they be tried together as one cause. 

The papers are in order, and the case is ready for trial. 

The Committee find, further, that the Synod, in a minute expressing its 
judgment in a case then pending, to which Dr. Worrell was a party, 
adopted the following as a part of their judgment: "And, further, inas- 
much as this trial grew out of a previous one with Dr. Worrell, in which 
the adjustment partook of the nature of a compromise, and certain irreg- 
ularities which are not constitutional ; and as the ends of discipline were 
not accomplished in the case of Dr. Worrell, the session of that church 
should review their proceedings in his case." This part of the minutes 
is the subject-matter of the appeal and complaint. In the judgment 
of the Committee, it was not competent for the Synod, when judicially 
determining one case, to open another case already settled and determined ; 
this last case having been adjusted two years before, and the record of the 
adjustment having already passed before Synod, by way of review and 
control. The Committee, therefore, recommend that the appeal of Dr. 
Worrell be sustained. The complaint of Mr. Cornelison being to the 
same effect, is determined by this judgment on the appeal. — 1863, p. 67, 
O. S. 

31. The Decision Sustains the Lower Court in part, but one Re- 
stored by Judicial Action can be Deprived again only by New 
Process and Conviction. 

The business left unfinished on Saturday was resumed, viz. : the appeal 
of the Presbytery of Onondaga, from a decision of the Synod of Gen- 
eva, relative to the restoration of the Rev. John Shepherd to the gospel 
ministry, who has been deposed by the Association of Fairfield, Connecti- 
cut. After considerable discussion on the subject, the following resolu- 
tions were adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, That the decision of the Synod of Geneva relative to the res- 
toration of the Rev. John Shepherd to the office of the gospel ministry, 
so far as it censures the restoration of said Shepherd, who was deposed by 
a judicatory of the Church of Christ in fellowship with us, be and hereby 
is confirmed; because it did not appear from the records of the Presbytery 
of Onondaga, that said restoration took place in consequence of any con- 
fession of the alleged crime for which the said Shepherd was deposed, or 
of any profession of penitence for it, or of any conference with the judi- 
catory which deposed him. 

2. That the appeal of the Presbytery of Onondaga, so far as it relates 
to the rescinding of their vote to restore the Rev. John Shepherd, be and 
hereby is sustained, on the second reason of appeal, and upon that alone ; 
because the Assembly judges, that a minister of the gospel, when once 
restored by presbyterial authority, cannot be deprived of his office, except 
it be by a new process and conviction. — 1818, p. 687. 

32. The Decision Reverses all the Courts below and Restores the 

Appellant. 

The Assembly took up the appeal of Dr. John Rollins from a decision 
of the Synod of West Tennessee, affirming a decision of the Presbytery 
of Mississippi, affirming a decision of the session of the First Church of 
New Orleans, by which he had been excluded from the privileges of the 
church. 

Dr. McAuley was appointed to manage the cause of the appellant. 



582 OF DISCIPLINE. 

The sentence of the Synod appealed from, the reasons on record which 
were assigned by the appellant for his appeal, and the whole record of 
the proceedings of the inferior judicatories in the case, including all the 
testimony and the reasons of their decision, were read. 

Dr. McAuley was then heard in support of the appeal. Only one mem- 
ber of the Synod was present, and he declined saying anything. The par- 
ties then withdrew. And the roll was called in part to give the members 
an opportunity to express their opinion. 

The Assembly resumed the appeal of Dr. Rollins. The remainder of 
the roll was called. After which the final vote was taken, when the ap- 
peal was sustained, and the decision of the Synod was reversed, and Dr. 
Rollins was restored to the privileges of the church. — 1830, p. 307. 

33. The Decision Declares and Decides the Several Issues In- 
volved. 

The Committee appointed to express the judgment of this Assembly on 
the memorial and complaint of the session of the Fifth Church of Phila- 
delphia, recommended the adoption of the following resolutions, which 
were accordingly adopted, viz. : 

1. Inasmuch as the act of the Synod of Philadelphia, uniting the Sec- 
ond Presbytery of Philadelphia to the Presbytery of Philadelphia, was in 
contravention of the act of the General Assembly passed in 1832, by which 
that Presbytery was erected, and inasmuch as the act of the Synod afore- 
said, by an appeal, was to be reviewed and acted on, by the next General 
Assembly; therefore, 

Resolved, That the complainants of the Fifth Church erred in changing 
their presbyterial relation, and uniting with the Second Presbytery of 
Philadelphia Synodical. 

2. While Presbyteries have the right, according to the Constitution, to 
visit the churches under their care, to take measures to correct any evils 
that may exist in them, nevertheless, as in this case, the session presented 
no request, and there was no apprehension that the pulpit would not be 
supplied, the Assembly think the Second Presbytery erred in insisting on 
the right to supply the pulpit of the Fifth Church under the then existing 
state. 

3. As the majority of the session felt themselves constrained to leave 
their house of worship, and were accompanied by a large number of the 
communicants, and as they had a show of reason for applying to the Sec- 
ond Presbytery Synodical, by the act of the Synod of Philadelphia form- 
ing that Presbytery, the decision of the Second Presbytery in declaring 
the four elders no longer elders of the Fifth Church under their care, if 
designed to affect either their character or their standing, is hereby de- 
clared to be void. 

4. In the opinion of this Assembly, the entire Fifth Church is under 
the care of the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, and it is hereby de- 
clared to be an integral part of it. — 1834, p. 452. 

[For resolution 5, see Form of Government, chap, xiii., sec. vii., 2.] 

34. The Decision Restores the Status in quo. 

The unfinished business of the morning was resumed, viz. : The appeal 
and complaint of Thomas Bradford, Esq., and others, against a decision 
of the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, dividing the Fifth Presbyte- 
rian Church in Philadelphia into two churches. 

The calling of the roll was finished, when the final vote was taken. 



OF APPEALS. 583 

The question was put, " Shall the appeal and complaint be sustained ?" 
and was carried in the affirmative. 

Whereupon it is ordered and decreed by this General Assembly, that 
the act and decision of the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, which 
divides the Fifth Presbyterian Church of the city of Philadelphia into 
two distinct churches, be and the same is hereby reversed ; and the said 
Presbytery is hereby directed to restore to the session of said church the 
book of minutes of said session. — 1835, p. 478. 

XL If an appellant, after entering his appeal to a superior judi- 
catory, fail to prosecute it, it shall be considered as abandoned, and 
the sentence appealed from shall be final. And an appellant shall be 
considered as abandoning his appeal, if he do not appear before the 
judicatory appealed to, on the first or second day of its meeting, next 
ensuing the date of his notice of appeal : except in cases in which the 
appellant can make it appear that he was prevented from seasonably 
prosecuting his appeal by the providence of God. 

1. Case of the Application of the Rule. 

On motion, Resolved, That in case of an appeal or complaint entered in 
an inferior judicatory to a superior, if the appellant or appellants do not 
appear at the first meeting of the superior judicatory, protest may be 
admitted, at the instance of the respondents, at the last session of such 
meeting, that the appeal is fallen from, and the sentence so appealed from 
shall be considered as final. — 1794, p. 39. See 1791, p. 45. 

a. A Case of Thomas B. Craighead. 

The Committee to which was referred the letter and appeal of the Rev. 
Thomas B. Craighead, reported that, after having carefully attended to the 
duty assigned them, they did not discover any sufficient reason why he has 
not come forward to prosecute his appeal before the Assembly, nor why 
his case should not now be brought to issue ; and therefore recommend 
that the representation from the Synod of Kentucky be permitted, if so 
disposed, to enter their protest in proper time against a future prosecution 
of his appeal, and thus give effect to a standing order of the General As- 
sembly, that the sentence of the Synod be considered as final. 

Resolved, That the foregoing report be accepted, and that Mr. Craig- 
head be furnished with an attested copy of this decision in his case. 

The members of the Synod of Kentucky brought forward their protest, 
which being read, was accepted, and is as follows : 

The Rev. Thomas B. Craighead having appealed to the General Assem- 
bly from a decision of the Synod of Kentucky, made in the month of Octo- 
ber last, by which decision the said Synod directed the Presbytery of Tran- 
sylvania to depose the said Thomas B. Craighead from the gospel minis- 
try, which was done accordingly, and whereas the said Mr. Craighead has 
not prosecuted his appeal to the General Assembly, and the subscribers, 
members of the Synod of Kentucky, have waited till the last day of the 
sessions of the Assembly, to afford opportunity for the prosecution of said 
appeal; we do, therefore, now protest, in our own name, and on behalf of 
the Synod of Kentucky, against the future prosecution of said appeal, and 



584 OF DISCIPLINE. 

declare the sentence of the Synod to be final, agreeably to a standing order 
of the General Assembly. Signed, James Hoge, 

M. G. Wallce, 
J. P. Campbell. 
—1811, p. 481. 
[See below, under sees, xi., xv.] 

b. From the records of the Synod of Kentucky, it appeared that Guern- 
sey G. Brown had appealed from a decision of that body in his case to 
the General Assembly. As Mr. Brown has not appeared to prosecute his 
appeal, and the commissioners from the Synod of Kentucky required that 
his absence may, according to a rule of the Assembly on the subject, pre- 
clude him from a future hearing ; therefore, Resolved, That Guernsey G. 
Brown be considered as precluded from prosecuting his appeal. — 1821, p. 30. 

c. The appeal of Benedict Hobbs from a decision of the Synod of Ken- 
tucky was taken up, and the appellant not being present to prosecute his 
appeal, it was dismissed, and the sentence of the inferior court affirmed. 

d. The appeal of Chloe G. Giles, from a decision of the Synod of Utica, 
was taken up, and the appellant not being present to prosecute her appeal, 
it was dismissed, and the sentence of the inferior court affirmed. — 1834, 
p. 452. 

Judicial Case, No. 2. An appeal of Mr. Thomas Davis from a decision 
of the Synod of Memphis. The committee recommended the following 
action in this case, viz. : Whereas, Mr. Thomas Davis has failed to appear 
before this Assembly, to prosecute his appeal from the Synod of Memphis ; 
therefore, 

Resolved, In accordance with the rule of the Book of Discipline, in this 
case provided, that his appeal be dismissed from the further attention of 
this body.— 1852, p. 212, O. S. 

[See 1861, p. 304, O. S., and passim.'] 

2. Personal Attendance of the Appellant is not Necessary. 

Personal attendance on the superior judicatory is not essential to the 
regular prosecution of an appeal. — 1822, p. 53. 

3. The Appeal may be Prosecuted by Proxy. 

a. The complaint of Rev. Henry Davis against a decision of the Synod 
of Utica, was taken up, and dismissed on the ground that the complain- 
ant has not appeared to prosecute his complaint, nor any other person in 
his behalf.— 1834, p. 454. 

b. The complaints of Rev. G. Duffield and W. R. de Witt were dis- 
missed on the ground that neither the complainants themselves, nor any 
person on their behalf, are present to prosecute those complaints. — 1835, 
p. 490; 1864, p. 313, O. S. ; 1865, p. 535, O. S. 

4. In the Absence of the Appellant the Court assigns Counsel. 

a. The Judicial Committee brought before the Assembly an appeal of 
Mr. Newton Hawes from a decision of the Synod of Genesee, affirming 
his suspension from the ordinances of the church, which suspension had 
been determined by the church of Warsaw. Mr. Hawes not being pres- 
ent, Dr. Janeway and Mr. Phillips were appointed to defend and support 
his appeal.— 1823, p. 72. 

b. The Assembly took up the complaint against the Synod of Virginia 
by the Rev. Samuel Houston, and Rev.. Samuel B. Wilson, reported by 
the Judicial Committee. The complainants did not appear, but a written 



OF APPEALS. 585 

communication, containing the reasons of their complaint, was laid before 
the Assembly. At the request of the complainants, Mr. Weed was ap- 
pointed to manage their cause in their absence. — 1827, p. 210. 

5. In the Absence of Complainant Complaint Dismissed and De- 
fendant Sustained. 

The Judicial Committee report Judicial Case, No. 3, being the com- 
plaint of E. N. Sawyer and others, against the decision of the Synod of 
Chicago, in the case of O. M. Hoagland, as being fallen from by the failure 
of the complainants to appear and prosecute their complaint. They, 
therefore, recommend that the complaint be dismissed, and that Mr. Hoag- 
land be considered as entitled to all his former rights and privileges in 
the church of Hopewell.— 1858, p. 276, O. S. 

6. Case Continued on Satisfactory Reasons given. 

a. The Judicial Committee reported an appeal by Mr. James Taylor, 
from a decision of the Synod of Pittsburg, and that the communication 
of Mr. Taylor gave information that by reason of ill health he was unable 
to attend to prosecute hi-s appeal before the present Assembly. 

Resolved, That Mr. Taylor have leave to prosecute his appeal before 
the next General Assembly. — 1827, p. 211. 

b. A complaint of Wm. M. Lively against a decision of the Synod of 
New York. Mr. Lively being unable, through sickness in his family, to 
attend at this time and prosecute his complaint, the Committee recom- 
mend, that agreeably to his request, his complaint be referred to the next 
General Assembly. This report was adopted. — 1851, p. 19, O. S. 

c. An appeal of Rev. M. Davis, from a decision of the Synod of Mem- 
phis, deposing him from the office of the holy ministry. The appellant 
being unable, by reason of ill health, to attend the sessions of the present 
Assembly, and desiring, in consequence, the continuance of his cause until 
the next General Assembly. The report was adopted. — 1851, p. 19, O. S. 

7. Where the Case is Continued at the Request of the Appellant, 
the Sentence Remains in Full Force until the Case is Issued. 

The Judicial Committee reported that a paper had been put into their 
hands, purporting to be a request from Mr. C. H. Baldwin, to the mode- 
rator of the Assembly, that his appeal from a decision of the Synod of 
Genesee be continued to the next General Assembly, and offering reasons 
for his failure to appear and prosecute it. It appears from the Form of 
Discipline, chap, vii., sec. iii., article xi., that his case is regularly before 
us for reference to the next General Assembly, if his excuse for now fail- 
ing to appear shall be deemed sufficient. 

The Committee recommend that the Assembly, in view of the reasons 
offered, and out of a desire to grant the appellant every reasonable indul- 
gence, continue his case agreeably to his request ; it being understood that 
the sentence of the Presbytery remain in full force against him till the 
case be finally issued, in accordance with the provisions of our Form of 
Discipline, chap, vii., sec. iii., article xv. 

The report was adopted. — 1858, p. 580, N. S. 

8. Dismissed in Absence of Appellant, with Privilege of Renewal. 

a. The appeal of Dr. James Snodgrass against a decision of the Synod 
of Pittsburg was called up, and the appeal was dismissed on the ground 
74 



586 OF DISCIPLINE. 

that the appellant has not appeared, either in person or by proxy, to pros- 
ecute said appeal. 

The Assembly, however, give to Dr. Snodgrass the privilege of prose- 
cuting his appeal before the next General Assembly, if he can then show 
sufficient cause for its further prosecution. — 1832, p. 376. 

b. In regard to a future prosecution of his appeal, the appellant must 
present his case, with reasons for previous failure, before the next General 
Assembly, whose province it will then be to decide upon the whole sub- 
ject— 1850, p. ±63. 0. S. 

9. Where an Appeal has been Dismissed in Error, the Assembly 
grant a Restoration after a long Interval, when Satisfied of the 
Error. 

The business left unfinished in the morning, viz. : the consideration of 
the report of the Committee to which had been referred the Rev. T. B. 
Craighead's letter, was resumed, and the report was adopted, and is as fol- 
lows, viz. : 

In the year 1811, an appeal from a decision of the Synod of Kentucky, 
by T. B. Craighead, accompanied by a letter from the same, was laid be- 
fore the General Assembly. But Mr. Craighead not appearing in person, 
to prosecute his appeal, permission was given by the Assembly, on the last 
day of their sessions, to the members of the Synod of Kentucky, who were 
present, to enter a protest against the prosecution of the aforesaid appeal, 
at any future time. This was supposed to be required by a standing rule 
of the Assembly. The appeal of Mr. Craighead was therefore not heard, 
and the sentence of the Synod of Kentucky was rendered final. 

It moreover appears, that the General Assembly of the year aforesaid, 
having adopted the protest of the members of the Synod of Kentucky as 
their own act. did declare that Mr. Craighead had been deposed, whereas, 
the decision of the Synod was suspension ; and, although the Synod did 
direct the Presbytery ro which Mr. Craighead belonged, to depose him, if 
he did net. at their next stated meeting, retract his errors; yet this sen- 
tence couhl not have been constitutionally inflicted, because Mr. Craighead 
appealed from the decision of Synod, the effect of which was to arrest all 
further proceedings in the case, until the appeal should be tried ; there- 
fore the sentence of the Assembly declaring Mr. Craighead deposed, does 
not accord with the sentence of the Synod, which was suspension. 

From the above history of facts, your Committee, while they entirely 
dissent from many of the opinions contained in Mr. Craighead's letter, and 
consider its publication before it was presented to the Assembly indecorous 
and improper, are ca' opinion, that lie lias just ground of complaint in re- 
gard to the proceeding- oi the General Assembly of 1811 in his case, and 
that the construction put on the standing rule of the Assembly was not 
correct: for personal attendance on the superior judicatory is not essential 
regular prosecution of an appeal. Moreover, the sentence of the 
Assi mbly. being founded in error, ought to be considered null and void, 
and Mr. Craighead ought to be considered as placed in the same situation 
a? before the decision took place, and as possessing the right to prosecute 
Ids appeal before this judicatory. 

Ordered, that the stated clerk forward to Mr. Craighead a copy of the 
foregoing minute. — 1822, p. 52. 

XII. Members of judicatories appealed from, cannot be allowed to 
vote in the superior judicatory, on any question connected with the 
appeal. 



OF APPEALS. 587 



1. The Moderator, being a Member of the Court Appealed from, 

•will not Sit. 

a. Resolved, That no minister belonging to the Synod of Philadelphia, 
nor elder who was a member of the judicature when the vote appealed 
from took place, shall vote in the decision thereof by this Assembly. 

The moderator, being a member of the Synod of Philadelphia, with- 
drew, and Dr. McKnight took the chair. — 1792, p. 56. 

b. The appeal of Mr. Pope Bushnell was resumed. The moderator 
being a member of the Synod appealed from, Mr. Jennings, the last mod- 
erator present, took the chair. — 1826, p. 184. 

c. Judicial Case No. 1 was taken up. The moderator being a party in 
the case, vacated the chair, and on motion, Dr. Krebs was requested to act 
as moderator during the trial of the case. — 1866, p. 48, O. S. 

d. The moderator, on the ground of his being a member of the Synod 
complained of, voluntarily relinquished the chair, while this case should 
be pending.— 1852, p. 164, N. S. 

2. An Interested Party should not Sit on a Trial. 

The records of the Synod of Genesee were, on recommendation of the 
Committee, approved, with the following exception : Of a decision of the 
moderator, recorded on page 151, that a member of a Synod, who might 
be interested in a case under trial, cannot be challenged; which decision 
is unconstitutional, and ought to be reversed by that Synod. — 1846, p. 20, 
N. S. 

3. Members of the Court Appealed from may not Vote. 

The Synod of Mississippi acted unconstitutionally in permitting the 
Presbytery of Louisiana to vote on the adoption of the report of the 
Judicial Committee on the complaint of Rev. Mr. Smylie. — 1850, p. 481, 
O. S. 

4. The Rule applied to Review of Records. 

The moderator and elder from the session of Irish Grove claimed the 
right to vote on the disapproval of their records; which was refused by 
Presbytery. The session complained. The Assembly inter alia decide — 

That the Presbytery of Sangamon acted correctly in not permitting the 
members of Irish Grove session to vote for approving or disapproving their 
own records.— 1851, p. 33, O. S. 

[See in full, under vii., iii., x., above.] 

5. Members of a Court Appealed from may Speak on Postpone- 
ment. 

Appeal and complaint of R. S. Finley, etc., against the Synod of New 
Jersey. 

A motion was made by James Hoge to postpone the trial of this cause 
to the next General Assembly. 

This motion was discussed at length ; the moderator deciding, in the 
course of the discussion, that the members of the Synod of New Jersey 
might speak on such a motion. — 1858, p. 291, O. S. 



588 OF DISCIPLINE. 



6. An Elder belonging to the Judicatory Appealed from, though 
not a Member of the Court when the Case was Issued, may not 
Sit. 

A question was raised by Mr. Cunningham, an elder from the Synod of 
Philadelphia, who was not a member of Synod at the meeting at which 
the case of Mr. Barnes was tried and issued, whether he has a right to 
vote in this case in the Assembly. After some discussion, the moderator 
decided that Mr. Cunningham, and any other members of the Assembly 
from that Synod similarly situated, have a right to vote in the Assembly. 
From this decision of the moderator an appeal was taken, when, by a vote 
of the Assembly, the decision of the moderator was not sustained, and it 
was decided that Mr. Cunningham, and others similarly situated, have no 
right to vote on the case in the Assembly. — 1836, p. 265. 

7. Ministers who have been Dismissed to other Bodies before the 

Action Complained of are not Excluded. 

A motion was made that Dr. Skinner and Mr. Dashiell, who, at the 
time the trial was commenced in the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, 
were either not dismissed from that body, or had not yet connected them- 
selves with any other, though they did not meet with the Presbytery, and 
before the meeting of the Synod were members of other Presbyteries, 
should not sit in judgment in the case of Mr. Barnes. This motion was 
decided in the negative. — 1836, p. 266. 

8. A Case is Remanded where Members of the Judicatory Ap- 

pealed from Act in their own Case. 

Second and third. Cases of Mr. Jefferson Kamsey and Rev. Andrew 
B. Cross vs. the Synod of Baltimore. 

The persons named appeal from a decision of the Synod, by which a 
complaint of Mr. Ramsey against the Presbytery of New Castle, and one 
of Mr. Cross against the Presbytery of Baltimore, were dismissed as hav- 
ing no ground, on report of the Judicial Committee of the Synod. 

Your Committee learn from the records of the Synod that one clergy- 
man and one layman respectively from each of these Presbyteries were 
members of the Judicial Committee : that the moderator of the Synod 
was a member of the Presbytery of New Castle, and the moderator, pro 
tern., who was in the chair at the time of the action complained of, was a 
member of the Presbytery of Baltimore ; that the case was not stated in 
any form to the Synod, but when the Judicial Committee reported, in each 
case, that there was no ground of complaint, their report was adopted un- 
der the call for the previous question. From all these facts, the Commit- 
tee are of opinion that the cases should be readjudicated by the Synod of 
Baltimore, and so recommend to the Assembly. 

Adopted.— 1873, p. 508. 

XIII. If the members of the inferior judicatory, in case of a sen- 
tence appealed from, appear to have acted according to the best of 
their judgment, and with good intention, they incur no censure, al- 
though their sentence be reversed. Yet, if they appear to have acted 
irregularly or corruptly, they shall be censured as the case may 
require. 



OF APPEALS. 589 

1. A Case of Censure, 

The Committee appointed to prepare a minute to be adopted by the As- 
sembly, in relation to the appeal and complaint of the Rev. Josiah B. 
Andrews, against a decision of the Synod of New Jersey affirming a de- 
cision of the Presbytery of Jersey, by which Mr. Andrews was admonished, 
reported, and their report being read, was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

The General Assembly, after maturely and prayerfully considering the 
appeal and complaint of the Rev. Josiah B. Andrews, from a sentence of 
the Synod of New Jersey, adopted the following minute, viz: 

While in the opinion of this Assembly, the Presbytery of Jersey in 
originating, conducting and issuing this prosecution, do not appear to 
have exercised that cautious regard to the provisions of the Constitution, 
in cases of process, which are so efficient in matters of discipline, and 
while they deem this applicable to the proceedings of the Presbytery in 
relation to both the parties, Resolved, 

First, That the sentence of the Presbytery and Synod so far as it cen- 
sures the Rev. Josiah B. Andrews, for an imprudence of conduct and a 
want of tenderness toward the reputation of certain members of the 
church in Perth Amboy, be affirmed and it hereby is affirmed. 

Second, That the sentence of the Presbytery and Synod, censuring the 
Rev. Josiah B. Andrews for " a very reprehensible degree of equivoca- 
tion," be reversed, and it hereby is reversed. — 1824, p. 106. 

XIV. If an appellant is found to manifest a litigious or other un- 
christian spirit in the prosecution of his appeal, he shall be censured 
according to the degree of his offence. 

XV. The necessary operation of an appeal is to suspend all fur- 
ther proceedings on the ground of the sentence appealed from. But 
if a sentence of suspension, or excommunication from church privi- 
leges, or of deposition from office, be the sentence appealed from, it 
shall be considered as in force until the appeal shall be issued. 

See above, sec. x. 

1. An Appeal Arrests all Process until it be Issued. 

It moreover appears, that the General Assembly of the year aforesaid 
having adopted the protest of the members of the Synod of Kentucky as 
their own act, did declare that Mr. Craighead had been deposed, whereas, 
the decision of the Synod was suspension ; and although the Synod did 
direct the Presbytery to which Mr. Craighead belonged, to depose him, 
if he did not, at their next stated meeting, retract his errors ; yet this sen- 
tence could not have been constitutionally inflicted, because Mr. Craig- 
head appealed from the decision of Synod ; the effect of which was to arrest 
all further proceedings in the ease until the appeal should be tried ; there- 
fore, the sentence of the Assembly declaring Mr. Craighead deposed, does 
not accord with the sentence of the Synod, which was suspension. — 1822, 
p. 52. 

See above under sec. xi. Case of C. H. Baldwin, 1858, page 580, N. S. 

2. Suspension is Continued until the Issue of the Appeal, which 
must be at the next Meeting of the Court above. 

Overture No. 12. T. F. Worrell requested the Assembly to answer the 
following question, viz., Whether, when a person is suspended from the 



590 OF DISCIPLINE. 

church by a session, and restored by the Presbytery, the notice of appeal 
by the session continues the person under suspension ; and if so, how long 
can such suspension be continued without the appeal being issued ? 

The Committee recommend that the following answer be returned, viz. : 
That the notice of appeal does continue the person under suspension un- 
til the appeal is issued, which must be at the next meeting of the upper 
court. 

The recommendation was adopted. — 1862, p. 597, 0. S. 

3. An Appeal against Certain Action does not Debar the Court 
from Acting upon the continued disturbed State of a Church. 

The question of a dissolution of the pastoral relation between Dr., 
McPheeters and the Pine St. Church was originally brought in an or- 
derly manner before the Presbytery, by petition from a minority of 
said church, and a personal tender of resignation by the pastor, and after 
all the constitutional steps were taken with care and deliberation, was 
decided by the Presbytery, acting for the peace and welfare of the 
church. 

That which was called an appeal and complaint to Synod from that 
action could not so suspend all further proceedings as to prevent the 
Presbytery from considering and acting upon the continued disturbed 
state of that congregation. — 1864, p. 327, O. S. 

See Form of Government, chap, x., sec. viii., xii. 

XVI. It shall always be deemed the duty of the judicatory, whose 
judgment is appealed from, to send authentic copies of all their rec- 
ords, and of the whole testimony relating to the matter of the appeal. 
And if any judicatory shall neglect its duty in this respect; especially, 
if thereby an appellant, who has conducted with regularity on his 
part, is deprived of the privilege of having his appeal seasonably 
issued ; such judicatory shall be censured according to the circum- 
stances of the case. 

1. Copies taken by the Appellant not Sufficient.— The Records or 
Authenticated Copies Required. 

3. That by the " forms of processes," etc., Mr. Bourne ought to be " allowed 
copies of the whole proceedings" in his case; yet "the judicatory appealed 
from" is, by the same rules, "to send authentic copies of the whole pro- 
cess;" his copy, therefore, which he says was taken by himself, but is not 
shown to the Assembly, is not sufficient ; his affidavit is not required by 
the course of proceeding in this body ; and the three papers presented by 
him are not to be considered as the commencement of a cause, or the entry 
of an appeal in this judicatory. Nevertheless, Mr. Bourne shall npt suffer 
any inconvenience which the Assembly can prevent on the account of any 
failures of the inferior judicatories, if a default should in future appear on 
their part, the evidence of such circumstance being not as yet made clear 
to this Assembly. — 1816, p. 627. 

2. On the Failure of the Judicatory to send up Authenticated 

Copies of the Testimony, the Appeal is Sustained. 
The Committee appointed to prepare a minute on the decision of the 
Assembly sustaining the appeal of Mr. Pope Bushnell from a decision of 



OF APPEALS. 591 

the Synod of New York, affirming the decree of the Presbytery of Hud- 
son, by which the said Mr. Bushnell had been suspended from the privi- 
leges of the Church, made the following report, which was adopted, viz.: 
That the appellant having given due notice that he did appeal, appeared 
regularly before the Assembly ; and that while the Presbytery and Synod 
have sent up their records in the case, neither has forwarded to this As- 
sembly an authentic copy of the testimony taken on the trial. The As- 
sembly did therefore decide that Mr. Bushnell's appeal be and it hereby 
is sustained, so that he is restored to all his rights and privileges as a 
member of the Church of Christ.— 1826, p. 187. 

3. In the Absence of Papers Referred to in the Records, and of 

Attested Copies of the Charges, the Case Postponed. 

The Judicial Committee reported No. 1, the complaint of James Kussell 
against the Synod of Georgia. 

It appears to the Committee that Mr. Kussell has conducted his com- 
plaint in due form, but the Synod has failed to furnish the documents 
needful to its prosecution. The minutes of Synod are present, and com- 
plainant has furnished attested copies of minutes of Presbytery and of the 
testimony of witnesses examined. But we have still no attested copy of 
the charges which had been the basis of the original trial, nor of sundry 
papers referred to in the Presbytery's records, and which had been received 
as testimony. The Committee recommend to the Assembly the adoption 
of the following resolutions in the case : 

Resolved, 1. That the Synod of Georgia be directed to send up to the 
next Assembly authenticated copies of all their records, and of the whole 
testimony relating to the matter of the complaint, together with their rea- 
sons for not sending up the papers to this Assembly, unless the case shall 
be previously adjusted. 

Resolved, 2. That the papers received from complainant be returned to 
his own custody. Adopted. — 1852, p. 212, O. S. 

4. In the Absence of Records of a Presbytery, the Synod Cen- 

sured and the Case Postponed. , 

Dr. Jacobus, from the Judicial Committee, reported judicial case No. 
1, in reference to the complaint of Smiley Shepherd against the Synod of 
Illinois. The records of the Presbytery of Bloomington, necessarily in- 
volved in the case, being absent, the Committee recommend that the Synod 
be censured for neglecting to send up the records, and that the case be 
deferred for trial until the records appear. 

The report was adopted.— 1861, p. 304, O. S. 

5. "Where the Absence of Testimony is the Fault of the Court 
Complained of, the Case Dismissed and the Decision of the Lower 
Court Confirmed. 

Dr. Howard, chairman of the Judicial Committee, reported judicial 
case No. 4, being the complaint of the Rev. J. G. Monfort, D. D., in be- 
half of the Presbytery of Cincinnati, against the action of the Synod of 
Cincinnati in a case in which the Rev. E. Slack complained of the action 
of the Presbytery of Cincinnati. 

It appearing from the minutes of Presbytery that its judgment and 
action were correct upon the facts stated therein, and there being no show- 
ing of any other facts in the minute of Synod whereon to rest its action, 
and the absence of the papers (if there are any) being the fault of Synod, 



592 OF DISCIPLINE. 

your Committee, therefore, recommend that the proceedings be dismissed 
and the judgment of the Presbytery stand affirmed. 

The report was accepted and adopted. — 1867, p. 331, O. S. 

XVII. An appeal shall in no case be entered, except by one of 
the original parties. 

1. Original Parties only may Appeal, but Others may Complain. 

a. The Judicial Committee reported a paper, signed by Dr. Cathcart 
and others, members of the Presbytery of Carlisle, purporting to be an 
appeal or complaint relative to a decision of the Synod of Philadelphia. 
The Committee gave it as their opinion that the subject could not be taken 
up on the ground of an appeal, because these persons were not one of the 
original parties, but that it might be taken up in the character of a com- 
plaint.— 1823, p. 69. 

b. Judicial Case No. 4 was then resumed — the complaint and appeal of 
the Presbytery of Passaic against the Synod of New Jersey. The usual 
charge of the moderator was made, and after the complaint and appeal 
had been read, it was, on motion of Judge Scates, 

Resolved, That the Assembly cannot entertain this case as one of appeal, 
inasmuch as it has not been made by one of the original parties. 
The case was then continued as a complaint. — 1861, p. 344, O. S. 

2. "Who are Original Parties? — The Appellant and the Prosecutor. 

a. [In the case of Mr. Barnes] Mr. Barnes was heard in support of his 
appeal. Dr. Junkin, the original prosecutor, was heard in support of the 
charges until he finished. The Synod was heard by their Committee in 
explanation of the grounds of their decision. — 1836, p. 260, etc. 

b. The appeal of W. J. Frazer against the Synod of Illinois. The sen- 
tence appealed from, the appellant's reasons for appealing and the records 
of the inferior courts were read. Mr. Frazer, the appellant, and Mr. 
James Stafford, his prosecutor, who were the original parties, were heard. — 
1840, p. 288, O. S. 

c. Appeal and Complaint of Robert Finley and Smith Bloomfield against 
the Synod of New Jersey. 

The parties in the case were then called, and E. J. Breckinridge was 
heard on behalf of Bobert S. Finley. 

A question arose when he concluded, respecting the original parties, 
whether the Presbytery of Elizabeth town or the Synod of New Jersey 
should be regarded as the other party, upon which the moderator decided 
that the action of the Assembly in allowing James Hoge and Nathaniel 
Hewit to take the place of absent members of the Committee appointed by 
the Synod of New Jersey, did virtually recognize the Synod as the party 
to be heard at this stage of the proceedings. — 1858, p. 291, O. S. 

3. Members of the Court trying a Case are not Parties in the 

Case, and may not Appeal. 

The Judicial Committee also reported on judicial business No. 8, viz., 
the appeal of Dr. Joshua L. Wilson and others, against a decision of 
the Synod of Cincinnati, in the case of Dr. Beecher, that they have ex- 
amined the same, and are of opinion that Dr. Wilson and others were not 
a party in the case, and consequently cannot constitutionally appeal ; and 



OF COMPLAINTS. 593 

recommend that they have leave to withdraw their appeal. This report 
was adopted — 1834, p. 432. 

4. In a Case originating- in Common Fame, the Appellate Court 
does not become an Original Party with Right to Appeal. 

a. Also, Judicial Case No. 5 : An appeal of the Presbytery of Omaha, 
against the decision of the Synod of Iowa, in the case of Dr. G. 0. Morrill. 

This case originated in the session of the Second Church of Omaha, in 
which common fame was the accuser against Dr. Gilbert C. Morrill. 
After trial and judgment before the session, it was carried, by appeal of 
the accused, to the Presbytery of Omaha, from whose judgment it was 
again carried, by appeal of the accused, to the Synod of Iowa. 

The Synod remanded the case to the session for a new trial, of which de- 
cision the Presbytery of Omaha seeks a review by appeal to this Assembly. 

In the judgment of the Judicial Committee, the Presbytery of Omaha 
is not one of the original parties to this case, and is, therefore, not compe- 
tent to bring it before the Assembly by appeal (Book of Discipline, chap, 
vii., sec. iii., sub 1 and 17). And they, therefore, recommend that the 
appellants have leave to withdraw their papers. — 1870, p. 27. 

b. The original parties being called for, the moderator decided that the 
case having arisen without an individual prosecutor, there was but one 
original party before the court — the appellant — who was now to be heard 
by A. G. Hall and J. Bliss, representing him. — 1859, p. 543, O. S. 

See above, chap, vii., sec. iii., sub-sec. viii. 

SECTION IV. 

OF COMPLAINTS. 

I. Another method by which a cause which has been decided by an 
inferior judicatory, may be carried before a superior, is by complaint. 

[See under sec. iii., above. An Appeal can be taken only by an " Orig- 
inal party," sub-sees. i. and xvii. It is from a "Decision" of the judi- 
catory appealed from ; on any of the grounds named in sub-sec. iii. Its 
operation is to "suspend all further proceedings on the ground of the 
sentence appealed from" pending the issue of the appeal, except that sus- 
pension, excommunication or deposition, remain in force, sub-sec. xv. 

A complaint may be brought by others than the original parties, not 
excluding them. It may challenge any of the proceedings of the in- 
ferior judicatory, and any " decision " on any subject, which, "in the 
opinion of the complainants, has been irregularly or unjustly made," sub- 
sec, ii. A complaint does not arrest or suspend the operation of the sen- 
tence as in the case of an appeal. As the complaint is open to a wider 
range of parties than the appeal, so it is applicable to a wider range of 
subjects. It is resorted to chiefly to obtain the decision of the superior 
courts upon points of constitutional law, of morals, or of doctrine, supposed 
to be involved in the decisions of an inferior judicatory, sub-sec. iii. The 
right would seem to be limited to those over whom the courts of the 
church have jurisdiction. See also under chap, viii., sec. iv.] 

1. Complaint may be Brought by Others than the Original Parties. 

The Judicial Committee reported a paper, signed by Dr. Cathcart and 

others, members of the Presbytery of Carlisle, purporting to be an appeal 

or complaint relative to a decision of the Synod of Philadelphia. The 

75 



594 OF DISCIPLINE. 

Committee gave it as their opinion, that the subject could not be taken 
up on the ground of an appeal, because these persons were not one of the 
original parties ; but that it might be taken up in the character of a com- 
plaint. Resolved, That the consideration of this complaint be the order of 
the day for next Tuesday morning. — 1823, p. 69. 

2. The Distinction between an Appeal and a Complaint mast be 

Observed. 

The records of the Synod of Utica were, on the recommendation of the 
Committee, approved, with the exception that, on page 275, the Synod 
recognizes a reference to them as an appeal, which should have been con- 
sidered and acted on merely as a complaint against, and not as an appeal 
from, the decision of Presbytery concerning the settlement of a pastor. — 
1843, p. 22, N. S. 

3. Trie same Matter may be the Subject both of Appeal and 

Complaint. 

The question was taken on sustaining the appeal and complaint (of the 
Second Presbytery of Philadelphia against the Synod of Philadelphia). 
A division being called for, the question was first taken on the complaint. 
Sustained by yeas 118, nays 57. The question was then taken on the 
appeal. Sustained, yeas 90, nays 81. — 1834, p. 431. 

II. A complaint is a representation made to a superior, by any 
member or members of a minority of an inferior judicatory, or by 
any other person or persons, respecting a decision by an inferior 
judicatory, which, in the opinion of the complainants, has been irreg- 
ularly or unjustly made. 

1. By a Member or Members of an Inferior Judicatory. 

Complaints ivere Entertained and Issued. 

a. Of certain members of a Presbytery against the decision of a Synod. 
—1823, p. 73, 81 ; 1832, p. 356, etc. 

b. Of an individual, in behalf of a minority, against the decision of a 
superior judicatory.— 1827, p. 204; 1831, p. 329; 1833, p. 392, etc. 

c. Of a Presbytery against the decision of a Synod. — 1833, p. 392, etc. 

d. Of a minority against a majority of the same court. — 1831, p. 329 ; 
1834, p. 436, etc. 

e. Of a deposed minister against a Presbytery for refusing him a new 
trial.— 1812, pp. 496, 504, etc. 

2. By any other Person or Persons. 

[By this phrase the Constitution seems to refer to those who are not 
members of the judicatory complained of.] 

Complaints were Entertained and Issued. 

a. Of Mr. Joseph Wherry relative to a decision of the Synod of Pitts- 
burg. — 1820, p. 738. See under iii., below. 

b. Of the Presbytery of Washington, Ohio, against the Presbytery of 
West Lexington. — 1821, p. 21. [These Presbyteries belonged to different 
Synods.] See also 1828, p. 237. 

' c. Of the Third Presbytery of Philadelphia against the Presbytery of 
Luzerne. . . . Brought before the Assembly, because of these Presbyter- 
ies having had no common synodical relation. — 1870, p. 27. 



OF COMPLAINTS. 595 

d. A complaint of the commissioners of the Fifth Church in Philadel- 
phia against a decision of the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia. — 1835, 
p. 469. 

e. Of certain members of a church against a Presbytery. — 1864, p. 311, 
O. S. 

/. In case of the neglect or refusal of a session to convene the congre- 
gation for the election of elders, the party feeling aggrieved has its rem- 
edy by application to Presbytery in the form of a complaint. — 1822, p. 49. 
See also 1827, p. 215 ; 1840, p. 305, O. S. 

g. It is the privilege of the people (of a congregation) or any part of 
them to complain to the Presbytery, when they think that the session, 
after being suitably requested, neglect or refuse to convene the congrega- 
tion to elect a pastor. — 1814, p. 559. Or to elect elders. — 1822, p. 49. 

3. Complaints Dismissed ; on what Grounds ? 

a. No Reason Assigned. 

The Judicial Committee reported the complaint of Mr. Charles J. Cook 
against the Presbytery of Rochester, accompanied with a petition. The 
documents in the case sent up by Mr. Cook were read. After which it 
w T as resolved, that the complaint and petition be dismissed. — 1828, p. 232. 

b. For Informality or Deject in Documents. 

The subject of the complaint of the session of Indianapolis was taken up, 
and after considerable discussion and mature deliberation, it was resolved, 
that this business be dismissed on account of informality, and that the 
papers be returned to the respective parties. — 1829, p. 262 ; 1829, p. 269 ; 
1832, p. 364; 1865, p. 435, O. S. 

c. For want of evidence of the complaint itself. — 1831, p. 339. 

d. Not presented within the constitutional time. — 1834, p. 429. See 
above, under chap, vii., sec. iii., sub-sec. vii. 

e. No Evidence of Notice to the Court Complained of. 

Recommended that the complainant have leave to withdraw his papers 
on the ground that the Committee have no evidence that notice of such 
complaint was given to Synod. — 1834, p. 434. 

See above, sec. iii., sub-sec. v. 

/. In the Absence of the Appellant. 

The complaint of Rev. Dr. Henry Davis, against a decision of the Synod 
of Utica, was taken up, and dismissed on the ground that the complainant 
has not appeared to prosecute his complaint, nor any other person in his 
behalf.— 1834, p. 454. 

The complaints of Rev. G. Duffield and W. R. Dewitt were dismissed 
on the ground that neither the complainants themselves, nor any person 
in their behalf, are present to prosecute those complaints. — 1835, p. 490. 

[See under vii., iii., xi., above, the same rule applying to both.] 

g. In the Absence of the Records. 

The Assembly took up the complaint of the Presbytery of Missouri 
against the Presbytery of St. Charles, laid over by the last Assembly, and 
the records of the Presbytery of St. Charles not being present, 

Resolved, That the complaint be dismissed. — 1837, p. 429. 

See above, sec. iii., sub-sec. xvi. 



596 OF DISCIPLINE. 

h. Complainants have leave to withdraw their papers. [No reason 
assigned.]— 1837, p. 480. 

4. Complaint -will not Lie against a. Judicatory for Obeying the 
Orders of the Superior Court. 

Whereas, The Rev. Archibald McQueen prosecuted a complaint before 
the Assembly of 1845 against the Presbytery of Fayetteville for refusing 
to restore him to the exercise of the gospel ministry, and did at the same 
time memorialize that Assembly to decree his restoration ; and whereas, 
that Assembly did take up and judicially entertain the said complaint, 
and pronounced judgment in the case by authorizing and recommending 
the Presbytery to restore the said Archibald McQueen to the gospel min- 
istry, provided that in the judgment of the Presbytery it was wise so to do ; 
and whereas the Presbytery, in the exercise of the discretion thus confided 
to them, did restore Mr. McQueen ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the complaint of the Rev. Colin Mclver and others 
against the Synod of North Carolina, for having sustained the action of 
the Presbytery of Fayetteville in restoring the said Archibald McQueen, 
in accordance with the judicial decision of the Assembly of 1845, cannot 
be entertained by this house, and is hereby dismissed. 

In making this disposition of the above-mentioned complaint, this Gen- 
eral Assembly wishes it to be distinctly understood that they do not mean 
either to retract or modify any judgment hitherto expressed by any As- 
sembly respecting the offence for which Mr. McQueen was suspended from 
the exercise of the gospel ministry. They simply declare that his case 
cannot be regularly brought before them by this complaint. — 1847, p. 
395, O. S. 

b. The complaint is not sustained, the Presbytery having acted entirely in 
accordance with the directions of the Assembly of 1867. — 1868, p. 641, 0. S. 

5. Complaint will not Lie against Advice given on Memorial. 

The complaint of members of the Park Church, Newark, New Jersey, 
against the Synod of New York and New Jersey, was dismissed, on the 
ground that the action of the Presbytery was not a subject-matter of com- 
plaint, or removal of the case to a higher judicatory, their proceedings 
having been merely advisory upon the memorial of the complainants. — 
1852, p. 166, N. S. 

6. Nor against a Refusal to Adopt a Proposed Paper. 

The Judicial Committee having had under consideration No. 1, the ap- 
peal and complaint of the Rev. Robert J. Breckinridge, D. D., and others, 
against a decision of the Synod of Philadelphia on the quorum question ; 
and No. 2, the appeal and complaint of the Rev. R. J. Breckinridge, D.D., 
and others, against a decision of the Synod of Philadelphia on the ques- 
tion of the imposition of hands in ordination, report, that in their opinion 
the Form of Government and Discipline of the Presbyterian Church do 
not authorize the appellants and complainants to bring before the General 
Assembly either an appeal or complaint in the cases referred to. 

The report was adopted.— 1844, p. 366, O. S. 

[Against this decision a protest was entered. See Baird's Collections, 
Rev. Ed., p. 145, and Minutes, p. 380. In answer, the Assembly reply 
inter alia :] 

In replying to the protest in question, little more is necessary than to 
state distinctly what was the action of the Synod of Philadelphia, com- 
plained of by R. J. Breckinridge and others. Two papers were offered by 



OF COMPLAINTS. 597 

Dr. Breckinridge for the adoption of the Synod ; the one relating to the 
constitution of a quorum in Presbytery, the other to the imposition of 
hands by ruling elders in the ordination of ministers of the gospel. In 
relation to each paper, the question on which the Synod voted was in the 
following words : "Shall this paper be adopted?" By a large majority 
the Synod refused to adopt these papers. The Assembly know of no law 
in our Book of Discipline requiring a Presbytery or a Synod to adopt any 
paper or papers submitted to them by any individual or any number of 
individuals ; and if there is no such law, there could be no transgression 
of law or neglect of duty, and consequently, no ground of complaint. 

The papers in question condemn the interpretation of certain clauses in 
our Constitution, given by the last Assembly, propose an opposite inter- 
pretation, and overture the General Assembly to repeal the overtures 
adopted by the last Assembly, and to adopt interpretations of an opposite 
character. In regard to these papers, it is proper to remark, 

1. There was no case before the Synod. No elder complained that he 
had been deprived of what he regarded as a constitutional right. No Pres- 
bytery was charged with having constituted and proceeded to business 
without a constitutional quorum. The Synod, therefore, was not called 
upon to administer law, but to interpret our Constitution — to decide con- 
stitutional questions in thesi. How far it is expedient to give expositions 
of our Constitution, or to decide constitutional questions in thesi, it may be 
difficult to determine; but certain it is that no church judicatory is bound, 
in any state of case, to give such decisions. But " where there is no law, 
there is no transgression," and, of course, there can be no ground of com- 
plaint. The protestants allege that the Synod did act, and that their 
action was complained of. The answer is, that the only action of the 
Synod in the case was a refusal to adopt certain papers offered by a mem- 
ber of that body. To this action, if it be proper to call it so, the Synod 
was forced by the member who offered the papers. They were obliged 
either to adopt them or to refuse them. They deemed it wise, as they had 
the perfect right, to do the latter. 

2. Again : these papers, if adopted, required the Synod to send to this 
Assembly an overture or request to give an interpretation of our Constitu- 
tion contrary to that given by the last Assembly. But, although it is the 
right of sessions, Presbyteries or Synods to overture the Assembly when- 
ever they may deem it wise to do so, there is in our Book no law requir- 
ing them or any one of them to do so in any case. In declining to send 
up an overture, therefore, the Synod of Philadelphia violated no law, com- 
mitted no transgression against ecclesiastical law, and consequently a com- 
plaint against that body cannot lie. The very idea of forcing either indi- 
viduals or bodies to overture or petition is absurd. 

But the protestants strangely contend that " every inferior court is re- 
sponsible to the courts above it for the proper exercise of its discre- 
tion, and therefore they may be complained of as regards its exercise." 
Where there is responsibility there can be no discretion. To maintain the 
contrary, is to contend that an individual or a body may use their discre- 
tion, provided they use it in a certain way — that they may do as they 
please, provided they are pleased to act in a particular manner. The truth 
is, that where ecclesiastical rights of individuals or bodies are concerned, 
there is no discretion. All such rights are guarded by our Constitution, by 
which every church court is bound. The admission of the protestants that 
the Synod had the right to exercise its own discretion in the matter com- 
plained of is, in effect, an admission that the complaiut is not legitimate, 
and ought not to have been entertained by this body. 



598 OF DISCIPLINE. 

Still more strangely, if possible, the protestants allege that "if the Synod 
be not obliged to act except in cases in which it is compelled by positive 
law, then Synods could not be complained of for even the grossest viola- 
tions of duty, such as refusing to receive and issue appeals brought regu- 
larly before them, or refusing to redress what has been done by Presbyteries 
contrary to order." Do they, then, maintain that it is merely discretionary 
with Presbyteries and Synods whether they will receive and issue appeals, 
etc., regularly brought before them, as they admit it was with the Synod 
of Philadelphia whether they would condemn the doings of the last As- 
sembly and overture this Assembly to do the same? But they say "there 
is no positive command or law requiring Synods to exercise any of their 
specified powers." To prove that this statement is wholly incorrect, it is 
necessary only to refer to chap, vii., sees, i., iii. and iv., of our Book of 
Discipline. Section i. treats of the duties of church judicatories in relation 
to review and control ; sections iii. and iv. treat of the right to appeal and 
complain in certain cases, etc. Where there are duties, there can be no 
discretion, and where there is a right to appeal and complain, there is 
positive obligation on the part of the judicatory to receive and issue such 
appeals and complaints. But where, in our Constitution, is it said to be the 
duty of any church judicatory either to adopt papers that may be offered, 
to decide constitutional questions in thesi, or to overture a higher court? 
Or where is the right given to individuals in any case to have their inter- 
pretations of our Constitution adopted ? There are no such duties on the 
one hand or rights on the other, and consequently, no right of appeal or 
complaint. 

3. An additional objection to the appeals and complaints is that, were 
they entertained, the Synod of Philadelphia would, in the final vote, be 
excluded from voting. This, in the administration of law, where the in- 
ferior court has decided the case, and the appeal or complaint is against 
their decision, would be perfectly proper. But in the mere interpretation 
of our Constitution, in regard to which all have a common interest, and, 
therefore, common rights, such a course would be unconstitutional and 
grossly unjust. The Synod of Philadelphia, if the complaints had been 
entertained, would have been excluded, as having decided the questions 
involved. But the Synod of Kentucky has also given its decisions of the 
same questions. Why, then, should the one vote and the other be ex- 
cluded? Nay, it is believed, that a large majority of the members of this 
Assembly have, in one form or another, decided upon them. Why, then, 
permit them to vote, and exclude the Synod of Philadelphia? What in- 
terest has this Synod more than other Synods or Presbyteries, in giving a 
wrong exposition of our Book?, When we interpret our Constitution, the 
voice of the whole Church should be heard. 

But the protestants say, this is an argument against our Constitution. 
In this, however, they are mistaken. It is only an argument against their 
incorrect interpretation of it. It gives no right to appeal or complain 
against a judicatory for declining to decide a constitutional question in 
thesi, or to overture the higher court. 

4. That the complaint is illegitimate, is further evident from the conse- 
quences which would follow the adoption of the principle involved in it. 
If our Church courts are bound, in any case, to decide constitutional ques- 
tions in thesi, and to overture the higher court, it follows : 

1st. That any member of a Session, Presbytery or Synod can, at any 
time, force the Assembly to discuss and decide, in thesi, any constitutional 
question he may choose to raise, or any number of them. He has only to 



OF COMPLAINTS. 599 

offer his interpretation to the lower court, and come up with his complaint, 
which must be regularly issued. 

2d. The Assembly can be forced to discuss and decide the same ques- 
tion repeatedly at the same session. The minority of the Synod of Ken- 
tucky might have complained of its action on the same points; and, 
according to the doctrine of the protestants, the Assembly must have 
regularly tried both complaints, regularly hearing the parties from both 
Synods discuss the same points, not in relation to the administration of 
law, where both parties claim to have been aggrieved, but in relation to 
the interpretation of law. 

3d. The Assembly could be forced to decide great constitutional ques- 
tions by only a part of the delegates from the Presbyteries, thus excluding 
a large number of Presbyteries from a vote on the interpretation of the 
Constitution by which they are to be governed. 

4th. The Assembly, by the exclusion of different Synods, in deciding 
the different complaints, might be placed in the humiliating attitude of 
giving contradictory expositions of the Constitution at the same sessions. 

Who will pretend that our Constitution is so defective, so strangely in- 
consistent, as to expose our Church courts to difficulties and absurdities 
such as those just mentioned? 

In answer to the third reason assigned by the protestants it is sufficient 
to state, that it has not been, and we believe it cannot be proved, that any 
General Assembly of our Church ever entertained a complaint such as 
the one in question — a complaint against a Church judicatory for refusing 
to decide a constitutional question in thesi, or to overture a higher judica- 
tory. The complaint under consideration is, so far as this Assembly is 
informed, strictly sui generis. 

Finally, our Constitution prescribes the mode in which constitutional 
questions may be brought before the General Assembly. The proper 
course was pursued by the Presbytery of Cincinnati in regard to the mat- 
ters embraced in Dr. Breckinridge's papers ; and they were brought be- 
fore this body untrammeled by judicial proceedings, and the voice of the 
representatives of the Church decided on the true meaning of the clauses 
in our Constitution concerning which there has been a difference of 
opinion. 

In reply to the complaint of the protestants, that the Assembly refused 
co hear the complainants on the right of jurisdiction, it is sufficient to say: 
1st. That it cannot be shown that our Book gives such rights. 2d. The 
adoption of the principle involved in such a claim would be followed by 
most of the difficulties already enumerated as consequent upon entertaining 
the complaint. The Assembly must from year to year, agree to hear every 
member of a Session, Presbytery or Synod, who may choose to try to 
convince them that they have jurisdiction over all kinds of subjects. 3d. 
There was properly no question as to right of jurisdiction. The matter 
of complaint against the Synod, belongs not to the department of disci- 
pline. 

In reply to the complaint of the protestants that the Assembly did not 
sit as a court, and that the members were not charged by the moderator ; 
it is sufficient to state, that as the Assembly could not sit in a judicial 
capacity, until the complaint was decided to be orderly and legitimate, 
the objection is wholly without force. 

The protestants think the course pursued by the Assembly calculated 
to foster all kinds of diversity in practice and opinion. They seem not to 
see, that the course pursued by the complainants and by themselves, iiv 
relation to the decisions of the highest court of our Church, to which it 



600 OF DISCIPLINE. 

properly belongs to expound the Constitution and settle all controversies, 
is directly calculated to produce the very result they seem to deprecate. — 
1844, p. 383, O. S. 

[See under Form of Government, chap, v., iv., 1827, p. 204, where a 
complaint against a refusal to adopt a resolution was entertained.] 

7. Nor against an Opinion Expressed by the Superior Court. 

Judicial Case No. 1, being a complaint of the Presbytery of St. Clairs- 
ville against the Synod of Wheeling, for taking exception to their min- 
utes on the ground " that their entire action in the case of the church of 
Kirkwood was unwise and inexpedient." 

The Committee recommend that this complaint be dismissed, on the 
ground that in the action complained of the Synod passed no judgment in 
the case, but only expressed an opinion, and that there is therefore no 
constitutional ground for complaint. [See Book of Discipline, chap, vii., 
sec. iv., sub-sec. ii.] The report was adopted. — 1864, p. 312, O. S. 

8. Nor against a Judicatory for its Discretion in Dismissing a 

Complaint. 

Case No. 4, the complaint of the Rev. W. P. Carson against Synod of 
Iowa, for dismissing his complaint against the Presbytery of Dubuque. 
The Presbytery, upon application both of the pastor and the congregation, 
dissolved the pastoral relation, and Mr. Carson complained to Synod, on 
the ground that the session and trustees united in calling the meeting of the 
congregation, without the presence or co-operation of the pastor, at which 
action was taken asking for the dissolution of the pastoral relation. The 
Committee recommend that the complaint be dismissed, there being no 
sufficient ground of complaint. 

The report was adopted. — 1868, p. 612, O. S. 

9. Nor in a Case already Adjudicated by the Superior Court. 

Dr. Lacy, from the Judicial Committee, reported Case No. 1, the com- 
plaint of James Russell against the Presbytery of Flint River and the 
Synod of Georgia. 

The Committee report, that the case has already been adjudicated by 
the General Assembly, in Philadelphia, in the sessions of 1853, and can- 
not properly come again before this body ; and therefore recommend 
that the case be dismissed, and the papers be returned to Mr. Russell. 
Adopted.— 1855, p. 271, O. S. 

10. Nor from the Decision of a Commission not yet Confirmed. 

The Judicial Committee, through Rev. Samuel Miller, D. D., reported, 

Case No. 1, the appeal of the church of Mifninburg against the Synod 
of Philadelphia, for its action in the matter of the appeal and complaint 
of the Rev. Isaac Grier. 

The Committee reports that this complaint must be dismissed, because 
no complaint will lie from the decision of a commission of Synod until 
that decision has been reported to Synod and approved thereby. The 
Committee, therefore, recommends that the Assembly direct the commis- 
sion in this case to report its decision to the Synod for its action. The 
report was adopted. — 1869, p. 902, O. S. 

[See also 1862, p. 608,0. S.] 



OF COMPLAINTS. 601 



11. Nor against a Decision of a Moderator Unappealed from at 

the Time. 

Case No. 7, complaint of the session of the First Presbyterian Church, 
St. Charles, Mo. 

Case No. 8, being a complaint of Rev. Robert P. Farris, against the 
Synod of Missouri. 

These two cases are substantially identical, and may be regarded as one. 
The Committee find that in the matter complained of there was no action 
of the Synod as such, but only a decision of the moderator affecting the 
complainants, from which they made no appeal to the body of the Synod, 
and consequently they have no just ground of complaint. They, there- 
fore, recommend that it be dismissed, and that the complainants have 
leave to withdraw their papers. The report was adopted. — 1865, p. 543, 
0. S. 

12. Complainant has Leave to "Withdraw for Reasons Stated. 

a. Judicial Case No. 5, being the complaint of Alexander Guy, M. D., 
against the action of the Synod of Cincinnati. 

The complainant, Dr. Guy, having reason to believe that the language 
employed by the Synod, in determining the case, was inadvertently used, 
is on this account willing to withdraw his complaint. The Committee 
recommend that leave be granted, and that Dr. Guy be allowed to with- 
draw his papers. 

The report was accepted and adopted. — 1867, p. 331, O. S. 

b. Judicial Case No. 6, being the complaint of the Rev. S. J. Niccolls 
and others, against the action of the Synod of Missouri, passed at its ses- 
sions in October, 1865, whereby it declared the previous meeting of its 
own body, " not a free court of Christ, and its entire acts null, void and 
of no binding force." 

This complaint was found in order, and referred from the last General 
Assembly to this ; but inasmuch as the Synod has reconsidered and re- 
versed the action complained of, and reported the same to this General 
Assembly, in accordance with the requirement of the last Assembly, 
passed with reference to the Synod of Missouri, the complainants request 
leave to withdraw their complaint. 

Your Committee recommend that their request be granted, and the case 
dismissed. 

The report was accepted and adopted. — 1867, p. 331, O. S. 

c. Judicial Case No. 1, being the appeal and complaint of D. W. Irvine 
and others against the action of the Presbytery of New Castle. The Com- 
mittee having satisfactory evidence that the ground of the appeal and 
complaint in this case has been removed by the subsequent action of the 
Presbytery complained of, recommend that the appeal and complaint be 
dismissed without prejudice. The report was adopted. — 1867, p. 327, O. S. 

d. Judicial Case No. 1. A complaint of certain members of the ses- 
sion of the church of Eaton, Ohio, against the Synod of Cincinnati. 

The Committee recommend, that the complainants have leave to with- 
draw their complaints without prejudice, and that they be advised to pre- 
sent the same to the Synod of Cincinnati. — 1871, p. 547. 

13. Complaint Dismissed when Laid against the Refusal to Read 
the Printed Minutes. 

Fourth. Case of Rev. J. W. Martin vs. the Synod of Cleveland. 

Mr. Martin complains of a suggestion of the moderator, sustained by 

76 



602 OF DISCIPLINE. 

vote of the Synod, that the minutes of the previous session need not be 
read, at the beginning of the sessions in October, 1872, because they had 
been printed and were in the hands of the members ; also that the mode- 
rator refused to hear him speak against this action, and requests the As- 
sembly to express a judgment respecting the authority of moderators and 
church courts, under our Book. The Committee find that the minutes of 
the previous session had been read and approved by the Synod at the close 
of that session, and therefore would have been read only for information, 
which was already in possession of the members in the printed copies; that 
they have no proof that the complainant was unjustly treated by the 
moderator, beyond what often occurs in such cases ; and that our Book 
of Discipline very definitely states the authority and province of mode- 
rators. Therefore, we do not deem the case of sufficient importance to 
require the action of the Assembly. Adopted. — 1873, p. 509. 

III. The cases, in which complaint is proper and advisable, are 
such as the following, viz.: The judgment of an inferior judicatory 
may be favorable to the only party who has been placed at their bar; 
or the judgment in question may do no wrong to any individual ; or 
the party who is aggrieved by it may decline the trouble of conducting 
an appeal. In any of these cases no appeal is to be expected. And 
yet the judgment may appear to some of the members of the judica- 
tory, to be contrary to the Constitution of the Church, injurious to 
the interests of religion, and calculated to degrade the character of 
those who have pronounced it. In this case, the minority have not 
only a right to record, in the minutes of the judicatory, their dissent 
from this judgment, or their protest against it, but they have also a 
right to complain to the superior judicatory. 

1. Subject Matter of Complaints Entertained. 

a. Relative to a decision of the Synod of Pittsburg reversing a decision 
of the Presbytery of Ohio, which had restored Mr. Wherry to church 
privileges.— 1820, p. 738. 

The complaint was sustained. 

b. In the case of the complaint of members of the Presbytery of Car- 
lisle against the Synod of Philadelphia, it was — 

Resolved, 2. That the complaint ought to be considered by the Assem- 
bly, only so far as it regards the regularity of the proceedings of the Synod 
in reversing the judgment of Presbytery in the case. — 1823, p. 74. 

c. Complaint of the Presbytery of" Washington, Ohio, against the Pres- 
bytery of West Lexington, for licensing and ordaining the Rev. William 
L. M'Calla, contrary, in the opinion of the complainants, to Presbyterial 
order. Mr. M'Calla having been suspended from church privileges by the 
Presbytery of Washington, in consequence of a reference on the subject 
from the session of the church of Chillicothe. — 1821, p. 21. 

[See for decision, Form of Government, xiv., i., ii.] 

d. Complaint of Ashbel Green and others, by which complaint the fol- 
lowing question is presented for the decision of the Assembly, viz. : 

Is it consistent with the Constitution of this Church for the same indi- 
vidual to hold the office of ruling elder in two different churches at the 
same time ? 



OF COMPLAINTS. 603 

The complainants were heard in support of their complaint ; the Synod 
was heard in defence of their decision ; and the complainants concluded 
with a reply: 

When it was resolved by the Assembly, that the decision of the Synod 
be affirmed, and the complaint dismissed. — 1827, p. 204. 

e. The Judicial Committee also reported a complaint by Mr. David 
M'Clure, against the Presbytery of Philadelphia, in relation to the mode 
in which certain ruling elders had lately been elected in the Second Pres- 
byterian Church of Philadelphia. — 1827, p. 211. 

Decision of Presbytery affirmed, p. 215. 

/. Complaints from the Presbyteries of French Broad and Union against 
the Board of Missions, for declining to appoint two missionaries. — 1835, 
p. 289. 

[For decision, see under Form of Government, x., viii.] 

g. Complaint of the minority of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, against 
a reference bv said Presbytery of the case of Rev. Albert Barnes. — 1831, 
p. 319. 

The decision of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, relative to the installa- 
tion of Mr. Duffield, see vii., iii., x. — 1835, p. 490. 

h. The complaint of Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Pickands in behalf of them- 
selves and other members of the late Presbytery of Wilmington against 
the Synod of Philadelphia, for dissolving them. — 1836, p. 279. 

Sustained. 

i. Complaint of Rev. Thompson Bird against the Synod of Iowa for 
reversing the decision of the Presbytery of Des Moines, deposing a minis- 
ter for adultery in marrying a divorced woman. — 1858, p. 599. N. S. 

[See Directory.] 

j. No. 1, reported by the Judicial Committee, viz.: "A complaint of 
certain members of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, against the Synod of 
Philadelphia, for refusing to divide said Presbytery," was taken up. — 1832, 
p. 356. 

The complaint was sustained "without casting censure on the Synod of 
Philadelphia.— 1832, p. 360. 

[See also 1833, p. 396.] 

k. Judicial Case No. 1 — the complaint of John Turbitt against the 
Synod of Illinois, for refusing to take up and consider, at their meeting in 
October, 1859, his appeal from, and complaint against, the Presbytery of 
Peoria ; and would recommend to the Assembly to dispose of the case by 
adopting the following minute : 

It is earnestly recommended by this xA.ssembly to the Synod of Illinois, 
to reconsider their judgment in the case of Mr. John Turbitt, declared at 
their late meeting, October, 1859; and without regarding the circumstance 
of his having originally passed over the Synod and appealed directly to 
the Assembly, nor the circumstance of so much time having elapsed since 
the decision of the Presbytery against him, to take up his case, and either 
try it as an appeal against the Presbytery upon the old evidence, or else 
remand it to the Presbytery for their hearing of the new testimony. — 1860, 

p. 46, o. a 

/. Judicial Case No. 1 was taken from the docket, and the report of the 
Judicial Committee was read as follows: 

The complaint of the Rev. Alex. M. Cowan, against the action of the 
Presbytery of Sydney, for refusing to enrol his name, on the ground that 
he acknowledged himself to be a signer of the " Declaration and Testi- 
mony/' and refused to sign the declaration prescribed by the Assembly of 
1867 in such cases. 



604 OF DISCIPLINE. 

The Committee finds the case to be in order, and recommends that it be 
tried according to the order prescribed in the Book of Discipline. — 1868, 
p. 639, O. S. ^ 

[The following minute in the case was adopted :] 

The General Assembly having heard the complaint of Mr. Cowan, it is 
resolved that it be not sustained, the Presbytery having acted entirely in 
accordance with the directions of the Assembly of 1867. 

But inasmuch as the emergency that called for the action of that and of 
the previous Assembly has passed; and inasmuch as many throughout the 
Church, and entirely loyal to it, have scruples in respect to the constitu- 
tionality and expediency of the orders of 1866 ; and inasmuch as Mr. Cowan 
declares, that in signing the Declaration and Testimony he had no inten- 
tion to rebel against, or to show any disrespect to, the Church, but merely 
to protest against what he regarded as an unconstitutional act ; and inas- 
much as he desires to adhere to the General Assembly and to be subject 
to its authority ; therefore, 

Resolved, That his case be referred to the Presbytery to which he be- 
longed, with instructions to deal tenderly with his scruples, and if in the 
judgment of said Presbytery he can be restored in accordance with the 
spirit of the action of 1867, that Presbytery have authority to restore him 
without further acknowledgment than that stated above in the hearing of 
this body.— 1869, p. 641, O. S. 

For other causes of complaint see below. 

2. Complainants Satisfied by Conference and Leave to Withdraw. 

The Judicial Committee reported the complaint of the Second Presby- 
tery of Philadelphia against the Synod of Philadelphia, and al?o the com- 
plaint of Messrs. Robert Cathcart, George Duffield and E. W. Gilbert 
against the Synod of Philadelphia, as in order, and reported also an order 
to be pursued in prosecuting these complaints. 

Resolved, That these complaints be referred to a select Committee, to 
endeavor to effect a compromise, if practicable, between the parties con- 
cerned. 

Dr. Spring, Dr. Hoge, Mr. Ludlow, Mr. Jessup and Mr. Wilkinson were 
appointed this Committee. 

The Assembly united in prayer for the divine direction and blessing 
upon this Committee and the parties concerned in these complaints. 

The Judicial Committee reported on the petition and remonstrance of 
the Synod of Philadelphia against the last General Assembly's proceed- 
ings in relation to the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia. This paper 
was referred to the same Committee of compromise. 

The Judicial Committee further reported the complaint and petition of 
E. W. Gilbert in behalf of himself and the Hanover Street Church of 
Wilmington, Delaware, against the Synod of Philadelphia, as in order, 
and reported an order of proceeding to be followed in case the complaint 
is taken up. This complaint also was referred to the same Committee of 
compromise. 

The Judicial Committee further reported on a paper purporting to be a 
complaint of the Synod of Cincinnati, remonstrating against the division 
of Presbyteries on the principle of elective affinity. This paper was also 
committed to the same Committee of compromise. — 1833, p. 396. 

The Committee subsequently reported that after an interview with mem- 
bers of the Presbytery and of the Synod, as a result of a free conference 
with both parties, they were enabled to recommend to the Assembly the 
following: 



OF COMPLAINTS. 605 

Resolved, That the complainants in all these cases have leave to with- 
draw their complaints, and that the consideration of all the other papers 
relating to the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia be indefinitely post- 
poned— 1833, p. 399. 

IV. Notice of a complaint shall always be given before the rising 
of the judicatory, or within ten days thereafter, as in case of an 
appeal. 

1. Beasons as well as Notice must be Given. 

Overture No. 3, from the Synod of Cincinnati, as follows : " Does the 
language of the Book of Discipline, chap, vii., sec. iv., imply that when 
notice of complaint is given to a judicatory of the Church, reasons for such 
complaint must be given, as in the case of appeal ?" 

A majority of the Committee recommend that the question propounded 
in the overture be answered in the affirmative. The minority are of the 
opinion that it should be answered in the negative. 

It was moved that the Assembly sustain the answer of the majority in 
the affirmative. Adopted.— 1855, p. 271, 0. S. 

2. Evidence must be Furnished that Notice was given. 

a. Dismissed for want of evidence that notice of the complaint was 
given to the superior judicatory. — 1834, p. 434; 1863, p. 23, O. S. ; 1865, 
p. 16, N. S. 

b. Leave given to show that notice has been given as required (1834, p. 
454) and the complaint entertained. — 1836, p. 274. 

[Where a mistake had been made, see chap, vii., sec. iii., sub-sec. v.] 

3. Right to Complain waived by Failure to Observe the Rules. 

a. The report of the Judicial Committee No. 3, viz., the complaint of 
Messrs. Tate, Mclver and others, against the Presbytery of Fayetteville, 
in the case aforesaid, was taken up and adopted, and is as follows, viz.: 

A complaint of the Rev. Robert Tate, Colin Mclver and others, was put 
into the hands of the Committee, in which they complain of a decision of 
the Presbytery of Fayetteville, by which they refused to reconsider certain 
decisions made at a former meeting of the Presbytery touching the case 
of the Rev. Archibald McQueen. The Committee are unanimously of 
the opinion that the General Assembly cannot entertain this complaint, 
inasmuch as the complainants did not avail themselves of their right to 
complain of the aforesaid decisions within the time and in the manner 
specified in our Book of Discipline. The Committee believe that it was 
never intended that those who thus waived their right should have the 
right, at a subsequent meeting of the judicatory, on a mere motion to re- 
consider, to bring the whole previous action by complaint before the higher 
judicatory.— 1846, p. 202, O. S. 

b. On motion of George Howe, the unfinished business on judicial case 
No. 1 was resumed, and the report of the Judicial Committee was adopted, 
and is as follows : 

Judicial Case No. 1. The complaint of the Rev. James P. Fisher against 
the action of the Synod of Albany, in the case of the Rev. George H. 
Thatcher. It appears that the Presbytery of Albany allowed Mr. Thatcher 
to demit the office of the gospel ministry, of which action complaint was 
made by Mr. Fisher to the Synod in 1856. This complaint was sustained, 
but no copy of it appears on record, nor are the minutes of the Presbytery, 
out of which the complaint grew, before us. The Synod, iu sustaining the 



606 OF DISCIPLINE. 

complaint, did not make any order to the Presbytery as to what disposi- 
tion they should make of Mr. Thatcher ; but no protest was entered against 
this action, nor was any complaint taken to this body at that time. At 
the meeting of the Synod in 1857, a memorial was presented from the 
Presbytery of Albany, asking Synod to define their action in the case, 
which memorial was laid on the table. The complaint now before us pur- 
ports to lie against this latter action, but it is entitled a complaint "of 
the action of the Synod in the case of the Rev. George H. Thatcher," and 
undoubtedly all the reasons of complaint are aimed against that action. 
The Judicial Committee recommend that the case be dismissed for the 
following reasons, viz. : 

1. The complainant having failed at the proper time to make his com- 
plaint of the action of the Synod in the case of Mr. Thatcher, has thereby 
forfeited his right to complain. 

2. Were the Assembly to allow a judicial case, when once adjudicated, 
to be revived on a simple memorial, it would give rise to endless litigation, 
insomuch that no judicial case could ever be known to be finally settled. 

3. Even if the Assembly were disposed to entertain the complaint, no 
intelligent or just decision could be had in the case, in the absence of the 
complaint which the Synod sustained, and of the records of the Presbytery 
in the original case.— 1858, p. 297, O. S. 

V. This complaint brings the whole proceedings in the case under 
the review of the superior judicatory; and, if the complaint appears 
to' be well founded, it may have the effect, not only of drawing down 
censure upon those who concurred in the judgment complained of; 
but also of reversing that judgment, and placing matters in the same 
situation in which they w r ere before the judgment was pronounced. 

1. The Judicatory Issuing a Complaint may not Decline to Adju- 
dicate the Merits of the Case, and must Observe the Alterna- 
tives of the Book. — It may not Assume Original Jurisdiction. 

On the complaint of Mr. William H. Beecher and others against the 
Synod of Genesee, in the case of the appeal of Dr. Frank from the decis- 
ion of the Presbytery of Genesee, the General Assembly sustain the com- 
plaint and reverse the judgment of the Synod on the following grounds, 
viz. : 

1. That the merits of the case seem to be expressly declined by the 
Synod as the subject-matter of adjudication. 

2. That the Synod appear not to have adhered to the alternatives pre- 
scribed by the Constitution. (See Book of Discipline, chap, vii., sec. iii., 
sub-sec. x.) 

3. That the Synod seem to have forgotten the nature and the limits of 
their appellate, as distinguished from the original jurisdiction in the case; 
in that they censure at their bar the appellant in a way competent, in any 
circumstances, only to the session of the church to which the appellant 
was primarily amenable. 

4. That they seem to have forgotten also, in restoring the appellant, 
that some expression of repentance ought to have been exacted, especially 
if their reprimand could, from any tribunal, have been deserved. 

The Assembly, therefore, rule that the Synod of Genesee should review 
their proceedings in this case; and, regarding alike the rules of the Con- 



OF DISSENTS AND PROTESTS. 607 

stitution and the merits of the case, that they proceed to issue the same 
with equity and wisdom. 

In the matter of defining in what calumny consists, as connected with 
the case, the Assembly feel it not necessary to express any opinion farther 
than to recommend the principles of our constitutional discipline. — 1840, 
p. 11. N. S. 

2. Reversal places Matters in Statu Quo. 

[In the complaint of T. B. Clark and others, against the decision of the 
Synod of Cincinnati — ] 

The parties having been heard, the Synod withdrew, and the roll was 
called for the opinions of the members. The question was then put, " Is 
the complaint well founded ?" and it was answered in the affirmative. 

And it was 

Resolved, That the complaint be sustained, and the decision of the Synod 
of Cincinnati be reversed, and matters placed in the same situation in 
which they were, before the Synod entered up its judgment in the case. — 
1841, p. 450, O. S. 

See also under vii., iii., x. Discipline, chap, i., iii., 12, a and c. — 1864, 
p. 328, O. S. Complaint of N. West vs. Synod of New York, Discipline, 
chap, v., sec. vii. 2. Complaint of J. M. Davidson et al. vs. Synod of Balti- 
more — 1860, p. 31, O. S., and 3. Complaint of John Mack etal. vs. Synod 
of Illinois — 1867, p. 355, O. S. ; also Form of Government, chap, x., sec. 
viii., 47 b.— 1864, p. 311, O. S. 

VI. In cases of complaint, however, as in those of appeal, the 
reversal of a judgment of an inferior judicatory is not necessarily 
connected with censure on that judicatory. 

VII. None of the members of the judicatory whose act is com- 
plained of can vote in the superior judicatory, on any question con- 
nected with the complaint. 

See above, chap, vii., sec. iii., sub-sec. xii. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

OF DISSENTS AND PROTESTS. 



I. A dissent is a declaration on the part of one or more members 
of a minority, in a judicatory, expressing a different opinion from 
that of the majority in a particular case. A dissent accompanied with 
reasons is always entered on the records of the judicatory. 

In the Assembly of 1846, O. S., leave to have a dissent with reasons 
entered upon the record, was refused. — Baird, Rev. Ed., p. 117. 

a. Dissent with Reasons a virtual Protest. 

Had the dissent been offered without reasons, and simply as a record 
of the vote of the dissenters, it would have been entirely proper to enter 
it on the minutes of the Assembly without reply. It would then have 



608 OF DISCIPLINE. 

been in the nature only of a record, in part, of ayes and nays. But as it 
is accompanied with reasons, it is virtually a protest. — 1872, p. 85. 

II. A protest is a more solemn and formal declaration, made by 
members of a minority as before mentioned, bearing their testimony 
against what they deem a mischievous, or erroneous, judgment ; and 
is generally accompanied with a detail of the reasons on which it is 
founded. 

1. The Right to Protest for the Relief of Conscience. 

a. That any member or members, for the exoneration of his or their 
conscience before God, have a right to protest against any act or proced- 
ure of our highest judicature, because there is no further appeal to another 
for redress ; and to require that such protestation be recorded in their 
minutes. And as such a protest is a solemn appeal from the bar of said 
judicature, no member is liable to prosecution on account of his protest- 
ing. Provided always, that it shall be deemed irregular and unlawful, to 
enter a protestation against any member or members, or to protest facts 
or accusations instead of proving them, unless a fair trial be refused, 
even by the highest judicature. And it is agreed, that protestations are 
only to be entered against the public acts, judgments or determinations of 
the judicature with which the protestor's conscience is offended. — 1758, 
p. 286. 

b. The Dissent or Protest must be Entered before the Rising of the 

Asset 



Any member who may think himself aggrieved by a decision of the 
General Assembly, shall have his dissent, or protest, with his reasons, en- 
tered on the records of the Assembly, or filed among their papers, if 
given in before the rising of the Assembly. — 1822. p. 44. 

c. A protest offered by Dr. Peters against the adoption of the " circular 
letter " was read and received and laid on the table. — 1836, p. 496. 

2. A Protest Arguing the Case is Refused. 

a. Dr. Martin presented and read a protest against the decision made 
in his judicial case, w 7 hen, on motion of the Rev. D. J. Waller, it was 

Resolved, That Dr. Martin's protest is only such in name, while it is in 
reality an argument of the case which the Assembly has refused to hear, 
as not regularly before it, and that he therefore have leave to withdraw 
the same.— 1865, p. 592, O. S. 

b. The Protest must Confine Itself to Reasons. 

The appropriate business of the protestants was simply to give the 
reasons on which their protest was founded, not to answer the arguments 
of individuals in debate, for which the Assembly is not responsible. — 
1844, p. 378, O. S. 

III. If a protest, or dissent, be couched in decent and respectful 
language, and contain no offensive reflections, or insinuations, against 
the majority of the judicatory, those who offer it have a right to 
have it recorded on the minutes. 

See under ii., above. 



OF DISSEXTS AND PROTESTS. 609 



1. Protest Admitted to Record without Answer. 

Dr. Stuart Robinson read a protest, signed by himself and others, 
against the adoption of the paper of Dr. R. J. Breckinridge on the state 
of the Church. 

This protest was, on motion, admitted to record without answer. 

Another protest, signed by Rev. A. P. Forman and others, was like- 
wise admitted to record without answer. — 1862, p. 636, O. S. 

2. Protest refused Record as being Disrespectful. 

A protest was received from Dr. Board man and others against the 
action of the Assembly in the matter of the Louisville Presbytery. Af- 
ter discussion, on motion, it was 

Resolved, That it be the sense of this General Assembly that the protest 
of Dr. Boardman and others is not respectful in language, and that it be 
returned to the author. — 1866, p. 104, O. S. 

3. A Protest should not be Recorded unless by Order of the 

Court. 

Exception to Records of Synod of Albany. A protest on pp. 323, 
324, which was handed to the stated clerk, and by him recorded, when it 
does not appear that he was directed by Synod to make such insertion. — 
1828, p. 242. 

IV. A dissent, or protest, may be accompanied with a complaint 
to a superior judicatory, or not, at the pleasure of those who offer it. 
If not thus accompanied, it is simply left to speak for itself, when 
the records containing it come to be reviewed by the superior judica- 
tory. 

1. A Protest without Complaint can come before the Superior 
Court only on Review of Records. 

The Judicial Committee reported Judicial Case No. 1 : A protest of 
W. C. Matthews, against the action of the Synod of Kentucky. 

The Committee recommend that the matter be dismissed, because, as 
being a mere protest, the papers belong to the lower court, and the pro- 
testant has his sufficient redress in the review of the synodical records by 
the Assembly. See Book of Discipline, chap, viii., sec. iv. — 1870, p. 27. 

[It has been supposed that the complaint arising under this section dif- 
fers in some way from that provided for in chap, vii., sec. iv., sub-sec. iii., 
that the one is judicial and the other not. I have been able, after very 
careful research, to find in the proceedings of the Assembly no case in 
which such distinction is drawn. The reason for referring again to the 
right to complain in chap, viii., sec. iv., seems to be, that the right to 
complain here is restricted to those who have the right to vote. See sec. 
viii.. which is not the case in vii., iv., sub-sec. ii. (" by any other per- 
son, or persons"). So far as the minority of the inferior judicatory is 
concerned, sec. iv. above is but a repetition of chap, vii., sec. iv., sub-sec. 
iii. In this case, the minority have not only a right to record in the min- 
utes of the judicatory, their dissent from this judgment, or their protest 
against it, but they have also a right to complain to the superior judica- 
tory. I have found no case in which the Assembly has made any dis- 
11 



610 OF DISCIPLINE. 

tinction between complaints. They have uniformly, when entertained at 
all, been treated as judicial cases. See, at large, chap, vii., sec. iv. M.j 

V. It may sometimes happen that a protest, though not infringing 
the rules of decorum, either in its language or matter, may impute 
to the judicatory, whose judgment it opposes, some principles or rea- 
sonings which it never adopted. In this case the majority of the 
judicatory may with propriety appoint a committee to draw up an 
answer to the protest, which, after being adopted as the act of the 
judicatory, ought to be inserted on the records. 

1. No Answer deemed Necessary when the Assumptions have 

been Refuted. 

The Committee appointed to answer the protest against the proceedings 
of the General Assembly on the " memorial complaining of sundry 
grievances abroad in the Church," made the following report, which was 
adopted, viz. : 

That after a due consideration of the whole subject, and believing the 
protest to be founded on assumptions which were fully refuted and proved 
untenable in the course of a long and thorough discussion of the several 
resolutions adopted, they deem it inexpedient for the Assembly to assign 
any further reasons for the course pursued in relation to the above memo- 
rial.— 1834, p. 450. 

2. The Answer Denies the Imputations of the Protest. 

The Assembly deems the following a sufficient answer to the protest 
against the action of the Assembly upon matters connected with the 
"Declaration and Testimony." 

1. It is apparent upon the face of the protest, that its signers deeply 
sympathize in principle, spirit and action, with the signers of the said 
" Declaration and Testimony," in opposition to the General Assembly. 

2. The paper imputes to the Assembly, in several particulars, that 
which does not appear from anything contained in its action in the case ; 
but the Assembly is disposed to pass over this infirmity, and the disre- 
spectful language employed in the protest, attributing these to an appa- 
rent inability, on the part of these brethren, to divest themselves wholly 
of prejudices which have grown out of the unhappy contest in which the 
country and the Church have been engaged during the last several years. 
—1867, p. 365, O. S. 

[See Minutes, passim, and above, chap, vii., sec. ii., sub-sec. i., a, b ; also 
chap, vii., sec. iii., sub-sec. iii., 7 ; also chap, vii., sec. iv., sub-sec. ii., 6 ; 
also below, chap, ix., sec. v. In many cases the Assembly's answer to a 
protest contains the fullest explication of its sentiments. See above, 
Form of Government, chap, i., sees, i.-viii., 26, 6.] 

VI. When, in such a case, the answer of the majority is brought 
in, those who entered their protest may be of the opinion that fidel- 
ity to their cause calls upon them to make a reply to the answer. 
This, however, ought by no means to be admitted ; as the majority 
might, of course, rejoin, and litigation might be perpetuated, to the 
great inconvenience and disgrace of the judicatory. 



NEW TESTIMONY. 6U 

VII. When, however, those who have protested, consider the an- 
swer of the majority as imputing to them opinions or conduct which 
they disavow ; the proper course is to ask leave to take back their 
protest, and modify it in such manner as to render it more agreeable 
to their views. This alteration may lead to a corresponding altera- 
tion in the answer of the majority; with which the whole affair ought 
to terminate. 

"VIII. None can join in a protest against a decision of any judica- 
tory, excepting those w r ho had a right to vote in said decision. 

1. Protest •will not be Received from those not Members of the 

Body. 

A paper of the nature of a protest was offered by the Rev. "W. G. 
Craig from persons not members of the Assembly, which was read, and on 
motion, returned to Mr. Craig. — 1867, p. 359, O. S. 

2. A Protest can be Brought only by the Minority of a Judica- 
tory Itself. 

The Committee on Minutes of the Synod of Sandusky report that they 
have examined these records, and find them correct, and recommend their 
approval, except that the Synod has entered upon its minutes, on page 75, 
a "formal protest" against the action of the last General Assembly. 

Your Committee judge that remonstrance or complaint, for the reopen- 
ing of a question, may be made by an inferior judicatory to a superior: 
but that protest against the action of the General Assembly can be made 
only by a minority of the body itself. — 1864, p. 307, O. S. 



CHAPTER IX. 
NEW TESTIMONY. 



I. If, after a trial before any judicatory, new testimony be discov- 
ered, which is supposed to be highly important to the exculpation of 
the accused, it is proper for him to ask, and for the judicatory to 
grant, a new trial. 
1. New Trial may be had on the Allegation of New Testimony. 

a. That as new evidence, apparently of an important kind, has been 
alleged iu this case since the decision of the Synod, it is proper that a new 
trial be instituted thereon. — 1793, p. 68. 

b. Resolved, That as only one of the parties in this case is present, this 
General Assembly do not consider themselves as placed in circumstances 
which admit of their reconsidering the decision of last Assembly on Mr. 
Hindman's appeal from the Synod of Philadelphia, even if the existence 
of new evidence were ever so unquestionable. 

Resolved, also, That it is the well-known privilege of Mr. Hindman, if 



612 OF DISCIPLINE. 

he consider himself as having new evidence to offer in this case, to apply 
to the Presbytery for a new trial upon that new evidence. — 1811, p. 479. 

c. The Judicial Committee reported on the appeal of John Ward from 
a decision of the Synod of Genesee, that on the ground of new testimony 
the appellant be directed to apply to the church of Bergen for a new trial. 
The report was adopted.— 1829, p. 266; also 1841, p. 307, 0. S. 

2. New Trial after a Lapse of Years. 

1. Our Book of Discipline, chap, ix., sec. i., provides that if after a trial 
before any judicatory, new testimony be discovered which is supposed to 
be highly important to the exculpation of the accused, it is proper for him 
to ask, and for the judicatory to grant, a new trial. 

2. It is very conceivable that after a lapse of five or six years, the 
sentence of an ecclesiastical court which was originally considered as 
just aud wise, although no new testimony strictly speaking has appeared, 
may in the view of the Church appear under an aspect equivalent to new 
testimony, and calling for reconsideration, yet 

3. Inasmuch as the frequent reconsideration of cases adjudged by the 
inferior judicatories, without the appearance of new testimony, admits of 
great and mischievous abuse, and might lead to an endless recurrence of 
reviews and reversals of former decisions, in the absence of a majority of 
the court pronouncing the same ; it is evidently more regular, safe and for 
edification, when a review of a decision, without the disclosure of new 
testimony, is thought desirable, to refer the case to the next higher judi- 
catory.— 1833, p. 405. 

3. If the Court Refuse to Grant a New Trial upon the Allegation 
of New Testimony, a Complaint may Lie. 

a. A complaint from Mr. Francis Hindman against the Presbytery of 
New Castle, for not granting him a new trial in his case, agreeably to the 
resolution of last Assembly, having been put into the hands of the mode- 
rator, was read, together with several papers accompanying it [and referred 
to a Committee], who were authorized to call for other papers and to cite 
witnesses if they deem it necessary, and were directed to report to the 
Assembly the result of their attention to the subject. — 1812, p. 496. 

b. The Committee to which the complaint of Mr. Hindman against the 
Presbytery of New Castle, had been referred, reported, and the report 
being read, was adopted, and is as follows, viz.: 

That having carefully examined the papers committed to them, and 
having heard Mr. Hindman in his own case, as also a member of the 
Presbytery of New Castle in explanation of their conduct, they find no 
cause of complaint against said Presbytery in their treatment of Mr. 
Hindman.— 1812, p. 504. 

4. Appeal remitted for New Trial on New Testimony. 

The business left unfinished yesterday, viz., the consideration of the 
appeal of Mr. Todd, from the decision of the Synod of Kentucky, affirm- 
ing a decision of the Presbytery of Transylvania, by which decision Mr. 
Todd was deposed from the gospel ministry, was taken up, and after con- 
siderable discussion of the subject of the appeal, the following resolution 
was adopted, viz. : 

The Assembly having heard the documents in this case, were of opin- 
ion, that the way is not clear, at present, for the reversal of the sentence 



NEW TESTIMONY. 613 

of suspension ; but as it appears to the Assembly, that Mr. Todd's opin- 
ions have not been perfectly understood ; and whereas there appears to 
have been some irregularity, as to the nature of the testimony admitted 
on the trial before the Presbytery ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the Presbytery of Transylvania be directed to reconsider 
the case of Mr. Todd ; to afford him another opportunity of explaining 
himself; and, if they should be satisfied, to restore him to his former 
standing.— 1817, p. 666. 

II. It sometimes happens, in the prosecution of appeals, that testi- 
mony, which had not been exhibited before the inferior judicatory, is 
represented to exist, and to be of considerable importance in the case. 

III. Representations of this kind ought not to be lightly, or of 
course, sustained. But the superior judicatory ought to be well sa is- 
fied, that the alleged testimony is of real importance, before they de- 
termine to put the inferior judicatory to the trouble of a new trial. 

The Judicial Committee reported on the appeal of John Ward, from a 
decision of the Synod of Genesee ; that having duly considered the case, 
they recommend, that on the ground of new testimony, the appellant be 
directed to apply to the church of Bergen for a new trial. The above re- 
port was adopted. — 1829, p. 266. 

IV. When such testimony, therefore, is alleged to exist, either by 
the appellant, or the judicatory appealed from, it will be proper for 
the superior judicatory to inquire into the nature and import of the 
testimony; what is intended to be proved by it; and, whether there 
is any probability that it will really establish the point intended to be 
established. 

V. If it appear that the fact proposed to be established by the new 
testimony is important; that is, if it appear to be such a fact as, if 
proved, would materially alter the aspect of the cause ; and if there 
be any probability that the testimony in question will be sufficient to 
establish the alleged fact, then the superior judicatory ought to send 
the cause back to the inferior for a new trial. 

a. In the case of Bev. Geo. Sheldon (see Directory for Worship, chap. 
xi., sec. in.), the Assembly sustained the inferior courts, and in answer to 
a protest, reply — 

1. The action of the Presbytery in the case was irregular, only techni- 
cally, and not in such a sense as to vitiate the substantial justice of the 
result. The case had been on trial during a period of some three years, 
and ample opportunity had been given in this period for the accused to 
defend himself. 

2. Although it is asserted, that only extracts from Mr. Sheldon's letters 
were admitted in evidence, yet it appears that one letter, and the most 
important one, is given in full ; that the extracts from the other letters 
are undisputed, and that these fairly and clearly present the truth in the 
case. 

3. As to the alleged new evidence, it appears that it was before the 



614 OF DISCIPLINE. 

Judicial Committee of the Presbytery, and read in full before the Synod, 
and was unanimously decided by these judicatories to be no ground for 
reopening the case; and it also appears, that this testimony is wholly ir- 
reconcilable with statements made by Mr. Sheldon in the letters above 
referred to. 

4. Inasmuch as the Assembly, after a full hearing of the case, by a 
vote of more than two-thirds, decided that there have been no material 
deviations from the rules of the Book of Discipline for conducting ju- 
dicial cases, it is deemed unnecessary, at this late hour of their sessions, 
to reply further to the allegations of the protestants. — 1858, p. 609, N. S. 

b. The Committee to which the complaint of Mr. Hindman, against the 
Presbytery of New Castle, had been referred (see chap, ix., i.), reported, 
and the report being read, was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

That having carefully examined the papers committed to them, and 
having heard Mr. Hindman in his own case, as also a member of the 
Presbytery of New Castle, in explanation of their conduct, they find no 
cause of complaint against said Presbytery in their treatment of Mr. 
Hindman.— 1812, p. 504. 

c. Rev. L. R. Lockwood asks that the Assembly direct the Presbytery 
of Dubuque to grant him a new trial, on the ground of new testimony. 

The Committee recommend that this application be referred to the Pres- 
bytery of Dubuque, to the end that if the new testimony be found of suf- 
ficient importance to justify, that Presbytery may afford Mr. Lockwood 
the relief he asks. But if, in their judgment, a new trial ought not to be 
granted, that then the appeal shall stand for trial on the record as now 
existing, before the next General Assembly. 

The report was adopted. — 1866, p. 72, O. S. 

[See under chap, vii., sec. iii., sub-sec. v.] 

d. On Examining the New Testimony, the Decision Affirmed. 

The consideration of Mr. Gwinn's appeal from the decision of the Synod 
of Pittsburg was resumed ; and after considerable discussion the following 
decision in the case was adopted. 

The Assembly, having carefully heard and considered the appeal of Mr. 
Andrew Gwinn from a decision of the Synod of Pittsburg affirming the 
judgment of the Presbytery of Ohio, adopted the following resolution, 
viz.: That whereas, in the judgment of this Assembly, it does not appear 
that the new testimony offered by Mr. Gwinn has in any important point 
changed the aspect of his case : therefore resolved, that the decision of the 
Synod in his case be affirmed. — 1823, p. 90. 

VI. Cases may arise, however, in which the judicatory appealed 
from, and the appellant, may concur in requesting the superior judi- 
catory to take up and issue the appeal, with the additional light which 
the new evidence may afford. In this case, and especially if very 
serious injury is likely to happen, either to the appellant, or to the 
church, by the delay which a new trial would occasion, the superior ju- 
dicatory may proceed to hear the new testimony, and to issue the appeal, 
with the aid of the additional light which that testimony may afford. 

The Judicial Committee in the case of the complaint of Rev. James 
Smylie, from a decision of the Presbytery of Louisiana, in the case of the 
Rev. Dr. Scott, recommended the following, which was adopted: 



NEW TESTIMONY. 615 

There are three ways in which this complaint might be disposed of: 

1. The Assembly might take it up, wade through the testimony, receive 
the new testimony, that, it is understood, the complainant wishes to offer, 
to decide the case. But against this course, besides other difficulties, it 
may be mentioned as a very serious one, that the bare reading of the rec- 
ords of the Presbytery would consume four or five days. 

2. Another mode might be adopted, by referring the case for reconsid- 
eration to the Presbytery of Louisiana, who might be directed to take any 
new testimony that should be properly offered. 

3. Or the General Assembly might remand the case to the Synod of 
Mississippi, to hear the complaint, and dispose of it in a regular and con- 
stitutional manner. This, it is deemed, would be the wisest course. 

But, were either of these modes adopted, it would require a great con- 
sumption of time, and subject the judicature that might adjudicate on the 
case to great inconvenience, and no inconsiderable expense; and instead 
of resulting in practical good, might produce great excitement and conse- 
quences injurious to the peace and edification of an important section of 
our Church. The testimony is so voluminous, that to form a correct judg- 
ment on it, would require a retentive memory, patient attention, diligent 
comparison of its several parts, as well as a discriminating mind. It is to 
be regretted that the Presbytery sanctioned by their authority the publi- 
cation of the speeches on both sides of the question. 

The Committee after carefully deliberating on the subject were unani- 
mously of the opinion, that if the case could be disposed of, consistently 
with the rights of Mr. Smylie, without remanding it to either of the in- 
ferior courts, and without the Assembly's adjudicating on it, all the ends 
of justice would be gained, and the peace of the church would be pro- 
moted. They therefore invited Mr. Smylie to a friendly interview, in 
which they expressed their opinion, and he stated his views. He did not 
concur with the Committee in regard to the probable consequences of the 
case being remanded to the Synod or the Presbytery ; and stated that in 
prosecuting his complaint he was influenced by no personal feelings against 
Dr. Scott, but by a desire that truth might be sustained, justice done to 
all concerned, and the Constitution of our Church upheld ; but if the 
Committee would, without his concurrence, assume the responsibility of 
recommending to the General Assembly to terminate the case without 
any further trial, and the Assembly should determine to adopt this as 
the wisest way of terminating it, he would submit, and feel that he had 
discharged a duty, which, while it was troublesome and painful, had put 
him to no inconsiderable expense. 

It is due to the Rev. Mr. Smylie to say, that the Committee believe, that 
in prosecuting his complaint, he has been prompted by a sense of duty and 
a regard to the Constitution of our Church, and governed by what he 
deemed its purity and best interests required. 

The Committee recommend to the Assembly the adoption of the follow- 
ing resolution : 

Resolved, That in view of the representation of the case given in the 
above statement by the Judicial Committee, of the voluminous nature of 
the testimony, and of the difficulties attending the case, and believing that 
the interests of the Church will be best promoted by adopting the course 
recommended by the Committee, and being willing to assume the respon- 
sibility of acting accordingly, this General Assembly do hereby termi- 
nate this unhappy case without anv further judicial trial. — 1847, p. 385, 
O. S. 



616 OF DISCIPLINE. 

VII. When, however, the judgment of the inferior judicatory is 
reversed ; and it is apparent that the new testimony had considerable 
influence in procuring the reversal; it ought to be so stated in the de- 
cision of the superior judicatory; inasmuch as it would.be injustice to 
the inferior judicatory to reverse their decision, upon grounds which 
were never before them, without explaining the fact. 



CHAPTER X. 

JURISDICTION. 



I. When a member shall be dismissed from one church, with a 
view to his joining another, if he commit an offence previous to his 
joining the latter, he shall be considered as under the jurisdiction of 
the church which dismissed him, and amenable to it, up to the time 
when he actually becomes connected with that to which he was dis- 
missed and recommended. 

[For the jurisdiction of the session over members non-resident, see under 
Book of Discipline, chap, xi., sec. hi., a, b, c. Over licentiates, see Form 
of Government, chap, xiv., sec. xi.] 

1. A Suspended Member may not be Received by another Church. 
If Received without Knowledge of the Facts, his name to be 
Stricken from the Roll. 

Overture from certain members of the Presbytery of Madison : 

We desire to make the following statement and inquiries : 

A person is (we will suppose) under suspension in one of our own 
churches. He removes, and unites, on examination, with another of our 
churches, the session of the latter one being wholly ignorant of his former 
membership, and, of course, of his suspension. The facts are, however, 
afterward discovered. 

Would this discovery, of itself, vitiate his second membership, and leave 
him simply a suspended member of the former church? 

Would unworthiness for church membership, clearly manifested, while 
in the latter church, and before said discovery, rightfully add any efficacy 
toward producing this result? 

To the first of the above questions the Committee recommend an answer 
in the affirmative; to the second, if the question mean whether the session 
of the second church has jurisdiction in the case of unworthiness mani- 
fested in the second relation, the Committee recommend an answer in the 
negative; but if the question mean whether the unworthinesses manifested 
in the second relation be proper ground of separate process by the session 
of the first church, the Committee recommend an answer in the affirma- 
tive. In respect to the whole case, the Committee agree in the statement 
following : 

The person, uniting with the second church on examination, unites de- 



JURISDICTION. 617 

ceptively. So soon as the facts in the ease are ascertained by the session 
of this second church, the proper order of procedure is, for this session, 
after conference with the accused person, to strike his name from their 
roll of church members as not under their jurisdiction, to communicate 
their action to the session suspending him, with the reasons for. it, and to 
request the said session to proceed against him, on separate process, for 
duplicity and disorder. 

The reply of the Committee was adopted. — 1866, p. 269, N. S. 

2. A Letter of Dismission takes Effect as soon as Granted, so far 
as Rights and Privileges are Concerned. 

a. A letter of dismission, whether issued to a ruling elder or private 
member, terminates the relations of the person dismissed with the church 
giving the letter, except so far as said church is responsible for its watch 
and care over him during the period of transition. 

b. These rights and privileges can be regained in that church by return- 
ing the letters of dismission to the authority which gave them. 

c. These rights and privileges can be secured in any other church within 
the jurisdiction of this General Assembly, by virtue of such certificates, 
provided the)' are presented to the session thereof within one year from 
their date ; and, until they are presented, such persons are amenable to 
the church from which the certificates were received. — 1867, p. 512, N. S. 

3. Members of an Extinct Church. Amenable to Presbytery. 

A church has been dissolved by the Presbytery, letters having been 
given the members to unite with any Evangelical Church where God may, 
in his providence, cast their lot. 

One of these members holds such a letter more than eighteen months 
old, not having used said letter. Is such a member amenable to the Pres- 
bytery, and is the Presbytery under obligation to receive, entertain, and 
pass upon a complaint entered against such party, holding said letter? 

The Committee recommend that this overture be answered in the affirm- 
ative, on the following grounds : 

1. That every church member is amenable to some appropriate tribunal, 
and that, in the case specified in the overture, this tribunal must be the 
Presbytery. 

2. That every member of a church continues to be amenable to that 
church, until he becomes regularly connected with another. — 1869, p. 266, 
N.S. 

II. The same principle applies to a minister, who is always to be 
considered as remaining under the jurisdiction of the Presbytery 
which dismissed him, until he actually becomes a member of 
another. 

1. Jurisdiction over a deposed Minister is in the Presbytery which 

Deposed him, 

a. The Presbytery of Des Moines deposed Kev. James H. Shields from 
the ministry. Subsequently, Mr. Shields applied for restoration, to the 
Presbytery of Keokuk, within whose bounds he resided at the time of his 
application. 

The Committee on Polity also reported Paper No. 2. An overture from 



618 OF DISCIPLINE. 

the Presbytery of Keokuk, asking if they have jurisdiction over the case 
of James H. Shields, deposed by the Presbytery of Des Moines. 

The Committee recommended to the Assembly, that the question submit- 
ted by the Presbytery of Keokuk be answered in the negative ; and the 
recommendation was adopted. — 1859, p. 18, N. S. 

b. In the case of Rev. Michael Hummer, deposed by the Presbytery of 
Iowa, and restored by the Presbytery of Highland, the Assembly declare 
it irregular and unconstitutional for any Presbytery to receive and restore 
a member of another Presbytery who has been deposed. — 1862, p. 608, 
O. S. 

See under Form of Government, chap, x., sec. viii. 

2. "Where a Minister is Deposed, the Name should not be form- 
ally stricken from the Roll until the Proceedings are finally 
Issued. 

The other paper is an inquiry, proposed to the Assembly by Fisk Har- 
mon, of Swede Point, Iow T a, respecting a case of discipline which has oc- 
curred in what he calls the Presbytery of D . A minister is said, to 

have been deposed, and the sentence of deposition to have been pro- 
nounced, but his name was not ordered to be stricken from the roll. The 
clerk, however, assumed the responsibility of erasing his name ; and when 
the case was appealed to the Synod, and remanded by it to the Presbytery 
that new evidence might be presented by the appellant, and the deposed 
minister demanded that his name might be replaced on the roll before the 
Presbytery proceeded to the reception of the evidence, he was informed 
by the moderator that his name did not belong there. The inquiry is : 
" Can this new sentence of striking the name of the deposed minister from 
the roll be constitutionally inflicted without a new and regular trial ?" 

The Committee recommend the following reply: 

As the name of every minister under trial must be properly on the roll of 
some Presbytery, it should not be finally erased until the completion of all 
the ecclesiastical proceedings connected with the case. In the present in- 
stance, the Assembly decide that the name of the minister referred to 
should be restored to the roll of the Presbytery, and retained until the 
case has been finally disposed of. — 1869, p. 270, N. S. 

3. A suspended Minister is under the Jurisdiction of the Presby- 
tery which suspended him. — When Sentence has been Reversed 
for Informality, if Process is not commenced in Six Months, a 
Dismission in Good Standing may be claimed. 

Mr. Bell had been suspended, and took an appeal to the Assembly, 
which was sustained. 

The Committee appointed to prepare a minute expressive of the sense 
of the Assembly concerning the appeal of Joseph E. Bell, reported the 
following resolutions, which were adopted, viz. : 

1. Resolved, That in the judgment of the Assembly, Mr. Bell was, and 
still continues to be, fully amenable to the Presbytery of Concord. 

2. That while the Assembly do not wish to protect the guilty, they do 
judge that great caution, deliberation, and as far as may be, the rules of 
discipline, where ministerial character is impeached, ought to be strictly 
observed, and that in this case the informality was exceptionable. 

3. That if it be deemed necessary for the good of religion, and the 
honor of the ministerial character, the Presbytery of Concord are en- 
tirely competent to commence a new trial. Or if Mr. Bell shall desire 
for his own sake a new trial, the door is still open. 



JURISDICTION. 619 

4. That in the mean time Mr. Bell's ministerial character shall be 
considered regular ; and if no process shall be commenced by either 
party within the space of six months, from the 1st of June next, then 
Mr. Bell may claim from the Presbtery of Concord, a dismission declar- 
ing him to be in regular standing. — 1828, pp. 240, 241. 

4. A Minister holding a Letter of Dismission is a Member of the 
Presbytery Dismissing him until received by another Body. 

[Overture to the Synod of Ohio. When a member of Presbytery has 
taken a letter to join another Presbytery or association, what relation does 
he sustain to, and what rights and privileges has he in, the Presbytery 
from which he received the letter, during the time that intervenes be- 
tween receiving the letter and uniting with that other Presbytery or con- 
sociation ? 

Answer by the Synod of Ohio. It is often a fact that dismissions are 
granted during the sessions of a Presbytery, to take effect at its close. 
This fact decides that in all ordinary cases all the rights and privileges of 
an individual in a Presbytery, cease the moment his request for a dismis- 
sion is granted. He may, however, at any time before he has used it, re- 
turn his letter, and then claim all his former rights and privileges ; but 
until he has used his letter, he is amenable to the Presbytery. See Form 
of Government, chap, x., sees. 1, 2. — Minutes, Synod of Ohio, p. 225.] 

The Committee on the Records of the Synod of Ohio, recommend their 
adoption, except 

That the answer to the question above should be, " He is a member of 
the Presbytery until received by another body." Adopted. — 1860, p. 
239, K.S. 

5. The Privileges of Membership cease with the Granting of the 

Letter. 

The established rule of the Presbyterian Church, in relation to the dis- 
mission of a minister from his Presbytery, is, " that, in all ordinary cases, 
all the rights and privileges of an individual in a Presbytery cease when, 
at his request, his dismission is granted." 

He may, however, within any reasonable time before he has used his 
letter of dismission, return it to the Presbytery, and then claim all his 
former rights and privileges ; but, until he has used his letter, he is amen- 
able to the Presbytery which has dismissed him. See Digest, chap, v., 
sec. ii., sub-sec. viii. — 1867, p. 512, IN". S. 

6. While a Minister is in transitu he is a Member of the Presby- 
tery which gave him his Letter. 

Overture No. 5, from the Presbytery of Marion, as follows: 

A minister receives a dismission to unite with a distant Presbytery, 
and travels in the region indicated, but does not remove his family/ Af- 
ter an absence of months, perhaps of more than a year, he returns to the 
residence of his family. During his absence, however, the Synod sots oh 1 ' 
" all the ministers " of his Presbytery " residing north of the south line " 
of his county to form part of a new Presbytery. Holding the original 
certificate, to which Presbytery does he belong, and in case of the neces- 
sity of process for unministerial conduct, which Presbvtery is bound to 
proceed in his case?— 1864, p. 314, O. S. 

It was 

Resolved, That the minister in question be held to belong to the Pres- 
bytery which granted him the certificate.— 1864, p. 314, O. S. 



620 OF DISCIPLINE. 



7. Ministers withdrawing- from Presbytery Irregularly to be 
Stricken from the Roll. 

a. Overture No. 5, viz. : A reference from the Presbytery of Chenango, 
asking advice in the case of the Rev. Edward Andrews, a member of their 
body, who has recently withdrawn and received Episcopal ordination, 
was taken up and committed to Mr. Crothers, Mr. Weed, and Mr. Far- 
rand.— 1828, p. 239. 

The Committee on the reference from the Chenango Presbytery, in the 
case of the Rev. Edward Andrews, made the following report, which was 
adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, as the sense of this Assembly, that though the conduct of 
Mr. Andrews was disorderly, it be recommended to the Presbytery to do 
nothing further in the case than simply to strike his name from the list 
of their members.— 1828, p. 240. 

b. The Committee on Overture No. 2, viz., a reference for advice from 
the Presbytery of St. Lawrence, reported the following resolution as a 
suitable answer to be given in the case, which was adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, That when a minister otherwise in good standing gives 
notice, in form, to the Presbytery to Avhich he belongs, that he renounces 
the fellowship of the Presbyterian Church, or by neglecting to attend the 
meetings of its judicatories, after being dealt with for such neglect, gives 
evidence that he has done so in fact, his name ought to be struck from the 
roll of membership, a notice of this procedure communicated to the dis- 
owned member, and, if necessary, published to the Church. The congre- 
gation under the care of such minister ought to be held as still under the 
care of Presbytery, unless they give evidence that they also have with- 
drawn, in which case their name ought also to be struck from the list of 
congregations belonging to the Presbytery. — 1830, p. 305. 

c. Overture No. 5, from the Second Presbytery of New York, asking 
the direction of the Assembly as to the action to be taken by Presbytery 
in the case of a member, who, without previous conference with his co- 
presbyters, or without receiving a certificate of dismission, leaves the 
Presbytery, and abandons the ministry of the Presbyterian Church. The 
Committee recommend to the Assembly the adoption of the following 
resolution as an answer to the request of the Presbytery : 

Resolved, That in such cases as that presented in the overture, the 
Presbytery ought simply to erase the name of the minister from the roll, 
provided he leaves the Church without being chargeable with funda- 
mental error in doctrine, or immorality of life. Adopted. — 1854, p. 17, 
O. S. 

8. Such must Heturn to the Body from which they withdrew 
to be Restored. 

See case of David Austin, under Form of Government, chap, x., sec. 
viii., 35. 

III. If, however, either a minister, or a private member, shall be 
charged with a crime which appears to have been committed during 
the interval between the date of his dismission, and his actually join- 
ing the new body, but which did not come to light until after he had 
joined the new body, that body shall be empowered and bound to 
conduct the process against him. 



JURISDICTION. 621 



1. If the Presbytery Dismissing- have become Extinct, the Presby- 
tery to which One Charged, as Above, Comes may Refuse to 
Receive Him ; in that Case, the Jurisdiction is in the Syr.od. 

See Form of Government, chap, x., sec. viii. 17. 

2. Reception of a Member on a Qualified Letter is Void. 
See Form of Government, chap, x., sec. viii. 21. 

3. Jurisdiction over One Charged -with Crime is in that Presby- 
tery of -which he was a Member when the Alleged Offence was 
Committed. 

Overture No. 25, from the Presbytery of New Castle, asking the Gene- 
ral Assembly to determine, whether that Presbytery, or the Presbytery 
of Cleveland, has jurisdiction of Rev. J. F. Severance. The facts in the 
case, appearing in the overture, are as follows : Mr. Severance was a mem- 
ber of the Presbytery of Wilmington (which was succeeded by the Pres- 
bytery of New Castle), but left the bounds of that Presbytery in 1868. 
In 1870, he was within the bounds of the Presbytery of Cleveland ; and, 
after the reconstruction, twice sat in the Presbytery of Cleveland as a cor- 
responding member from the Presbytery of New Castle. In September, 
1871, he was received a member of the Presbytery of Cleveland, under 
the operation of Principle 5, adopted by the Assembly for the purpose of 
reconstruction. 

Before the Presbytery of Cleveland adjourned the sessions at which 
Mr. Severance was received, that Presbytery obtained information, that 
rumors affecting the Christian character of Mr. Severance had come to 
the knowledge of the Presbytery of New Castle, and said Presbytery had 
appointed a Committee, to inquire into the facts, and correspond with Mr. 
Severance in regard to them ; and this Committee had not been discharged, 
when Mr. Severance was received by the Presbytery of Cleveland. After 
the Presbytery of Cleveland had received this information from the Pres- 
bytery of New Castle, they reconsidered their action receiving Mr. Sever- 
ance, and declared said action null and void. The question is, To which 
Presbytery does Mr. Severance belong? The Committee recommend the 
following answer : . . . 

The following was adopted as a substitute for the report of the Com- 
mittee : 

Resolved, That the Rev. J. F. Severance be declared to be a member 
of the Presbytery of New Castle, having been a member of the Presby- 
tery of Wilmington, previous to the reunion. — 1872, p. 72. 

4. The Presbytery within whose Bounds an Offence is Committed 
fulfills its Duty in Notifying the Presbytery to which the Of- 
fender Belongs. 

When it is alleged that a minister has committed an offence in the 
bounds of a Presbytery of which he is not a member, the Presbytery in 
the bounds of which it is alleged the offence was committed, has performed 
its entire duty in the premises when it notifies the Presbytery to which 
he belongs, of the allegation and the grounds on which the allegation is 
based. 

The report was adopted.— 1869, p, 922, O. S. 



622 OF DISCIPLINE. 

IV. No Presbytery shall dismiss a minister, or licentiate, or can- 
didate for licensure, without specifying the particular Presbytery, or 
other ecclesiastical body, with which he is to be connected. 

1. Presbytery must Specify the Body to which a Member is Dis- 
missed. 

Resolved, That, whereas it is a fundamental principle of the govern- 
ment and discipline of the Presbyterian Church, that every minister of 
the gospel belonging to it be subject, at all times, to his brethren in the 
Lord, and accountable to them for the orthodoxy of his principles, and 
for his moral, religious, and orderly deportment ; it is therefore, 

Ordered, That every Presbytery under the care of this Assembly, when- 
ever they dismiss a member, be careful particularly to specify with what 
Presbytery, association, or classis, or other religious body, he is to be asso- 
ciated after his dismission (to which some of the Presbyteries do not ap- 
pear to have been sufficiently attentive) ; and that every member so dis- 
missed be, in all cases, considered as amenable to the Presbytery which 
has dismissed him till he shall become connected with the ecclesiastical 
body which he shall have been directed to join. — 1806, p. 351. 

2. The Dismission may not be by a Standing Committee. 
See Form of Government, chap, x., sec. viii. 23. 



CHAPTER XI. 

LIMITATION OF TIME. 



I. When any member shall remove from one congregation to 
another, he shall produce satisfactory testimonials of his church 
membership and dismission, before he be admitted as a regular mem- 
ber of that church ; unless the church to which he removes has other 
satisfactory means of information. 

1. A Certificate of Dismission should be Required. 

Nor can the Assembly forbear to regret that the session of the church 
of Chillicothe had not acted in a more formal manner in receiving Mr. 
McCalla, and had not required a regular certificate of dismission from the 
church to which Mr. McCalla belonged before they received him. — 1821, 
p. 21. 

2. To Receive Members of Churches of our own Connection with- 
out a Certificate is Irregular. 

The same Committee reported an overture, asking if it be in accord- 
ance with ecclesiastical law, and order in the Church, to receive members 
of another church who have not been regularly dismissed, with a view to 
such change of relation. 

The Committee recommended that, so far as churches in our own con- 



LIMITATION OF TIME. 623 

nectiou are concerned, the question be answered in the negative, and refer 
to the Book of Discipline, chap, xi., sec. i. 
The report was adopted. — 1868, p. 58, N. S. 

3. Dismission to Join another Denomination. 

a. Resolved, That in all cases where members of any of our churches 
apply for dismission to unite with a Church of another denomination, the 
proper course is to give a certificate of Christian character only. — 1839, 
p. 177, O. S. 

b. The Presbytery of Hudson requesting that this rule be rescinded, 
the Assembly replied : 

The Presbytery of Hudson has misapprehended the spirit and scope of 
the resolution in question. It is neither a censure on the individuals, nor 
the churches to which they seek to be dismissed, but sets forth the only 
fact which it is important that those churches should know. — 1848, p. 22, 
O. S. 

4. The Form of Dismission to other Denominations left to the 
Discretion of the Session. 

Shall members of our churches, who may wish to join churches not in 
correspondence with the General Assembly, receive certificates in the same 
form as if they wished to join another church, in our communion, or in 
correspondence with the Assembly; or has the church session done all 
that it ought to do, when in such cases the good and regular standing of 
the persons so applying is duly certified ? 

On motion, the answer recommended by the Committee was laid on the 
table, and the following, after amendment, was adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, That this whole subject is one that ought to be left to the 
sound discretion of the various church sessions, according to the Constitu- 
tion of the Presbyterian Church. — 1851, p. 28, O. S. 

[See Discipline, chap, i., sec. iii., 12, a.] 

5. The Dismission may be Indefinite. 

Is it regular in any case for a church session to dismiss a member with- 
out specifying the particular church with which he is to be connected ? 

At the recommendation of the Committee, the question was answered 
in the affirmative.— 1853, p. 444, O. S. 

6. Dismission of a Suspended Member. 

Is it orderly in any case to dismiss to another church a suspended mem- 
ber, stating the case, and submitting it to the session to which he has 
removed ? 

It may be orderly in circumstances of necessity arising from removal to 
an inconvenient distance, provided that in no instance the session to which he 
be dismissed be allowed to review or rejudge the case. — 1849, p. 239, O. S. 

7. A Suspended Person being Restored by the Superior Courts 
may Claim Dismission in Good Standing. 

a. In regard to the complaint of Mr. Dobbins, against the session of the 
church of Augusta, for receiving members suspended by the session of the 
church of Smyrna, the Assembly are of opinion that both sessions acted 
unconstitutionally: the session of Smyrna in suspending said members, 
and the session of Augusta in receiving thera when suspended. Therefore, 



624 OF DISCIPLINE. 

Resolved, That the appeal, on this complaint, be and it is hereby sus- 
tained ; and the members in question are hereby declared to be still mem- 
bers in good standing in the church of Smyrna; and the session of the 
church of Smyrna are hereby directed to dismiss said members if they still 
desire it, that they ma)- regularly connect themselves with the church of 
Augusta.— 1824, p. 124. 

b. Resolved, That the Presbytery of Nashville having fully exonerated 
the appellant from all blame in the matters respecting which he was 
charged before the session of the church at Clarksville, his character is 
unimpeached, and that he is now, and ever has been since the action of 
the Presbytery in his case, entitled to a dismission from the church at 
Clarksville, whenever applied for, in order to connect himself with any 
church in the vicinity of his present residence. — 1849, p. 237, O. S. 

8. A Dismission may be Irregular, yet Valid. 

A memorial from individuals in the Presbytery of Concord, formerly 
under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Davies, asking the Assembly to 
determine whether they are to be considered members of the Prospect 
church, or whether their dismission from the church of Centre is to be 
considered null and void. The Committee recommended that the Assem- 
bly, while not approving of the haste and confusion with which their dis- 
mission was given, declare their actual connection with the church of 
Prospect now to be valid and regular. The recommendation was adopted. 
—1849, p. 266, O. S. 

9. Members Removing should be Furnished with Testimonials of 
Standing-, and should be Counseled to Transfer their Relations. 

Overture No. 36, from the Presbytery of Iowa, asking the Assembly to 
make it the duty of every church to give a letter of dismission to every 
member when removing to another locality where there is a Presbyterian 
church, etc. The following answer was adopted : 

The Committee recommends that it be enjoined upon the sessions of our 
churches, on the removal of any members beyond the boundaries of their 
own organizations, to furnish such members, whether in full communion 
or members by baptism only, with testimonials of their standing; which 
testimonials it shall be the duty of such persons at once to present to some 
church of our connection, and the sessions shall earnestly counsel these 
members to transfer their relation immediately, if practicable*, or at the 
earliest opportunity. 

Also, that in case but a single organization of our order is within reach 
of the parties so removed, the sessions having care of them shall transmit 
to that church session a copy of the testimonials foregoing ; if there be 
more than one such organization, then the parties transferred may elect to 
which organization these testimonials shall be sent. — 1869, p. 923, O. S. 

10. Churches Receiving Members by Letter should Notify the 
Church from which they come. 

Overture No. 1, from the Presbytery of Neosho, on the dismission of 
church members. 

The Committee recommend the following action : 

Resolved, That the General Assembly urge upon the sessions of churches 
the importance of giving to members who remove from them either letters 
of dismission and recommendation to a particular church, or, in case of 






LIMITATION OF TIME. 625 

uncertain destination, letters of credence, and that, on the reception of 
members from other churches, they notify immediately the church from 
which the member has been dismissed. And they also urge upon all our 
churches the use of the printed blanks for the dismission and reception of 
members furnished by our Board of Publication. — 1871, p. 587. 

II. No certificate of church-membership shall be considered as 
valid testimony of the good standing of the bearer, if it be more than 
one vear old, except where there has been no opportunity of present- 
ing it to a church. 

[It is not meant by this that a member may not be received on a cer- 
tificate as above, but that it leaves the matter to the discretion of the ses- 
sion, and makes inquiry into the circumstances a duty. A certificate is 
prima facia evidence of church membership. Its age may call in ques- 
tion the fidelity of the member. If satisfied, the session may receive him 
upon it,] 

III. 'When persons remove to a distance, and neglect, for a consid- 
erable time, to apply for testimonials of dismission and good standing, 
the testimonials given them shall testify to their character only up to 
the time of their removal, unless the judicatory have good informa- 
tion of a more recent date. 

1. The Standing of Members Absent and Unknown.— Such Absence 
without Certificate itself Censurable. — If "Willful, they should be 
Suspended. 

a. The Committee appointed on the overture from the Synod of New- 
Jersey, inquiring what a church session ought to do w T ith members in com- 
munion who have been absent for years without having taken a certificate 
of dismission, and whose place of residence is unknown, made a report, 
which, being read and amended, was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

That although this particular case is not provided for by a specific reg- 
ulation in our Book of Discipline, yet it is embraced by certain general 
principles, which are recognized in that book, and interwoven with many 
of its provisions. These principles, together with the result bearing on 
the case in question, the Committee beg leave most respectfully to state : 

1. Every church member is amenable to some appropriate tribunal, by 
the wisdom and fidelity of which, in case of his falling into any error, 
immoralitv or negligence, he may be dealt with according to the word of 
God. 

2. No member of a church can properly ever cease to be such but 
by death, exclusion, a regular dismission, or an orderly withdrawing 
to join some other Christian denomination; and must of necessity con- 
tinue to be amenable to that church until he becomes regularly connected 
with another. 

3. For a church member to withdraw from a use of his privileges as a 
member, either by irregularly connecting himself with another denomina- 
tion, or by going to a distant part of the world to reside for a number of 
years, without making known his removal to the church session, and ask- 
ing a certificate either of good standing, for the purpose of enjoying occa- 
sional communion elsewhere, or of dismission, to join some other church, 

79 



626 OF DISCIPLINE. 

is itself a censurable violation of the principles of church fellowship, and 
may infer suspension from its privileges. 

4. Church members, therefore, who have been absent for a number of 
years in unknown places, are by no means to have their names erased from 
the churches to which they respectively belong, but are to be held respon- 
sible to their respective churches ; and if they should ever return, or be 
heard from, are to be regularly dealt with according to the word of God and 
the principles of our Church; and although great caution and tenderness 
ought to be exercised toward those whose withdrawing from Christian 
privileges may be occasioned by the unavoidable dispensations of Provi- 
dence, without any material fault of their own, yet in all cases in which a 
church session has good reason to believe tfyat any of the church under 
their care have absented themselves with design, either from a disregard 
of Christian privilege or from a wish to escape from the inspection and 
discipline of the Church, they ought, without unnecessary delay, to declare 
such persons suspended from the privileges of the church until they give 
evidence of repentance and reformation, and of course, in making their 
statistical reports, ought to enumerate such among the members under 
suspension. — 1825, pp. 138, 139. 

b. A Session Sustained for Suspending Members for Absenting Themselves 
for Years without Certificate. 

The records of the Synod of New York and New Jersey were approved, 
with the exception of the action of the Synod (p. 381) in relation to the 
course of the Presbytery of North Kiver in the case of delinquent church 
members.— 1853, p. 323, N. S. 

[The record referred to is as follows, viz. : " The Committee on the Rec- 
ords of the Presbytery of North River reported, recommending that they 
be approved as far as written, with the following exception, viz.: On page 
18 the Presbytery refused to sustain the following exception to the records 
of the session of Freedom Plains, viz. : 

That several members of the church have been suspended by the session 
simply for having absented themselves for years, and having gone beyond 
the knowledge of the session without applying for certificates. The report 
was adopted. — Minutes of the Synod of New York and New Jersey.~\ 

In answer to a protest against the above, the Assembly reply : 

It is fully conceded and firmly maintained by the General Assembly 
that, in all cases where an offender can be reached by citation and brought 
to trial, it is the duty of the judicatory to which he is directly amenable, 
to proceed against him according to the process prescribed by the Book 
of Discipline. 

But the action complained of by the dissentients relates to a very dif- 
ferent class of cases. The individuals in question have absented them- 
selves from the church with which they are connected, and after diligent 
inquiry cannot be found. They are, therefore, beyond the reach of cita- 
tion. They cannot possibly be brought to trial. Shall the Church, in 
such cases, be responsible for them ? As they have placed themselves 
beyond the oversight of the Church, it is but reasonable that the Church 
should be permitted to secure itself against any reproach which might 
come upon it from the conduct of such absentees. 

In accordance with these principles, the Constitution of our Church 
makes provision (Book of Discipline, chap, xi.) for the case of absent 
church members. It relieves the Church from the responsibility of sus- 
taining a certificate of good standing when it has run on for more than 



LIMITATION OF TIME. 627 

one year. It implies that a church member may not absent himself a 
longer time from the ordinances, without a forfeiture of his good stand- 
ing. In those cases, therefore, where individuals have absented them- 
selves for years together, and after the most diligent inquiry cannot be 
found, it is but right that the session of the church to which they are 
amenable should make entry of the fact on their records, and declare 
such persons to have forfeited their good standing, until they return and 
account for their absence. Such was the judgment of the Assembly of 
1825, with which this Assembly perfectly accords. — 1853, p. 327, N. B. 

2. Such Members to be Entered on a Reserved Roll and not Re- 

ported in the Statistics. 

Overture No. 9, from the Presbytery of Cedar, asking the General As- 
sembly to authorize our church sessions to keep a reserved roll, upon 
which shall be entered the names of church members who have removed 
beyond their bounds without letters, and whose residence is unknown, and 
who shall not be reported in our statistical reports. 

The Committee recommend that this request be granted. 

The report was adopted ; and it was accordingly ordered, that sessions 
be so authorized. — 1856, p. 521, O. S. 

3. After Two Years of such Absence he is not to be Reported — 

Returning-, he is to be Called to Account. 

Also a report on Overture No. 20, which asks directions how church 
sessions ought to proceed with regard to members who have been absent 
several years without taking a dismission. They recommend that the 
overture be answered by saying : 

1. That members of the Church do not cease to be such except by 
death, dismission, excommunication, or by connecting themselves with 
some other Christian Church. And hence that a member does not lose 
his membership by absence. See Minutes of the General Assembly for 
1825, p. 255 ; Digest, p. 34. 

2. That when a member is absent two years and his place of residence 
and Christian life are unknown to the session, they shall mark him on the 
roll of the church as absent; after which time such member shall not be 
counted in the statistical report of the church to the Presbytery, nor in 
any action of the church or congregation which requires the concurrence 
of a majority of the church in order to give it validity. And on the 
return of such member the session shall call him before them and inquire 
concerning his deportment during his absence, and shall restore his name 
to the roll of actual members, or proceed to administer discipline accord- 
ing as the case may require. 

The report was adopted. — 1865, p. 590, O. S. 

IV. If a church member have been more than two years absent 
from the place of his ordinary residence and ecclesiastical connexions, 
if he apply for a certificate of membership, his absence, and the igno- 
rance of the church respecting his demeanor for that time, shall be 
distinctly stated in the certificate. 

See complaint of Rev. N. West against the Synod of New York, under 
Discipline, chap, i., sec. iii., 12, a. — 1864, p. 328, O. S. 



628 OF DISCIPLINE. 



1. Names of those Absent more than Two Years not to be Re- 
turned in Statistical Reports.— Absent Members Urged to Write 
where they Reside. 

Overture No. 34, from the Presbytery of Newark, requesting the As- 
sembly to propose an amendment to the Book of Discipline, chap, xi., sec. 
iv., providing for the cases of members who have been more than two 
years absent from their ecclesiastical connection ; also, No. 35, from the 
Presbytery of Cedar Rapids ; No. 36, from the Presbytery of Lackawanna ; 
and No. 37, from the Presbytery of Maumee ; all on the same general 
subject. 

The Committee recommend the following : That, while the Constitution 
of the Church provides for no demission of her members, or the striking 
off of names from her roll, save as the result of death or of excommu- 
nication, it may nevertheless be well for each church to record, on a sepa- 
rate list, the names of those who have been absent for more than two 
years from their church relations, and whose residence is unknown ; and 
names thus recorded may be omitted in the statistical returns of the 
church. 

It is further the sense of this Assembly, that great pains be taken by 
the sessions of the churches to ascertain the places of residence of absent 
.members, and encourage them to enter into church relations, if opportu- 
nity occurs, where they reside. Adopted. — 1872, p. 89. 



W-. Process, in case of scandal, shall commence within the space of 
one year after the crime shall have been committed ; unless it shall 
have recently become flagrant. It may happen, however, that a 
church member, after removing to a place far distant from his former 
residence, and where his connexion with the church is unknown, may 
commit a crime, on account of which process cannot be instituted 
within the time above specified. In all such cases, the recent discov- 
ery of the church membership of the individual, shall be considered 
as equivalent to the crime itself having recently become flagrant. 
The same principle also applies to ministers if similar circumstances 
should occur. 



1. Limitation not to be Plead against the Order of a Superior 

Court. 

[In a case carried by complaint to the Synod of Mississippi, the Synod 
•referred the whole matter back to the Presbytery. The Presbytery en- 
tered upon the case ; but, finding that two years had elapsed since the act 
was committed, declined to proceed further, on the ground of the limita- 
tion above.] The Assembly declared : 

That the Presbytery of Louisiana erred in pleading the limitation of 
time for their noncompliance with the resolution of Synod, referring this 
whole case to them for a full investigation. — 1850, p. 481, O. S. 



LIMITATION OF TIME. 629 



2. The Plea is Good where the Offence was Known to Members of 
the Judicatory more than a Year before Process was Begun. 

Overture No. 19 was then taken up from the docket, which is as fol- 
lows : 

When a church session has tabled charges against a church member for 
falsehood, and summoned the accused with the witnesses, is it competent 
for the session to dismiss the charges on the plea of the accused that a 
prosecution is barred by the limitation of time in chap, xi., sec. xv., of 
the Discipline (" Process in case of scandal, etc."), the alleged crime hav- 
ing been committed and " become flagrant," and known to members of 
session more than twelve months before process was instituted? 

The Committee recommended that this inquiry be answered in the affirm- 
ative. Adopted.— 1857, p. 42, O. S. 



BOOK III. 



THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 



CHAPTER I. 

OF THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE LORD'S DAY. 

1. It is the duty of every person to remember the Lord's day; and 
to prepare for it, before its approach. All worldly business should be 
so ordered, and seasonably laid aside, as that we may not be hindered 
thereby from sanctifying the Sabbath, as the Holy Scriptures require. 

1. The Assembly Petition Congress against Carrying- and Distrib- 
uting the Mails upon the Sabbath. 

a. The petition of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 
the United States of America, to the honorable the Senate and House of 
Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled : 

Humbly Sheweth — That your petitioners view with deep regret the in- 
fractions of the Lord's day, occasioned by the opening of the mail on that 
day, and the circumstances accompanying such opening. 

A variety of considerations, temporal and spiritual, combine, in the 
judgment of your petitioners, to produce this regret. The institution of 
the Sabbath by the Creator and Ruler of the world, whilst it clearly 
proves his benevolent regard for men, imposes upon them the reasonable 
obligation of devoting this day to his service. He makes it their duty to 
rest from the toils and labors of six days, and requires from them that 
they should statedly assemble together for his worship on the seventh. 
Both these objects contemplated by the institution of the Sabbath, the 
opening of the mail on that day and the circumstances accompanying it, 
do contravene and oppose. They who carry the mail and they who open 
it, together with those to whom letters or papers are delivered, under the 
sanction of civil law, neglect the public worship of God in part or whole. 
Besides this, the noise and confusion attending the carrying and opening 
of the mail in post towns, too frequently in a most painful manner disturb 
the devotion of those who prefer their spiritual to their temporal interests. 
Moreover, the carrying of the mail encourages persons to hire out their 
carriages on the Lord's day to those who have no fear of God before their 
eyes, thus adding to the open violation of the day; and to say no more, 
the brute creatures are made to work on this day over and above the six 
days, and thus are deprived of the rest to which they are entitled by the 
authority of God, whilst they are forced to administer to the cupidity of 
those who forget the truth, that " the righteous man is merciful to his 
beast." 

631 



632 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

Your petitioners are the more deeply impressed with the importance of 
observing the Sabbath, on account of the influence which such observance 
has in promoting true morality and social happiness. 

On this day all classes of men assemble together in the presence of God 
on terms of perfect equality, for in his presence the ruler is not more im- 
portant than the ruled, since both meet as sinners needing the exercise of 
sovereign and free mercy. 

On this day they are taught from the Scriptures, the only source of 
truth, their duty, their interest and their happiness. 

On this day they unite according to the direction of God, in prayer for 
all men — for magistrates as well as subjects — for the nation as well as in- 
dividuals — for every description of persons. 

On this day they manifest the gratitude which they owe to God for ben- 
efits received, thanking him for his mercies, and supplicating his grace. 

The effects arising from the duties in which they engage, the instruc- 
tion which they receive, and their assembling together before God, are all 
calculated to produce such a state of heart and such a line of conduct, as 
directly promote individual and social happiness. 

Your petitioners are aware of the plea which is used to justify the in- 
fractions of the Sabbath, of which we complain. Works of necessity, such 
as arise out of extraordinary circumstances, or such as are unavoidable for 
the support and comfort of life, together with works of charity, are ad- 
mitted to be lawful, for God delighteth in mercy rather than sacrifice. 
But your petitioners cannot conceive that the ordinary occupations of life, 
in ordinary times, or the exercise of charity, require such infractions of 
the Sabbath as are occasioned by the carrying or opening of the mail on 
that day. For the cases of sickness, to take one of the strongest and most 
plausible facts included in the plea of necessity, which are communicated 
by the mail, are too few, and happen at intervals too long, to justify the 
habitual breach of the Sabbath. As to the ordinary business of life, any 
prospect of gain, or fear of loss, cannot be admitted as legitimate causes 
for disobeying the command of God to keep the Sabbath holy. No one 
ever yet has suffered, or will suffer, in obeying God, rather than his cupid- 
ity, his ambition, or his lusts. 

Your petitioners, moreover, feel themselves constrained in their office 
as rulers in the Church, to exercise the discipline of that Church against 
those of their members who break the Sabbath in the carrying or opening 
of the mail on that day. In doing this they are not conscious of any dis- 
respect to the civil authority of the land. They wish to render unto 
Caesar the things which are Caesar's, but must, at every hazard, render 
unto God the things which are God's. In thus honoring God more than 
men, they trust their motives will be respected, and their conduct ap- 
proved. 

Your petitioners are the more deeply impressed with the importance of 
a strict observance of the Sabbath, and the necessity of an alteration in 
the existing regulations of the post-office, as far as they relate to the Sab- 
bath, from the prospect of a war. As they firmly believe in the special 
providence of God, and that this providence is exercised according to 
those principles of truth and equity revealed in the Scriptures, they fear, 
and have just reason to fear, that the infractions of the Sabbath allowed 
by civil law, will draw down upon our nation the divine displeasure. God 
honors those who honor him, and casts down those who forget him. Obe- 
dience to his will adds dignity to rulers, and enforces subjection in those 
who are ruled. 
From all these considerations which have been given in detail, your 



633 

petitioners pray for such an alteration in the law relative to the mails, as 
will prevent the profanation of the Sabbath, which now takes place in 
conveying and opening the mail. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, 
will ever pray, etc. 

Ordered, That this petition be signed by the moderator, and attested by 
the clerk, and be committed to the moderator to forward to Congress. — 

1812, p. 513. 

b. Dr. Flinn, to whom was committed the petition of the last Assembly 
to the Congress of the United States, on the subject of carrying and open- 
ing the mail on the Sabbath, reported that he put the petition into the 
hands of Mr. Cheves, a member of the House of Representatives, who 
afterward informed him that the prayer of the petition was not granted. 

1813, p. 519. 

c. In 1814 a petition on the same subject was prepared, and the Pres- 
byteries directed to take order for circulating the same, and forwarding it 
to Congress.— 1814, p. b66. For like action see 1815, pp. 597, 601. 

II. The whole day is to be kept holy to the Lord; and to be 
employed in the public and private exercises of religion. Therefore, 
it is requisite, that there be a holy resting, all the day, from unneces- 
sary labors j and an abstaining from those recreations which may be 
lawful on other days ; and also, as much as possible, from worldly 
thoughts and conversation. 

Deliverance on the Profanation of the Sabbath. 

a. The Committee to whom was referred the overture respecting the 
profanation of the Lord's day, presented the following resolutions, which 
were adopted, viz. : 

1st. Resolved, That this Assembly regard with pain and deep regret 
the profanation of the Lord's day, which exists in our country in various 
forms, and which is calculated in an alarming degree to create a neglect 
of public worship, a contempt of the authority of Almighty God, a cor- 
ruption of morals, and eventually to bring down the judgment of God on 
our land. 

2d. Resolved, That the Assembly repeat the warnings which have here- 
tofore been frequently given on this subject, and do solemnly and earn- 
estly exhort the churches and individuals in their connection to avoid a 
participation in the guilt of profaning this holy day. 

3d. Resolved, That it be earnestly recommended to the ministers of the 
Presbyterian churches who have pastoral charges, frequently and solemnly 
to address their people on the subject of the sanctifi cation of the Lord's 
day, and to urge its vital importance to our moral, social and civil, as 
well as religious welfare. 

4th. Resolved, That it be solemnly enjoined on all the Presbyteries and 
church sessions in our connection to exercise discipline on their respective 
members whenever guilty of violating the sanctity of the Sabbath ; and 
that an inquiry should be annually instituted in each Presbytery relative 
to this subject ; and that each pastor should at the earliest opportunity 
practicable present this subject in all its solemn importance to the session 
of the church under his pastoral charge, and invite the co-operation of its 
members in all proper and prudent measures for the suppression of Sab- 
bath-breaking: — and further, that it be recommended to all our ministers 
and church members when traveling, to give preference to such livery es- 

80 



634 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

tablishments, steamboats, canal boats and other public vehicles, as do not 
violate the law of God and of the land in relation to the Sabbath. — 1826, 
p. 182. 

b. Discipline to be Enforced for Violation of the Sabbath. 

Resolved, That this Assembly renewedly enjoin upon their Presbyteries 
and churches the duty of enforcing the discipline of the Church in every 
case of a violation of the Sabbath. — 1828, p. 242. 

c. The desecration of the Sabbath is certainly increasing with fearful 
rapidity in almost every part of our beloved country. A solemn and 
alarming crisis has already come. Unless the slumbering energies of the 
Church are speedily aroused to arrest the progress of this growing evil, 
the entire obliteration of the Sabbath will at no distant period be the result. 
It is necessary only to look into our large cities and villages on the Sab- 
bath, or to glance the eye along our navigable rivers and over our beauti- 
ful lakes, or to trace the extended lines of our canals and railroads, or 
listen to the perpetual rumbling of loaded vehicles on all our traveled 
routes, in order to be convinced that Sabbath-breaking has already be- 
come a sin of giant growth in our J and. It is, indeed, a wide-spread, 
deep-seated, unblushing evil. It enters boldly into almost every com- 
mercial interest in the country, and embraces, directly or indirectly, in 
its broad sweep of mischief, a vast multitude of individuals ; and what is 
still w r orse, an alarming proportion of these offenders belong to the Church 
of the living God. Here is the root of the evil. The Church has become 
a deliberate partaker in this great sin. In this way has her warning 
voice been wellnigh silenced, her redeeming power over the community 
paralyzed, and the salutary restraints of a consistent example effectually 
vacated. Reformation, then, must begin at the house of God. If the 
Church alone can save the Sabbath from being abolished, she must first 
reform her own conduct. In entering upon the work, it must not be for- 
gotten that in its failure or success are involved the best interests of the 
Church, of our country and the world. The rest of the Sabbath is the 
only wise and adequate provision for the wants of the animal system. The 
influence of the Sabbath can alone be relied on to sustain our free institu- 
tions, to extend the empire of law, to preserve domestic order and happi- 
ness, and to continue the bare existence of morality and religion in the 
world. The abandonment of the Sabbath is, therefore, nothing less than 
resigning all that is sacred and dear to a Christian people for time and 
for eternity. It is certain that whatever is done to rebuke and arrest the 
profanation of the Sabbath, must be done immediately. The work of 
reform cannot be delayed without hazarding the irretrievable loss of all 
the blessings which flow from the observance of that day. The task has 
already become formidable and difficult. It is not, however, altogether 
hopeless. The Sabbath may yet be restored, and its blessings perpetuated. 
The Church and the ministry can, under God, do all that the exigency de- 
mands. Let this Assembly do their whole duty ; let them lift up a voice 
of strength ; let them send out a loud note of alarm ; let them determine, 
in the strength of the Lord, to carry out, in their practical relation to the 
Sabbath, the true principles of Christian discipline, and the whole Church 
may be cleansed, the Sabbath reinstated, and this great and guilty nation 
saved. Till this is done, the power of every other Christian enterprise 
will be circumscribed and fluctuating. Nothing that is pure and holy 
can flourish without the Sabbath. The Sabbath reform is the fundamen- 
tal enterprise. It is utterly vain to think of substituting any other con- 



OF THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE LORD'S DAY. 635 

servative power. The question of rescuing the Sabbath from general 
profanation is, absolutely, a question of life and death to every Christian 
denomination in the world. Such is the momentous nature of the subject 
under consideration. Your Committee rejoice that in this work all hearts 
may unite and every minor difference be forgotten. Here is common 
ground. The Sabbath of the Lord is the inheritance of all true Chris- 
tians, and there is work enough for all. The Church must revive her 
wholesome discipline. The ministry must cry aloud and spare not. The 
press must be enlisted — the whole community aroused. The entire instru- 
mentality which God has prepared for preserving his own institutions 
must be called forth, and kept in untiring requisition. For the purpose 
of enabling the General Assembly more effectually to speak their senti- 
ments to the churches and the nation, your Committee recommend the 
adoption of the following resolutions : 

1. Resolved, That the observance of the Sabbath is indispensable to the 
preservation of civil and religious liberty, and furnishes the only security 
for eminent and abiding prosperity, either to the Church or the world. 

2. Resolved, That the growing desecration of the Sabbath in our country 
must be speedily arrested, and the habits of the community essentially 
reformed, or the blessings of the Sabbath, civil, social and religious, will 
soon be irrecoverably lost. 

3. Resolved, That inasmuch as the work of a general reformation be- 
longs, under God, to the Christian Church, it is the duty of the Church to 
apply the corrections of a firm and efficient discipline to all known viola- 
tions of the Sabbath on the part of her members. 

4. Resolved, That inasmuch as ministers of the gospel must act a con- 
spicuous part in every successful effort to do away the sin of Sabbath- 
breaking, it is their duty to observe, both in their preaching and their 
practice, the rule of entire abstinence from all profanation of the Lord's 
day, studiously avoiding even the appearance of evil. 

5. Resolved, That in the judgment of this General Assembly, the own- 
ers of stock in steamboats, canals, railroads, etc., which are in the habit of 
violating the Sabbath, are lending their property and their influence to one 
of the most widespread, alarming and deplorable systems of Sabbath des- 
ecration which now grieves the hearts of the pious, and disgraces the Church 
of God^ 

That it be respectfully recommended to the friends of the Lord's day, 
as soon as possible, to establish such means of public conveyance as shall 
relieve the friends of the Sabbath from the necessity under which they now 
labor, of traveling at any time in vehicles which habitually violate that 
holy day, and thus prevent them from being in any way partakers in other 
men's sins in this respect. 

6. Resolved, That the power of the pulpit and the press must be imme- 
diately put in requisition on behalf of a dishonored Sabbath, that the mag- 
nitude and remedy of the evils which its violation involves may be fully 
understood by the whole community. 

7. Resolved, That this Assembly solemnly enjoin it upon the churches 
under their care to adopt, without delay, all proper measures for accom- 
plishing a general and permanent reformation from the sin of Sabbath- 
breaking and all its attendant evils. 

8. Resolved, That a Committee of one from each Synod under the care 
of this Assembly be now appointed to hold correspondence with ministers 
and churches, for the purpose of carrying out and applying the leading 
principles of the foregoing report and resolutions. 

9. Resolved, That the foregoing report and resolutions be published in 



636 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

such newspapers, secular and religious, as are friendly to the observance 
of the Sabbath. 

10. Resolved, That all the ministers in the bounds of the General As- 
sembly be requested to read the document on the Sabbath from their sev- 
eral pulpits, and preach on the whole subject which it embraces on or be- 
fore the third Sabbath of September next. — 1836, p. 281. 

2. For the better Observance of the Sabbath. 

The Committee to whom was referred Overture No. 5, to wit, A memo- 
rial from the Presbytery of Cleveland on the subject of Sabbath mails, 
having been instructed to report on the general subject of Sabbath dese- 
cration, submit the following : 

In the deliberate judgment of your Committee, it is an unquestionable 
fact that, in despite of all which has been said and done to check it, the 
profanation of the Lord's day is, on the whole, increasing. There are, in- 
deed, some local and cheering exceptions to this remark, which we are 
happy to acknowledge. As a national sin, however, it steadily gathers 
strength, and puts on a more unblushing face every year. We hear 
much of the moral machinery which has been set in motion for the salva- 
tion of our country and of the world — of the blessed light of the nine- 
teenth century, and the glory of our free institutions. Too often do we 
seem to forget that the very institution which is the chief support of lib- 
erty, learning and religion, is itself standing in fearful jeopardy. All 
those whose lot is cast in any of the great centres of business, or on any 
of the principal avenues of intercommunication, know that what your 
Committee assert is true. Their own eyes have seen it, their own ears 
have heard it, and their hearts harve bled over it a thousand times. It is, 
in fact, universally conceded, that the desecration of the Sabbath has be- 
come a giant evil, calling loudly for the most efficient measures of reform. 
Your Committee desire not unnecessarily to publish the faults of the 
Christian Church. But they are compelled to confess, that in many 
parts of the country the frequent violations of the Sabbath by ministers 
of the gospel, and by other professors of religion, is a serious obstacle in 
the way of all attempts at radical and permanent reformation. Till the 
ministry and the Church have purified themselves, all else will be, as it 
has been, " beating the air." Traveling on the Sabbath, a practice to 
which the convocation of the highest judicatory of our Church lends its 
guilty sanction; voluntary participation in enterprises and improvements 
which are prosecuted at the expense of the Sabbath : the legalized pro- 
fanation of this holy day by the transmission of the mail on all the prin- 
cipal routes ; and the frequent neglect of Church discipline, are among 
the many causes of the rapid spread of this enormous evil. The bare 
enumeration of these causes suggests the proper remedy. Resolutions, 
addresses, conventions, and all the stirring appeals which the subject has 
called forth, are, by themselves, utterly ineffectual. The leviathan with 
which we are now contending is not to be so tamed. A more potent cor- 
rective must be applied, or we shall become more and more a nation of 
Sabbath-breakers. The Church undoubtedly possesses the power to 
cleanse her own garments, and till she has done this, she has no strength 
to put on for the reformation of others. Having done this, the next step 
will be to lift up a united voice against all that immoral legislation be- 
hind which the sin of Sabbath-breaking now stands entrenched. What 
has been found true in the " Temperance Reform," will be found true in 
the "Sabbath Reform." The sanction of law must be removed from 



OF THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE LOKD's DAY. 637 

every evil which you would frown upon and exterminate. To do this, 
the public mind must be waked up, and held awake till the combined en- 
ergy of patriotism and piety is enlisted and pledged for the protection of 
the Sabbath against every tangible form of profanation and abuse. Your 
Committee accordingly recommend for your adoption the following res- 
olutions, viz. : 

Resolved, That this Assembly regard the prosecution of a journey on 
any part of the Sabbath, whether by ministers, elders or church mem- 
bers, for the sake of convenience or of avoiding expense, as deserving of 
special notice and unqualified disapprobation. 

Resolved, That this Assembly affectionately urge upon all the judi- 
catories of the Church to take suitable measures for enforcing the wise 
discipline of the Church against all violations of the Sabbath within their 
own cognizance and jurisdiction. 

Resolved, That it is the duty of the Christian ministry to unite in more 
concentrated and persevering effort to assert the claims of the Christian 
Sabbath upon the habitual regard of the whole community. 

Resolved, That the Assembly will give its most cordial approbation to 
any and every w T ise plan for uniting the sympathies and strength of all 
evangelical denominations in defence of the Christian Sabbath. 

Resolved, That a Committee of nine be appointed to correspond with 
other evangelical denominations on the subject of measures for promoting 
a better observance of the Lord's day. 

Resolved, That the clerks of this Assembly be requested to cause these 
resolutions to be officially published and circulated as widely as possible, 
through the religious press, and that all ministers within our bounds be 
requested to present them before their respective congregations. — 1838, 
pp. 658, 659, N. S. 

[See also Minutes, 1840, p. 14 ; 1843, p. 13 ; 1846, p. 15, K S. ; 1859, 
p. 534 ; 1861, p. 316, O. S., for substantially the same action. 

3. Church Sessions enjoined to greater Fidelity. 

The Committee on Bills and Overtures made a report on the subject 
of the Sabbath, which was adopted, and is as follows : 

The Assembly are at a loss what to say more than w T hat they have repeat- 
edly said, by way of urging on all our churches and congregations, and the 
community generally, a better observance of the holy Sabbath. Of its 
divine original and authority we have no doubt. Nor can we doubt its 
indisputable necessity in keeping up the institutions of religion, and pro- 
moting the cause of salvation and pure morality. What could we do 
without the Sabbath ? And where, in half a century, will be our glorious 
civil and religious liberty, if the terrible process of Sabbath desecration 
be permitted to go on as it has done for the past ten years? Let the his- 
tory of other nations answer. Let the fearful declarations of God's word 
admonish us to anticipate the result. " For the nation and kingdom that 
will not serve thee shall perish." 

While, therefore, we earnestly entreat our fellow-citizens of every class 
" to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," the Assembly do hereby, 
in a special manner, enjoin it upon the church sessions to watch over their 
brethren with tenderness and great fidelity in respect to the observance of 
the Sabbath ; and to exercise wholesome discipline on those who, by 
traveling or other ways, presume to trample upon this sacred institution. 
And we further enjoin it upon the Presbyteries annually to institute in- 
quiries of the eldership as to the manner in which this injunction has been 
attended to in their respective churches. — 1853, p. 323, N. S. 



638 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 



4. Resolutions on the Sanctiflcation of the Sabbath. 

Resolved, 1. That, inasmuch as " the Sabbath was made for man," by 
the omniscient God, and is indispensable to our highest social, civil and 
religious welfare, this General Assembly regards it as not only the duty, 
but the right and privilege of all men to " remember the Sabbath day to 
keep it holy." 

2. That, as the law of the Sabbath is divinely given, without limitation 
of time, and unrepealed, its claims for our obedience are supreme and 
perpetual. 

3. That, in order to give full power to the gospel in the salvation of 
souls, professors of religion, and ministers of the gospel especially, should 
carefully sanctify the Lord's day, and give no countenance, directly or 
indirectly, to its desecration. 

4. That the physical and mental, as well as moral interests of man 
demand the day of holy rest; and that the entire community should 
manifest a grateful appreciation of this gift of heaven, by an unperverted 
sacred observance of the Christian Sabbath. 

5. That, at this time of public strife, of fearful anxiety and suffering, 
while we are heartily loyal to our Government, we should most sincerely 
deprecate and deplore any unnecessary labor, review or battle on the 
Lord's day ; lest, by disloyalty to God, we dishonor him, incur his fierce 
indignation, and, as a sad result, meet with signal defeat to our arms, and 
terrible calamities to our nation, from Him who is the God of battles and 
of nations, and who honors them that honor him. 

6. That it be earnestly requested of all the pastors of our churches, 
fully to instruct their people as to the duty and importance of carefully 
sanctifying the entire Sabbath, individually, in the family, and in the 
community; in order that its healthful instructions, and its holy, saving 
influence, may everywhere permeate the State, the nation and the world. 

7. That each pastor and stated supply of our churches be requested, at 
some time during the present year, to preach especially upon the Sanctifl- 
cation of the Christian Sabbath.— 1863, pp. 245, 246, N. S. 

These Deliverances Reaffirmed. — Opening of Sabbath Art Galleries Dis- 
approved of. 

In answer to overture, the Committee recommend that in view of former 
frequent and full deliverances of the Assembly on the observance of the 
Sabbath, there is no necessity for further action at the present time, except 
to reaffirm these deliverances, and to adopt the following : 

Resolved, That this General Assembly express their disapproval of the 
opening on the Sabbath of art galleries, places of recreation and amuse- 
ment, and all such libraries and reading rooms as by offering secular read- 
ing invite men to violate the command of God, that men " Remember the 
Sabbath day to keep it holy." Adopted.— 1872, p. 71. 

[See also Form of Government, chap, xii., sec. v. ; Pastoral Letters 8 
and 16.] 

This Assembly now reaffirms the deliverances of previous Assemblies, 
regarding the sacredness of the Sabbath. — 1873, p. 564. 

5. Traveling on the Sabbath Condemned. 

Resolved, That this Assembly view with unfeigned sorrow and regret 
the practice of traveling, by professors of religion and others, on the 
Sabbath day, and that it considers all such traveling, which is not strictly 



OF THE SAISCTIFICATIOIn OF THE LOED's DAY. 639 

included in works of necessity- and mercy, as a direct violation of the law 
of God.— 1850, p. 482, O. S. 

6. Decoration of Soldiers' Graves upon the Sabbath, Disapproved. 

a. Resolved, That while this Assembly sympathize most heartily with the 
noble and touching tribute to be paid to the memory of our buried sol- 
diers whose lives were sacrificed in the cause of the "Onion, as, under the 
auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic, their graves are to be deco- 
rated with floral offerings, yet we enter our most earnest protest against 
the proposed unnecessary desecration of the Sabbath for this purpose ; and 
urgently request the proper authorities to appoint the next Saturday as 
the time for this interesting ceremony. 

A Committee, consisting of the Rev. Zephaniah Humphrey, D. D., the 
Rev. Benjamin W. Chidlaw, and Mr. Frederick Starr, was appointed to 
report this action of the Assembly to the officers of the Grand Army, and 
to make such further publication as may seem to be called for. — 1869, 
p. 259, N. S. 

b. The Committee on communicating with "the Grand Army of the 
Republic," reported a paper which was adopted, and is as follows : 

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church takes great pleas- 
ure in acknowledging the invitation of the Kings County Department 
of the Grand Army of the Republic to attend and take part in the cere- 
mony of decorating the graves of our dead soldiers on Monday next. 

It gives us great pleasure to observe that this ceremony is not to take 
place on the Sabbath ; and we recommend that as many of the members 
of the Assembly, as can be spared from their other duties, shall engage 
in offering this beautiful and appropriate tribute of patriotic memory and 
love.— 1869, p. 282, K S. 

c. Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to confer with the proper 
authorities connected with the Grand Army of the Republic, and urgently 
to request that the day be changed from Sabbath (30th) to Saturday, 29th. 

Ministers W. C. Anderson, D. D., A. L. Blackford, and Smith F. Grier, 
with Ruling Elders Van Cleve and Morris Patterson, were appointed as 
said Committee.— 1869, p. 900, O. S. 

The report of the Committee was adopted, viz. : 

The Committee appointed to confer with the authorities with reference 
to a change in the day designated for decorating the graves of our fallen 
soldiers, reports that it waited on the Committee having this matter in 
charge in this city, and laid before it the action of this Assembly, but was 
informed by the secretary that arrangements had been already completed 
for performing the ceremony on the Sabbath, and that no change could be 
made. Yet your Committee rejoices that a change has been made in 
several of the surrounding cities, and that a general order has been sent 
forth requiring a change in all the principal cities of our country ; also, 
that the President of the United States has ordered such a change in the 
District of Columbia.— 1869, p. 920, O. S. 

III. Let the provisions, for the support of the family on that day, 
be so ordered, that servants, or others, be not improperly detained 
from the public worship of God ; nor hindered from sanctifying the 
Sabbath. 

IV. Let every person, and family, in the morning, by secret and 
private prayer, for themselves and others, especially for the assist- 



640 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

ance of God to their minister, and for a blessing upon his ministry, 
by reading the Scriptures, and by holy meditation, prepare for com- 
munion with God in his public ordinances. 

Y. Let the people be careful to assemble at the appointed time ; 
that, being all present at the beginning, they may unite, with one 
heart, in all the parts of public worship ; and let none unnecessarily 
depart, till after the blessing be pronounced. 

VI. Let the time, after the solemn services of the congregation in 
public are over, be spent in reading ; meditation ; repeating of ser- 
mons; catechising; religious conversation; prayer for a blessing upon 
the public ordinances ; the singing of psalms, hymns, or spiritual 
songs ; visiting the sick ; relieving the poor, and in performing such 
like duties of piety, charity, and mercy. 

1. Instruction in the Holy Scriptures. 

Resolved, 1. That it be recommended, and it is hereby recommended, 
earnestly to the ministers and sessions which are in connection with the 
General Assembly, to pay especial attention to this subject, and provide 
without delay for the stated instruction of the children and youth in the 
sacred Scriptures within their respective congregations. 

Resolved, 2. That although the particular manner of instruction and 
recitation in the congregations ought to be left to the discretion of their 
ministers and sessions respectively; yet as some degree of uniformity is 
desirable in a business of so much magnitude, it is recommended as the 
most effectual means of promoting the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, 
that in all our churches, classes be formed of the youth to recite the 
Scriptures in regular order; that the recitations, if convenient, be as often 
as once a week, and from two to five chapters appointed for each recita- 
tion ; that the youth be examined on, 

1. The history of the world, but more especially of the Church of God, 
and of the heathen nations who were God's agents in accomplishing his 
purposes toward his Church. 

2. Persons noted for their piety or ungodliness, and the effects of their 
example in promoting or injuring the best interests of mankind. 

3. Doctrines and precepts, or " what man is to believe concerning God, 
and what duty God requires of man." 

4. Positive ordinances, or the directions which God has given as to the 
way in which he is to be worshiped acceptably. 

5. The particular features of character of which the Spirit of God has 
given notice, both in wicked and good persons ; in the last particularly 
regarding those who were types of Christ, and in what the typical resem- 
blance consisted. 

6. The gradual increase from time to time of information concerning 
the doctrines contained in the Scriptures ; noting the admirable adapta- 
tion of every new revelation of doctrine to the increased maturity of the 
Church. The nature of God's law, its immutability, as constituting an 
everlasting rule of right and wrong, the full and perfect illustration of its 
precepts given by Christ. 

7. The change which God has made from time to time in the positive 
ordinances, together with the reasons of that change. The difference 
between the moral law, and those laws which are positive. 



OF THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE LORD'S DAY. 641 

8. The illustrations of the divine perfections in the history, biography, 
doctrines and precepts, together with the positive ordinances of the Scrip- 
tures. 

9. The practical lessons to regulate our conduct in the various relations 
of life. 

On all these particulars the meaning of the words used in Scripture 
must be ascertained, and thus we may understand what we read. 

Resolved, 3. That the Presbyteries under the care of the Assembly be 
directed to take order on this subject, and they are hereby informed that 
this is not to come in the place of learning the Catechism of our Church, 
but to be added to it, as an important branch of religious education. — 
1816, p. 627. 

2. On Sabbath Schools and Instruction of the Young. 

a. In all parts of the Church, Sunday-schools are established, and there 
is but one sentiment respecting them. The Assembly consider them as 
among the most useful and blessed institutions of the present day. They 
have a most extensive reforming influence. They apply a powerful cor- 
rective to the most inaccessible portions of the community. They begin 
moral education at the right time, in the best manner, and under the most 
promising circumstances. They act indirectly, but most powerfully, upon 
teachers and parents, and frequently become the means of bringing them 
to the church, and to the knowledge and love of the truth. Sunday- 
schools are highly useful everywhere; but they are peculiarly adapted to 
new and destitute regions of the Church. The plan is simple, and easily 
accomplished. It requires comparatively little knowledge and experience 
to conduct them with ability. Very much good has been accomplished 
by the instrumentality of young ladies and gentlemen. The pleasing- 
scene is often witnessed in some of our new settlements, of large meetings 
of children on the Lord's day, in schoolhouses, or beneath the shade of the 
original forest. The voice of praise and prayer is heard, and the word of 
the living God is proclaimed, amid the most beautiful works of his hand. 
—1824, p. 129. 

b. Resolved, That the General Assembly do cordially approve of the 
design and operations of the American Sunday-School Union ; and they 
do earnestly recommend to all ministers and churches under their care to 
employ their vigorous and continued exertions in the establishment and 
support of Sabbath-schools. — 1826, p. 181. 

c. Resolved, 1. That the Assembly regard the religious education of 
youth as a subject of vital importance, identified with the most precious 
interests and hopes of the Christian Church. 

2. That the present indications of divine Providence are such as im- 
periously to demand of the Christian community unusual effort to train 
up the rising generation in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 

3. That the Board of Missions be and hereby are instructed to enjoin 
it on their missionaries sedulously to attend to the religious education of 
the young; and particularly that they use all practical efforts to establish 
Sabbath-schools ; and to extend and perpetuate the blessings of Sabbath- 
school instruction. 

4. That the system of Sabbath -school instruction, now in prevalent and 
cheering operation, be and hereby is most earnestly recommended to the 
attention of the pastors and sessions of all our churches. 

5. That the Presbyteries be and hereby are enjoined to make the pro- 
gress of the Sabbath-school cause within their bounds the subject of special 

81 



f>42 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

inquiry, and annually to transmit the results of such inquiry to the Gen- 
eral Assembly. 

6. That inasmuch as the advantages of the Sabbath-school may, in 
some cases, be the occasion of remissness in the important duty of family 
instruction, it be and hereby is earnestly recommended to heads of fami- 
lies not to relax in their personal religious efforts at /wwe, and in the do- 
mestic circle ; but that they abound more and more in the use of all ap- 
propriate means, to promote sound knowledge and experimental piety, in 
every member of their households. 

7. That as there is reason to apprehend that the Catechisms of this 
Church have not, in some parts of our Zion, received that measure of at- 
tention to which their excellence entitles them, it be and hereby is recom- 
mended to pastors, sessions, heads of families, superintendents of Sabbath- 
schools, and all charged with the education of youth, in our connection, to 
give these admirable summaries of Christian truth and duty a prominent 
place in their instructions to the youth and children under their care. 

8. That it be and hereby is recommended to the pastors and sessions of 
our churches to make themselves acquainted with the system of infant 
school instruction, now in happy progress in many places, and if practica- 
ble to establish such schools in their congregations. — 1830, p. 303, 304. 

3. Catechetical Instruction Enjoined. 

a. Resolved, That as there is reason to apprehend that the catechisms 
of this Church have not in some parts of our Zion received that measure 
of attention to which their excellence entitles them, it be, and hereby is 
recommended to pastors, sessions, heads of families, superintendents of 
Sabbath-schools, and all charged with the education of youth, in our con- 
nection, to give these admirable seminaries of Christian truth and duty 
a prominent place in their instructions to the youth and children under 
their care.— 1830, p. 304. 

b. Resolved, That the use of the catechism in the religious instruction of 
the young, and of the children under the care of the Church, be affection- 
ately and earnestly recommended to the sessions in connection with the 
General Assembly, as the most effectual means under God of preserving 
the purity, peace, and unity of the Church. — 1832, p. 372. 

c. The following resolutions on the subject of catechetical instruction 
were unanimously adopted, viz. : 

Resolved, 1. That this General Assembly consider the practice of cate- 
chetical instruction as well adapted to the prosperity and purity of our Zion. 

Resolved, 2. That this Assembly view also with deep regret the neglect, 
on the part of many of our churches, of this good old practice of our 
fathers ; a practice which has been attended with such blessed results to 
>the cause of pure and undefiled religion. 

Resolved, 3. That the institution of Sabbath-schools does not exonerate 
ministers and parents from the duty of teaching the Shorter Catechism to 
the children of the Church. 

Resolved, 4. That this Assembly earnestly and affectionately recommend 
to all ministers and ruling elders in its connection to teach diligently the 
young of their respective congregations the Assembly's Shorter Cate- 
chism.— 1849, p. 181, N. S. 

d. Resolved. That the Assembly regard Christian training at all periods 
of youth and by all practicable methods, especially by parents at home, 
by teachers in institutions of learning, and by pastors through catecheti- 
cal and Bible-classes, as binding upon the Church according to the injunc- 



OF THE SASTCTIFICATION OF THE LORD'S DAY. 643 

tion, "Train up a child in the way he should go," and as having a vital 
connection with the increase of numbers and efficiency of the ministry 
and of the stability and purity of the Church. — 1854, p. 30, O. S. 

e. Resolved, That this Assembly recommend that the Westminster As- 
sembly's Catechism be introduced as a text-book into all the Sabbath- 
schools under our supervision and control, where it is not now used. — 
1866, p. 278, K S. 

4. Relation of Sabbath-schools to the Family. 

We are pleased to find that our Sabbath-school system appears to be 
gaining upon the confidence of the churches, but we caution heads of 
families against the idea that their duties may be delegated to the Sab- " 
bath-school teacher. The obligations of parents are intransferable. The 
teacher is not the parent's substitute, but his helper ; and it is equally the 
duty of the parent to superintend the instruction of his family, as though 
there were no such thing as a Sabbath-school. — 1840, p. 310, O.' S. 

[See also 1846, p. 221, O. S., and 1854, p. 183, O. S.] 

5. Relation of the Sabbath-school to the Session. 

a. These schools should always be under the direction of the pastor and 
session, and they should see to it that our catechisms constitute, in all 
cases, a part of the regular course of instruction. — 1840, p. 310, O. S. 

b. The Sabbath-school — like all the religious institutions and agencies 
of each individual church — is and ought to be under the watch and care 
of the session, and should be regarded not as superseding but as co-ope- 
rating with the entire system of pastoral instruction, the responsibilities 
of which it should not in any manner diminish. — 1863, p. 241, N. S. 

c. The Assembly resumed the unfinished business, being the consider- 
ation of the report of the Committee on Sunday-schools, which was 
amended, adopted, and is as follows : 

The Committee to whom were entrusted the special report of the Com- 
mittee of the last Assembly on Sunday-schools, and the memorial of the 
Synod of Michigan. on the same subject, respectfully report: 

That they have carefully considered the papers committed, and are of 
opinion that the subject therein presented, and the suggestions made 
thereon, call for the earnest deliberation and mature action of this As- 
sembly. The labors of individuals and churches on behalf of Sunday- 
schools, in the provisions admirably devised for their accommodation, in 
the literature or music provided for their use, in the development of tal- 
ents and influences especially adapted to interest and operate on the 
minds there gathered, and in concerts of prayer, have conspired to lift 
the institution into a position of prominence and power never before 
occupied, and promising yet greater growth and larger good. This fact 
seems to require that a more distinct recognition of the Sunday-school 
agency be made in our Assembly reports, and that its relation to the 
Church and its authorities be more clearly defined. While experience 
has demonstrated the vast capacities for good that lie in the Sunday- 
school, and which ought to be more fully unfolded, it has in various ways, 
also, admonished us of evils which ought to be guarded against and 
avoided. The danger is, that the Sunday-school may become detached 
from its proper connection with the Church and its authorities, and 
assume an independence which must prove, in the end, injurious both to 
itself and the Church. 

This severance has, we learn, actually taken place in some instances, 



644 THE DIRECTORY FOB WORSHIP. 

and the proper shepherd of the flock can appear before the lambs only by 
the sufferance of the superintendent ; and so the young, cut off from their 
appointed spiritual guardians, are exposed to influences which cannot be 
brought under proper supervision and control. We would recommend, 
therefore, that the Assembly adopt and act upon the resolutions presented 
in the papers that we have in charge, thereby bringing this important in- 
stitution within their constant purview, and doing what they can to de- 
velop and impress its great importance upon the hearts of the Church. 

Resolved, 1. That it belongs emphatically to the pastor and elders of 
each congregation to direct and supervise the whole work of the spiritual 
training of the young, and that it is an important part of the functions of 
their office both to encourage parents to fidelity in bringing up their chil- 
dren in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and also to secure the 
co-operation of all the competent members of the Church in the religious 
education of all the children and youth to whom they can gain access. 

2. That great attention ought to be paid to the work of inculcating les- 
sons from the sacred Scriptures, and of fixing in the memory the Cate- 
chisms of our Church both as to its doctrine and polity ; and still further, 
of combining all the schools of a congregation in united worship as far as 
possible, and especially of leading them to Jesus in the exercise of a living 
faith and continued reliance on the Holy Spirit. 

3. That to the above end we would further recommend to the pastors that 
they adapt, wherever practicable, the second discourse of every Sabbath, 
particularly to the young of their flock ; thus affording to this, the most 
susceptible and hopeful portion of their fields, at least one-half of their 
time and labor, and giving their children distinctly to feel that they have 
a place, no less in the sanctuary than in the Sunday-school, both for wor- 
ship and instruction. 

4. That church sessions be required to furnish in their statistical re- 
ports a full account of the number of Sunday-school scholars and teach- 
ers in their respective congregations, to be embodied in the Assembly's 
minutes. 

5. That a Permanent Committee of the Assembly be appointed, whose 
duty it shall be to take charge of this great interest, and to report what- 
ever may quicken and stimulate the Church in its duty of training the 
young according to the word of God. 

6. That this General Assembly earnestly recommend to the pastors of 
the churches within its bounds to present before their congregations, in 
one or more discourses, the relation of baptized children to the Church, 
and the reciprocal duties between parents and children growing out of 
this relation, as defined in the word of God and declared in the doctrines 
of our Church. 

7. That it is exceedingly desirable that the entire congregation, old and 
young, be permanently connected with the Sunday-school, either as schol- 
ars or teachers.— 1864, pp. 507, 508, N. S. 

[See Directory for Worship, chap, xv., sec. v.] 

d. The Committee to whom were referred certain resolutions on the sub- 
ject of Sabbath-schools, would respectfully report the following minute : 

The Sabbath-school, in its original design, as it lay in the mind of its 
founder, was simply a means of imparting instruction to the children of 
the poor. While that great purpose should never be lost sight of, yet the 
institution has grown to be an important auxiliary to the Church in the 
instruction and religious culture of her children. As such, it naturally 
comes under the direction of the pastor and session of each church, and 
they should ever be recognized as its proper guardians and supervisors. 



OF THE SAXCTIFICATION OF THE LOKD's DAY. 645 

They have no more right to relinquish this solemn responsibility than they 
have to give up the care, and discipline, and instruction of the Church. 
He who said to his apostle, " Feed my sheep," said also, " Feed my lambs." 
With this obvious fact of the responsibility of pastors for the children of 
their churches, the General Assembly does hereby set forth the following 
principles as guides to pastors and sessions in fulfilling their duties m 
respect to the Sabbath-school work. 

1. The pastoral office involves the practical supervision of the Sabbath- 
school. The pastor should frequently, if not constantly, be present to 
counsel and aid those who may under him be engaged in the work of 
instruction. 

2. While the holy Bible is the great text-book of the Sabbath-school, 
it is eminently fitting that the summary of Christian doctrine as contained 
in our admirable Shorter Catechism should also be taught, and that a 
lesson therefrom should be recited at least once a month, and that at least 
once in a quarter the pastor himself should examine the whole school 
therein, adding thereto such explanations and illustrations as may to him 
seem proper. 

3. The books of the Sabbath-school library should be wholly subject to 
the supervision of the pastor and ruling elders, and no work, except it be 
published by our Board of Publication, shall be admitted, which they have 
not approved. In this examination care should be taken that no book 
receives their sanction which might give the minds of children a bias 
unfavorable to the order*, doctrine and practices of our Church, or which 
might beget a taste for frivolous literature, or which does not impart some 
weighty truth or important information. 

4. In addition to the exercises of the Sabbath-school, every pastor should 
hold frequent meetings, especially for the children, in which the addresses 
and services are adapted to their intellectual capacities and wants. 

5. Presbyteries are hereby enjoined, in their annual inquiry into the 
state of the churches within their bounds, to ascertain whether these prin- 
ciples are adhered to, and how far they are carried into practice. 

6. The Assembly furthermore recognizes the importance of securing for 
those engaged in the work of Sabbath-school instruction all the aids that 
may» have been prepared either in our own country or abroad, whether in 
illustration or explanation of the doctrines of the word of God, or in 
reference to the conduct and discipline of the church, or in regard to the 
best methods of securing its prosperity and largest success. For this pur- 
pose the Board of Publication is directed to add to their list of works all 
such helps to Sabbath-school instruction as may be found valuable and 
useful, either by the republication of standard foreign works, or the issue 
of those which may be obtained from authors at home, and to procure for 
the use of pastors and teachers, at their request, such works published by 
other societies or establishments as may be valuable auxiliaries in the great 
work of the Sabbath-school. 

7. It should be the aim of all engaged in the religious culture of the 
young, whether parents or guardians, or pastors and teachers, to counter- 
act, as far as possible, the tendencies of the age to unhealthy excitements, 
to a vapid and enervating literature, which only enfeebles and demoralizes 
the mind, and often corrupts the heart; to induce the youth under their 
care to seek for sound and wholesome doctrine; to correct their taste; to 
beget in them a love for those noble and substantial works which were the 
food on which our fathers fed, and by which they grew into a strength and 
greatness which has made them ever after to be remembered. — 1807, p. 
351, O. S. 



646 THE DIEECTOEY FOE WOESHIP. 



CHAPTER II. 

OF THE ASSEMBLING OF THE CONGREGATION AND THEIR BE- 
HAVIOR DURING DIVINE SERVICE. 

I. When the time appointed for public worship is come, let the 
people enter the church, and take their seats in a decent, grave, and 
reverent manner. 

II. In time of public worship, let all the people attend with grav- 
ity and reverence; forbearing to read anything, except what the 
minister is then reading or citing ; abstaining from all whisperings, 
from salutations of persons present, or coming in ; and from gazing 
about, sleeping, smiling, and all other indecent behavior. 

1. Posture in Public Prayer. 

a. On an overture from the Presbytery of Philadelphia, asking the 
Assembly to adopt measures for arresting or abating the growing evil of 
sitting in public prayer, the Assembly took action, viz. : 

While the posture of standing in public prayer, and that of kneeling 
in private prayer, are indicated by examples in Scripture, and the gen- 
eral practice of the ancient Christian Church, the posture of sitting in 
public prayer is nowhere mentioned, and by no usage allowed ; but on 
the contrary, was universally regarded by the early Church as heathen- 
ish and irreverent, and is still, even in the customs of modern and West- 
ern nations, an attitude obviously wanting in the due expression of rev- 
erence ; therefore this General Assembly 

Resolve, That the practice in question be considered grievously im- 
proper, whenever the infirmities of the worshiper do not render it neces- 
sary ; and that ministers be required to reprove it with earnest and per- 
severing admonition. — 1849, p. 255, O. S. 

b. Reaffirmed by the Assembly of 1857, p. 38, O. S. 

c. An overture from the Presbytery of Michigan in relation to posture 
in prayer and praise, with the answer that action is inexpedient, which 
was adopted.— 1870, p. 28. 

See 1854, p. 509, N. S. 



CHAPTER III. 
OF THE PUBLIC READING OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 

I. The reading of the Holy Scriptures, in the congregation, is a 
part of the public worship of God, and ought to be performed by 
the ministers and teachers. 

II. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament shall be 
publicly read, from the most approved translation, in the vulgar 
tongue, that all may hear and understand. 



OF THE surging OF PSALMS. 647 

III. How large a portion shall be read at once, is left to the dis- 
cretion of every minister : however, in each service, he ought to read 
at least one chapter ; and more, when the chapters are short, or the con- 
nection requires it. He may, when he thinks it expedient, expound 
any part of what is read: always having regard to the time, that 
neither reading, singing, praying, preaching, or any other ordinance, 
be disproportionate the one to the other ; nor the whole rendered too 
short, or too tedious. 

Overtured, That every minister, in their respective congregations, read 
and comment uj:>on a chapter of the Bible every Lord's day as discretion 
and circumstances of time, place, etc., will admit. Adopted. — 1707, p. 
10. 

2. He-solved, That this Assembly do hereby enjoin on all ministers of 
churches under their care, a strict and regular observance of the third 
article in the Directory for Public Worship, and they further recommend 
to all the Presbyteries in connection with this General Assembly, that 
they inquire at least once in every year, at a stated meeting, how far the 
regulations in said article have been observed ; and if, in any instances, 
overlooked or neglected, that they take measures to have the same prop- 
erly observed.— 1839, p. 166, O. S. 



CHAPTER IV. 

OF THE SINGING OF PSALMS. 

I. It is the duty of Christians to praise God, by singing psalms, 
or hymns, publicly in the church, as also privately in the family. 

1. Early Action on the Subject of Psalmody. 

a. A query was brought in, in these words : " As sundry members and 
congregations within the bounds of our Synod, judge it most for their 
edification to sing Dr. Watts's imitation of David's Psalms, does the 
Synad so far approve said imitation of David's Psalms as to allow such 
ministers and their congregations liberty of using them?" 

As a great number of this body have never particularly considered Dr. 
Watts's imitation, they are not prepared to give a full answer to the ques- 
tion. Yet as it is well approved by many of this body, the Synod have 
no objection to the use of said imitation by such ministers and congrega- 
tions as incline to use it, until the matter of psalmody be further consid- 
ered. And it is recommended to the members of this body to be pre- 
pared to give their sentiments respecting this subject at our next meet- 
ing.— 1763, p. 331. 

b. After some consideration of the query concerning the use of Dr. 
Watts's imitation of the Psalms, the Synod judged it best, in present cir- 
cumstances, only to declare that they look on the inspired Psalms in Scrip- 
ture, to be proper matter to be sung in divine worship, according to their 
original design and the practice of the Christian Churches, yet will not for- 
bid those to use the imitation of them whose judgment and inclination 
leads them to do so. — 1765, p. 345. 



648 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

c. The Committee appointed to converse with the parties in the Second 
Presbyterian Church in this city differing about psalmody, report : " That 
they have taken opportunities of conversing with both parties, so far as 
the time and circumstances would permit, and that they do not think the 
Synod should directly judge of the merits of the appeal, so as to affirm or 
disapprove the several distinct propositions laid down by the Presbytery 
in their judgment; but as there is not now time to consider fully the dif- 
ferent versions of the Psalms in question, and there are minutes of Synod 
formerly which countenance congregations in determining this matter 
according to their own choice, they cannot make any order to forbid the 
congregation to continue the practice now begun." Which being con- 
sidered was approved ; and the Synod on this occasion think proper earn- 
estly to recommend to both parties peace and harmony, and to forbear all 
harsh sentiments and expressions, and in particular that neither of them 
intimate that either of the versions in question is unfit to be sung in Chris- 
tian worship.— 1773, p. 448. 

d. A motion was made in the following terms, viz.: " Whereas the 
nearest uniformity that is practicable in the external modes of divine 
worship is to be desired, and the using different books of psalmody is mat- 
ter of offence, not only to Presbyterians of different denominations, but 
also to many congregations under our care ; it is queried, if the Synod 
might not choose out, and order some of their number to take the assist- 
ance of all the versions in our power, and compose for us a version more 
suitable to our circumstances and taste than any we yet have;" which, 
having been read, and seconded, after some conversation thereon, the 
question was put, whether to appoint a Committee, or defer, and was car- 
ried by a small majority to appoint. Whereupon Dr. Allison, Dr. David- 
son, Dr. Ewing, Mr. Blair and Mr. Jones, were appointed a Committee 
for that purpose, who are to make report of their diligence herein at our 
next meeting. — 1785, p. 513. 

[Apparently in consequence of this appointment the following minute 
was adopted :] 

e. The Synod did allow, and do hereby allow, that Dr. Watts's imita- 
tion of David's Psalms, as revised by Mr. Barlow, be sung in the churches 
and families under their care. — 1787, p. 535. 

/. In respect to the psalmody, the Synod have allowed the use of the 
imitation of" the Psalms of David for many years, to such congregations 
as choose them, and still allow of the same, but they are far from disap- 
proving of Rouse's version, commonly called the Old Psalms, in those 
who were in the use of them and chose them, but are of opinion that 
either may be used by the churches, as each congregation may judge most 
for their peace and edification, and therefore highly disapprove of public, 
severe and unchristian censures being passed upon either of the systems 
of psalmody, and recommend it to all ministers in those parts of the 
Church, to be more tender and charitable on these heads. — 1787, p. 537. 

2. "Watts' Hymns Allowed. — Dwig-ht's Revision Approved and 

Allowed. 

Wiereas, The version of the Psalms made by Dr. Watts, has heretofore 
been allowed in the congregations under the care of the General Assem- 
bly, it is now thought expedient that the hymns of Dr. Watts be also 
allowed ; and they are accordingly hereby allowed in such congregations 
as may think it expedient to use them in public and social worship; and 
whereas, the Rev. Dr. Timothy D wight, by order of the General Associa- 



OF THE SINGING OF PSALMS. 649 

tion of Connecticut, has revised the version of the Psalms made by Dr. 
Watts, and versified a number omitted by him, and has also made a selec- 
tion of hymns from various authors, which, together with the Psalms, 
were intended to furnish a system of psalmody for the use of churches 
and families, which system has been revised and recommended by a joint 
Committee of the General Assembly and the General Association of Con- 
necticut heretofore appointed, as well as examined and approved by a 
Committee of this present Assembly ; the said system is hereby cheerfully 
allowed in such congregations and churches as may think it for edification 
to adopt and use the same. — 1802, p. 249. 

3. Use of other Psalms and Hymns not Forbidden. — Sessions and 
Presbyteries to take Supervision. 

Your Committee are of opinion, that the General Assembly of the year 
1802, in their resolution on this subject, did not intend that the churches 
under their care should use no other psalms and hymns than those speci- 
fied in the resolution. It is further the opinion of your Committee, that 
when any families or congregations in their religious worship make use of 
hymns containing erroneous doctrine or trivial matter, it becomes the duty 
of church sessions and Presbyteries to inquire into the matter, and act as 
the case may require. Approved. — 1806, p. 360. 

4. Book of " Psalms and Hymns." 

[In 1819, p. 716, the subject of psalmody was considered, and referred 
to the next Assembly. The Committee appointed by the Assembly of 
1820, Drs. Caldwell and Komeyn, and Mr. Andrew Wylie, presented the 
following report, which was adopted :] 

Psalmody has in all ages been considered a most important part of the 
worship of God. The Church, therefore, has ever been careful to preserve 
its purity for the edification of her members ; whilst they who have de- 
parted from the faith once delivered to the saints, have availed them- 
selves of it to accomplish their divisive plans with the best success. Mind- 
ful of their duty in this matter, the General Assembly have, from time 
to time, authorized the use of Rouse's version of the book of Psalms, 
Watts's imitation of the Psalms of David, with his three books of hymns, 
Barlow's alterations of, and additions to Watts's imitation, and Dwight's 
revision of Watts, with his additional versifications and collections of 
hymns, in the churches under their care. 

Whilst the Committee grant that each of these systems of psalmody 
has its excellences, they respectfully recommend that one uniform system 
of psalmody be prepared, under the direction of the Assembly, for the use 
of the churches under their care. They believe that the time has come 
when such a measure may be adopted without offending any of our 
churches, and with the prospect of complete success. 

If they are correct in this belief, of which the Assembly must judge, it 
appears to them that uniformity in this matter will furnish a strong bond 
of peace and harmony between the different sections of our Church. 

The Committee further recommend that this uniform system of psalm- 
ody consist of two parts, viz. : 

I. A compilation of metrical versions of the book of Psalms, adhering 
to the order and connection of the same as far as practicable. 

In this compilation the preference ought to be given to the authorized 
versions now in use, so far as the poetry and conformity to the text allow. 
The Committee, in recommending this compilation, disavow any design 
82 



650 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

of committing the Assembly on the difference of opinion which exists 
about the book of Psalms. They also wish it to be distinctly understood 
that they do not disapprove of Watts. But they think that a compila- 
tion, such as is recommended, if judiciously executed, will satisfy the 
friends of Dr. Watts's imitation, and the advocates of the exclusive author- 
ity of the book of Psalms. 

II. A copious collection of hymns and spiritual songs from various au- 
thors, giving the preference to those now authorized, so far as good taste, 
sound sense and enlightened piety admit. 

Such a system of psalmody, the Committee think, besides producing 
harmony among ourselves in this part of public worship, will tend to en- 
large that growing disposition among Christians of different denomina- 
tions, to union of exertions for promoting the kingdom of Christ. 

They therefore submit the following resolutions, viz. : 

1. That a Committee be appointed to digest and prepare a uniform sys- 
tem of psalmody, as recommended in this report ; the whole, when pre- 
pared agreeably to the views of the Committee, to be submitted to the 
General Assembly for their adoption. 

2. That the Committee appointed to carry this resolution into effect be 
authorized to procure, at the expense of the Assembly, such versions of 
the Book of Psalms, and such collections of hymns and sacred songs, as 
they may deem necessary. 

The Assembly appointed Drs. Romeyn, Alexander, Nott, Blatchford 
and Spring, a Committee to prepare and digest a system of psalmody, as 
recommended in the foregoing report. — 1820, p. 740. 

The Committee finally, after being enlarged from time to time, reported, 
when it was — 

a. Resolved, That the Book of Psalms and Hymns, with the alterations 
and additions submitted by the Committee, be approved by the Assembly, 
and its use in the worship of God be authorized in all the churches under 
its care.— 1830, p. 306. 

In the Assembly of 1838, O. S., a Committee was appointed to revise 
the Assembly's edition of the " Psalms and Hymns." Their action was 
finally approved by the Assembly, and it was — 

b. Resolved, That the Book of Psalms and Hymns reported by the 
Committee of Psalmody, be approved, and authorized to be used in all 
our churches. 

That such portion of our standards be appended to such portion of any 
future edition of the Book of Psalmody as shall be deemed expedient by 
the Board of Publication. 

That the whole, or such portion of the common translation of the 
psalms, without note or comment, accompanied as far as may be by ap- 
propriate music, be appended to such portion of one edition of said Book 
of Psalmody as may appear expedient to the Board of Publication. — 
1843, p. 194, O. S. 

[See also Baird's Collection, Revised Edition, pp. 211, 213.] 

5. The "Church. Psalmist." 

[In the Assembly of 1840, N. S.— ] 

a. On motion of Dr. Cox, the whole subject of psalmody, with the pro- 
curing and furnishing an edition of psalms and hymns for our general 
use in a way involving no pecuniary responsibility to the Assembly, was 
referred to the Consulting Committee for their deliberation and action, as 
they may deem proper and practicable. — 1840, p. 24. 



OF THE SIXGIXG OF PSALMS. 651 

On the report of this Committee, the General Assembly recommended 
the "Church Psalmist," prepared by Dr. X. S. Beman, to the churches un- 
der our care, leaving them, at the same time, free to continue the books 
now in use, if they deem it most for edification. — 1843, pp. 21, 22, N. S. 

[The Assembly of 1846, inter alia—'] 

Resolved, That it is earnestly recommended to the churches in connec- 
tion with this Assembly, for the purpose of carrying out the matured 
action of our highest ecclesiastical judicatories, and thus securing uni- 
formity, an increasing revenue, and the possession of a work of high 
intrinsic merit, whenever they deem it best to make a change in the 
psalmody, to adopt the book of the Assembly. — 1846, p. 19, N. S. 

[See also New Digest, pp. 580-583.] 

[In 1855, p. 32, and again in 1856, p. 215, the Publication Committee 
was authorized and directed to purchase the Church Psalmist, if it could 
be done on reasonable terms. In 1857, p. 435, the Committee reported to 
the Assembly the purchase of the Book, upon which the Assembly — ] 

b. Resolved, That we recognize with gratitude to God the completion of 
the labors of the Publication Committee, by which the Assembly is fur- 
nished with a book of psalmody which they can call their own ; the profits 
of which will materially aid the funds of the Church in the Publication 
cause ; and the Assembly hereby recommend to the pastors and the 
churches that they use all reasonable diligence in promoting uniformity 
by the introduction of this book. 

c. Resolved, That the preparation of an appendix to the Church Psalm- 
ist of such hymns as may be necessary to make the work complete be com- 
mitted to N. S. S. Beman, D. D., Rev. Albert Barnes and S. W. Fisher, 
D.D., and that this Committee report to the next General Assembly. — 
1857, pp. 410, 411, N. S. 

[The Committee were directed to report to the Publication Committee 
(Minutes, 1858, p. 585), by whom the supplement was published, and the 
book thus completed.] — 1859, p. 38, ib. 

II. In singing the praises of God, we are to sing with the spirit, 
and with the understanding also; making melody in our hearts unto 
the Lord. It is also proper, that we cultivate some knowledge of the 
rules of music ; that we may praise God in a becoming manner with 
our voices, as well as with our hearts. 

1. The Book of Tunes. 

Resolved, That a Committee of three be appointed by the Publication 
Committee to prepare a Book of Tunes adapted to the Church Psalmist, 
and that this Committee be instructed to consult and correspond with pas- 
tors and leaders of choirs in the churches, as to the particular tunes most 
in use and most popular in the congregations, and that this Committee 
report to the next General Assembly. — 1857, p. 410, N. S. 

[The Committee reported progress to the Assembly in 1858. The book, 
"The Eclectic Tune Book," was laid before the Assembly in 1860, p. 246.] 

2. "The Hymnal." 

[In consequence of overtures from various Presbyteries, the Assembly 
of 1863, O. 8., appointed a Committee to take the whole subject into con- 
sideration, and report to the next Assembly. This Committee reported 
on the whole subject, and the Assembly — ] 



652 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

Resolved, 1. That a selection of psalms and hymns be made from our 
present book and from other sources, and published with suitable tunes; 
and that all the hymns in this new selection, which are not in our present 
book, be published as a supplement for the use of those who prefer it; and 
that the hymns in the new selection, in addition to their own numbers, 
shall retain the numbers in the old book, so that both may be used in the 
same congregation without embarrassment. 

2. That in accordance with the recommendation of previous Assemblies, 
and responsive to the wish of many in the Church, there shall be made a 
careful selection from the Bible of passages to be arranged for chanting ; 
and that this shall be fitted to be bound both with the selection of hymns 
and tunes, and with the supplement, at the option of the churches. 

3. That the volumes thus provided for shall be furnished with ample 
indices after the style of the best improvements in this respect. 

4. That a Committee of five be appointed by this Assembly, who shall 
have power to employ all needful talent and means, at the expense of the 
Board of Publication, for the accomplishment of these ends as perfectly 
and speedily as possible, and report the result to some future Assembly. 

5. That the Board of Publication be instructed to defray the personal 
expenses of the present Committee incurred in performing this service. — 
1864, p. 293, O. S. 

[The Committee called for by the fourth resolution consisted of Drs. 
John M. Krebs, J. Trumbull Backus, Kobert Davidson, J. E. Rockwell 
and Willis Lord.] 

[By the Assembly of 1865, O. S., the Committee was directed to insert in 
the new book the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments and the Lord's 
Prayer ; also the Shorter Catechism and Directory for Worship, 1865, p. 
532. The book was reported to the Assembly of 1866, together with a 
full report upon the whole subject. Whereupon the Assembly] 

Resolved, 1. That the report be adopted and printed in the Appendix to 
the Minutes. See 1866, pp. 107-112. 

2. That this Assembly approve the Hymnal as published, and allow the 
same to be used in all our churches ; but it is not required that it shall 
supersede the books in present use. — 1866, p. 95, O. S. 

3. " Social Hymn and Tune Book." 

[" The Social Hymn and Tune Book " was prepared by the Publication 
Committee under the direction of the General Assembly, and laid before 
it in 1866, when it was] 

Resolved, That the "Social Hymn and Tune Book," recently published 
by the Committee, be commended as pre-eminently adapted to social and 
congregational worship. — 1866, p. 272, K S. 

4. Report on Sacred Music— The Hymnal Commended. 

The Assembly took from the docket the report of the Committee on 
Sacred Music, which was unanimously adopted, and is as follows : 

The Committee of Five, "appointed to prepare and report to this Gen- 
eral Assembly such suggestions or measures as may to them seem most 
timely and expedient for the encouragement of a more devotional charac- 
ter in church music, and especially in instrumental and vocal voluntaries, 
and for the suppression and exclusion of all musical performances which 
are inconsistent with the proprieties of the Sabbath and of the sanctuary," 
respectfully report, for adoption by this General Assembly, the following 
deliverance, to wit: 

The service of song, which God has made a part of the worship of his 



OP THE SINGING- OF PSALMS. 653 

holy house, when properly performed, has power for good over human 
hearts, promoting our growth and his glory. The grand object of all 
music, which has a proper place in the services of the Sabbath and sanc- 
tuary, is, and must be, to inspire and express devotion ; the introduction 
of choirs or musical instruments can be justified only as they serve this 
end, and aid or accompany sacred song; and no display of artistic skill, no 
delicacy of vocal training, no measure of musical ability, compensates for 
the violation, or even neglect, of the proprieties of divine worship. The 
Assembly, therefore, cannot observe, without serious concern, the great 
and growing evil, that the music of the sanctuary, instead of ministering 
to the praise of God, should so often be perverted to carnal ends, being 
secular in character and associations, unsuited to congregational use, cal- 
culated to dissipate devotional feeling, and wholly incongruous with the 
services of God's house. 

The conduct of so important a part of divine worship should be com- 
mitted only to those who respect religion, and, as far as practicable, to 
those who are in communion with the church, and amenable to its juris- 
diction. They should adapt their selections of music, whether vocal or 
instrumental, to the awakening of devotional feeling, the deepening of 
religious impressions, and the expression of the sentiment embodied in the 
psalms and hymns, that the entire music of God's house may harmonize 
with the service of which it is a part, being conducted with due gravity, 
solemnity and reverence. It is recommended also that, as far as possible, 
meetings for rehearsal or mere musical practice be held during the week 
rather than on the Lord's day, that undue offence be not given to the con- 
sciences of Christian brethren, and that temptation to Sabbath desecration 
be not needlessly incurred. 

The Assembly would remind the churches that the Scriptures nowhere 
recognize the service of song as to be performed by the few in behalf of 
the many ; but teach us that the Lord delights in the " praise of all the 
people." This being the only part of his worship in which they distinctly 
and audibly unite, it is especially desirable that, as far as may be, the 
whole congregation shall engage therein ; and, even when unfamiliar tunes 
are sung, it should not be without due reference to preparing the people 
for a more general participation. Moreover, while such advance is being 
made in the knowledge of the science and culture of the art of music, we 
w 7 ould enjoin, in the language of our " Directory for Worship," chap, iv., 
sec. ii., that due attention be given to the study of "the rules of music," 
especially by the young, in order to a more intelligent and appreciative 
interest in this delightful part of God's worship. 

In a former resolution upon a subject kindred to this (Assembly's 
Digest, page 197), the General Assembly called the attention of pastors 
and church sessions to the important fact that according to our standards 
"the whole internal arrangement of a church, as to worship and order, 
is committed to them." Form of Government, chap, ix., sec. vi. ; Direct- 
ory of Worship, chap, iv., sec. iv. Being thus responsible to God and the 
Church for the purity and propriety of this part of divine worship, they 
are to exercise a careful oversight thereof, that its sacred and devotional 
character be ever maintained. In so doing they are urged by this Assem- 
bly to cultivate a kind and fraternal spirit toward those who lead the 
music of the sanctuary, and to manifest an affection and appreciative inte- 
rest in any endeavors they may make to improve the character of this ser- 
vice, to the end that harmony may be promoted, " and all things be done 
unto edifying." 

The Hymnal in its present enlarged and completed form having been 



654 THE DIEECTOEY FOE WOESHIP. 

adopted and recommended to the churches by this Assembly, its early 
introduction will, it is believed, contribute to render participation in this 
service of song more devout, uniform and general. Particular atten- 
tion is called to the scriptural selections, arranged as chants, which adapt 
the book to a variety of tastes and preferences; and while the Assem- 
bly thus sends forth upon its sacred mission this, its new book of praise, 
our devout hope and prayer is, that to it may be granted the high honor 
of promoting the ends of true worship, aiding " the service of song in the 
house of the Lord," and helping his people " to sing with the spirit and 
with the understanding, making melody in their hearts to the Lord."— 
1867, p. 365, O. S. 

III. The whole congregation should be furnished with books, and 
ought to join in this part of worship. It is proper to sing without 
parceling out the psalm, line by line. The practice of reading the 
psalm, line by line, was introduced in times of ignorance, when many 
in the congregation could not read : therefore, it is recommended, that 
it be laid aside, as far as convenient. 

IV. The proportion of the time of public worship to be spent in 
singing, is left to the prudence of every minister : but it is recom- 
mended, that more time be allowed for this excellent part of divine 
service than has been usual in most of our churches. 

a. Church Music is under the Control of the Session. 

[In reply to an overture from the Synod of Cincinnati on the subject 
of instrumental music, the following minute was adopted :] 

Whereas, By our Constitution (Form of Government, chap, ix., sec. vi., 
and Directory for Worship, chap, iv., sec. iv.), the whole internal arrange- 
ment of a church, as to worship and order, is committed to the minister 
and session ; therefore, 

Resolved, That this Assembly do not feel themselves called upon and 
obliged to take any further order on this subject, but leave to each ses- 
sion the delicate and important matter of arranging and conducting the 
music as to them shall seem most for edification, recommending great 
caution, prudence and forbearance in regard to it. — 1845, pp. 21, 22, O. S. 

b. A memorial asking the Assembly " to define the rights of a session 
of a church in regard to the singing in the house of God," answered by 
referring to the above action. — 1858, p. 281, O. S. See also Form of 
Government, chap, ix., sec. vi., and sec. ii., above. 



OF PUBLIC PRAYER. 655 



CHAPTER V. 

OF PUBLIC PRAYER. 



I. It seems very proper to begin the public worship of the sanc- 
tuary by a short prayer; humbly adoring; the infinite majesty of the 
living God ; expressing a sense of our distance from him as creatures, 
and un worthiness as sinners ; and humbly imploring his gracious 
presence, the assistance of his Holy Spirit in the duties of his wor- 
ship, and his acceptance of us through the merits of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ. 

II. Then, after singing a psalm, or hymn, it is proper that, before 
sermon, there should be a full and comprehensive prayer. First, 
Adoring the glory and perfections of God, as they are made known 
to us in the works of creation, in the conduct of providence, and in 
the clear and full revelation he hath made of himself in his written 
word. Second, Giving thanks to him for all his mercies of every 
kind, general and particular, spiritual and temporal, common and 
special, above all, for Christ Jesus, his unspeakable gift; and the 
hope of eternal life through him. Third, Making humble confession 
of sin, both original and actual ; acknowledging, and endeavoring to 
impress the mind of every worshiper with, a deep sense of the evil 
of all sin, as such; as being a departure from the living God; and 
also taking a particular and affecting view of the various fruits which 
proceed from this root of bitterness : — as, sins against God, our neigh- 
bor, and ourselves ; sins in thought, in word, and in deed ; sins secret 
and presumptuous ; sins accidental and habitual. Also, the aggrava- 
tions of sin, arising from knowledge, or the means of it ; from dis- 
tinguishing mercies ; from valuable privileges ; from breach of vows, 
etc. Fourth, Making earnest supplication for the pardon of sin, and 
peace with God, through the blood of the atonement, with all its im- 
portant and happy fruits; for the spirit of sanctification, and abun- 
dant supplies of the grace that is necessary to the discharge of our 
duty ; for support and comfort under all the trials to which we are 
liable, as we are sinful and mortal ; and for all temporal mercies that 
may be necessary, in our passage through this valley of tears. Always 
remembering to view them as flowing in the channel of covenant- 
love, and intended to be subservient to the preservation and progress 
of the spiritual life. Fifth, Pleading from every principle warranted 
in Scripture; from our own necessity; the all-sufficiency of God ; 
the merit and intercession of our Saviour; and the glory of God in 



656 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

the comfort and happiness of his people. Sixth, Intercession for 
others, including the whole world of mankind ; the kingdom of 
Christ, or his Church universal; the church or churches with which 
we are more particularly connected ; the interest of human society 
in general, and in that community to which we immediately belong ; 
all that are invested with civil authority; the ministers of the ever- 
lasting gospel; and the rising generation: with whatever else, more 
particular, may seem necessary, or suitable, to the interest of that 
congregation where divine worship is celebrated. 

III. Prayer after sermon, ought generally to have a relation to the 
subject that has been treated of in the discourse; and all other public 
prayers, to the circumstances that gave occasion for them. 

IV. It is easy to perceive, that in all the preceding directions there 
is a very great compass and variety; and it is committed to the judg- 
ment and fidelity of the officiating pastor to insist chiefly on such 
parts, or to take in more or less of the several parts, as he shall be 
led to by the aspect of Providence, the particular state of the congre- 
gation in which he officiates, or the disposition and exercise of his 
own heart at the time. But we think it necessary to observe, that 
although we do not approve, as is well known, of confining ministers 
to set or fixed forms of prayer for public worship; yet it is the indis- 
pensable duty of every minister, previously to his entering on his 
office, to prepare and qualify himself for this part of his duty, as well 
as for preaching. He ought, by a thorough acquaintance with the 
Holy Scriptures, by reading the best writers on the subject, by medi- 
tation, and by a life of communion with God in secret, to endeavor to 
acquire both the spirit and the gift of prayer. Not only so, but when 
he is to enter on particular acts of worship, he should endeavor to 
compose his spirit, and to digest his thoughts for prayer, that it may 
be performed with dignity and propriety, as well as to the profit of 
those who join in it; and that he may not disgrace that important 
service by mean, irregular, or extravagant effusions. 

Liturgical Forms not Needed. 

A paper from the Synod of Albany, containing some suggestions or 
resolutions in relation to the use of liturgical forms of worship, which they 
desire to be adopted by this General Assembly, was considered by your 
Committee this morning, when it was — 

Resolved, That, as the usages and forms of the Presbyterian Church 
have been so uniform and acceptable for years past, from their scriptural 
simplicity; and as no extensive departure from, or change of, these usages 
and forms is likely to take place in the Presbyterian denomination, there- 
fore it is the judgment of this Committee that no action by this Assembly 
is at present demanded. — 1867, p. 498, N. S. 

Resolved, That the practice of responsive reading of the Scriptures 



OF THE PREACHING OF THE VfOED. 057 

iu the public worship of the sanctuary is unwise in itself, and especially 
dangerous in this day. when it becomes the Church to withstand the tend- 
ency so strongly manifested in many places, to a liturgical and ritualistic 
service.— 1869, p. 926, 0. S. 



CHAPTER VI 
OF THE PREACHING OF THE WORD. 

I. The preaching of the Word being an institution of God for the 
salvation of men, great attention should be paid to the manner of per- 
forming it. Every minister ought to give diligent application to it; 
and endeavor to prove himself a workman that needeth not to be 

ashamed : rightly dividing the word of truth. 

Reading- Sermons. 

a. It is further enjoined that all our ministers and probationers forbear 
reading their sermons from the pulpit, if they can convenientlv. — 1761, 
p. 309. 

b. The General Assembly has reason to believe that the practice of 
reading sermons in the pulpit is greatly on the increase amongst our min- 
isters, and being decidedly of the opinion that it is not the best method of 
preaching the gospel, it hereby recommends the discontinuance of the 
practice as tar as possible, and earnestly exhorts our younger ministers to 
adopt a different method, as more scriptural and effective. — 1841, d. 448, 
O. S. 

c. Whereas, This General Assembly has reason to believe that the prac- 
tice of reading sermons in the pulpit is on the increase amongst our min- 
isters : and being decidedly of opinion that it is not the most effective and 
acceptable method of preaching the gospel; therefore, 

Resolved, That we do earnestly repeat the recommendation of the As- 
sembly of 1841, that this practice be discontinued as far as practicable: 
and affectionately exhort our younger ministers and candidates for the 
ministry to adopt a different method as more scriptural and effective, and 
more generally acceptable to God's people." — 1849, p. 271, 0. S. 

II. The subject of a sermon should be some verse or verses of Scrip- 
ture : and its object, to explain, defend and apply some part of the sys- 
tem of divine truth; or. to point out the nature, and state the bounds 
and obligation, of some duty. A text should not be merely a motto, 
but should fairly contain the doctrine proposed to be handled. It is 
proper also that large portions of Scripture be sometimes expounded, 
and particularly improved, for the instruction of the people in the 
meaning and use of the Sacred Oracles. 

Expository Preaching Commended. 

That in the discharge of pastoral duties they take the utmost care that 
the word of God be known and understood by the people, and that for 
S3 



658 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

this purpose, in their public instructions, the practice of lecturing on cer- 
tain portions of the Scripture be not laid aside, but rather revived and 
increased.— 1799, p. 182. 

III. The method of preaching requires much study, meditation, 
and prayer. Ministers ought, in general, to prepare their sermons 
with care ; and not to indulge themselves in loose, extemporary ha- 
rangues ; nor to serve God with that which cost them naught They 
ought, however, to keep to the simplicity of the Gospel ; expressing 
themselves in language agreeable to Scripture, and level to the under- 
standing of the meanest of their hearers ; carefully avoiding ostenta- 
tion, either of parts or learning. They ought also to adorn, by their 
lives, the doctrine which they teach ; and to be examples to the be- 
lievers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in 
purity. 

IV. As one primary design of public ordinances is to pay social 
acts of homage to the Most High God, ministers ought to be careful 
not to make their sermons so long as to interfere with, or exclude, the 
more important duties of prayer and praise; but preserve a just pro- 
portion between the several parts of public worship. 

V. The sermon being ended, the minister is to pray, and return 
thanks to Almighty God; then let a psalm be sung; a collection 
raised for the poor, or other purposes of the church ; and the assem- 
bly dismissed with the apostolic benediction. 

"VI. It is expedient, that no person be introduced to preach in any 
of the churches under our care, unless by the consent of the pastor, 
or church session. 



CHAPTER VII. 

OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF BAPTISM. 

I. Baptism is not to be unnecessarily delayed; nor to be admin- 
istered, in any case, by any private person ; but by a minister of 
Christ, called to be the steward of the mysteries of God. 

1. Age of Infancy not Determined. 

The Committee to which was referred the question, "At what age ought 
children to be considered too old to be baptized on the faith of their 
parents?" reported the following answer; which, being read, was adopted, 
viz. : 

The precise time of life when the state of infancy ceases, is not deter- 
mined in the word of God, nor by the standards of our Church, and, from 



OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF BAPTISM. 659 

the nature of the case, is incapable of being regulated by any uniform 
rule, but should be left to the judgment of ministers and sessions, to be 
determined according to the particular circumstances of each case. The 
Assembly, therefore, deem it inexpedient to attempt to fix the precise time 
at which children ought to be considered too old to be baptized on the 
faith of their parents. — 1822, p. 53, 

2. Baptism by an Impostor Null and Invalid. 

Whereas, A certain person pretending at Egg Harbor to be a minister 
regularly ordained among the Presbyterians, under that character bap- 
tized some adults and infants, and it appearing to the Synod that his pre- 
tences were false, having at that time no license or ordination, it is our ' 
opinion that all the gospel ordinances he administered under that false 
and pretended character are null and invalid. — 1752, p. 249. 

3. By a Profligate.— Cases to be Judged of by the Session. 

The following question was proposed by the Committee of Overtures, 
viz. : 

Ought such persons to be rebaptized as have been offered in baptism by 
notoriously profligate parents, and baptized by ministers of the same de- 
scription ? 

Resolved, That it is a principle of the Church that the unworthiness of 
the ministers of the gospel does not invalidate the ordinances of religion 
dispensed by them. It is also a principle that as long as any denomina- 
tion of Christians is acknowledged by us a Church of Christ, we ought 
to hold the ordinances dispensed by it as valid, notwithstanding the 
unworthiness of particular ministers. Yet, inasmuch as no general rule 
can be made to embrace all circumstances, there may be irregularities in 
particular administrations by men not yet divested of their office, either 
in this or in other churches, which may render them null and void. But 
as these irregularities must often result from circumstances and situations 
that cannot be anticipated and pointed out in the rule, they must be left 
to be judged of by the prudence and wisdom of church sessions, and the 
higher judicatories to which they may be referred. In such cases, it may 
be advisable to administer the ordinance of baptism in a regular manner, 
where a profane exhibition of the ceremony may have been attempted. 
These cases and circumstances, however, are to be inquired into by the 
church sessions, and referred to a Presbytery before a final decision. — 
1790, p. 26. 

4. Unitarian Baptism. 

o. A person who had been baptized in infancy by Dr. Priestly ap- 
plied for admission to the Lord's table. Should the baptism administered 
by Dr. Priestly, then a Unitarian, be considered valid ? 

Resolved, That this question be answered in the negative. 

In the present state of our country, whilst Unitarian errors in various 
forms are making their insidious approaches ; whilst the advocates of this 
heresy in many cases are practicing a system of concealment, and insinu- 
ating themselves into the confidence of multitudes who have no suspicion 
of their defection from the faith, the Assembly feel it to be their duty to 
speak without reserve. 

It is the deliberate and unanimous opinion of this Assembly that those 
who renounce the fundamental doctrine of the Trinity, and deny that 
lesus Christ is the same in substance, equal in power and glory with 



660 THE DIEECTOEY FOE WOESHIP. 

the Father, cannot be recognized as ministers of the gospel ; and that their 
ministrations are wholly invalid. — 1814, p. 549. 

b. "Whether baptism, administered by the denomination of "Disciples" 
(usually styled Campbellites), ought to be regarded as valid. 

Answered in the negative. — 1864, p. 316, O. S. 

5. By a Minister after he is Deposed. 

A reference from the Presbytery of Hudson, requesting of the Assem- 
bly an answer to the following question, was received and read, viz. : 

Is baptism administered by a minister after he is deposed from office 
valid? 

Resolved, That in answer to this question, the Presbytery be referred to 
chap, vii., sec. i., of the Directory for Public Worship. — 1819, p. 701. 

6. By a Suspended Minister. 

The following overture was presented by the Committee of Overtures, 
viz. : " Can a Presbytery consistently acknowledge as valid the ordinance 
of baptism as administered by those who are regularly suspended by a 
higher judicatory of the Church? 

" If not, how are we to regard the baptism of the Cumberland Presby- 
terians ?" 

The Assembly resumed the consideration of the report of the Commit- 
tee on the overture respecting the Cumberland Presbyterians. After con- 
siderable discussion, the report of the Committee was adopted, and is as 
follows, viz. : 

1. That in the opinion of this Assembly, ministers of the Presbyterian 
Church, when regularly suspended by the competent judicatories, have no 
right to exercise the functions of a minister during that suspension, 

2. That while those persons styling themselves the Cumberland Presby- 
tery were under suspension, their administrations are to be considered as in- 
valid ; but after the General Assembly have declared them to be no longer 
connected with our Church, their administrations are to be viewed in the 
same light with those of other denominations not connected with our 
body. This decision is grounded on the opinion that the Act of the As- 
sembly of 1814 precluded the propriety of deposition, or any other pro- 
cess in the case. — 1825, pp. 145, 156. 

7. The Question, Is Baptism in the Church of Rome Valid ? an- 
swered in the Negative. 

a. The question presented to this Assembly by overture from the Pres- 
bytery of Ohio, " Is baptism in the Church of Rome valid t" is one of a 
very grave character, and of deep practical importance. The answer to 
it must involve principles vital to the peace, the purity and the stability 
of the Church of God. 

After a full discussion, carried through several days, this Assembly has 
decided, by a nearly unanimous vote [173 yeas to 8 nays], that baptism 
so administered is not valid. 

b. Because, since baptism is an ordinance established by Christ in his 
Church (Form Gov., chap, vii., Matt, xxviii., 19, 20), and is to be admin- 
istered only by a minister of Christ, duly called and ordained to be a 
steward of the mysteries of God (Directory, chap, vii., sec. i.), it follows 
that no rite administered by one who is not himself a duly ordained minis- 
ter of the true Church of God visible, can be regarded as an ordinance of 



OF THE ADMINISTKATION OF BAPTISM. 661 

Christ, whatever be the name by which it is called, whatever the form em- 
ployed in its administration. The so-called priests of the Romish com- 
munion are not ministers of Christ, for they are commissioned as agents 
of the papal hierarchy, which is not a Church of Christ, but the Man of 
Sin, apostate from the truth, the enemy of righteousness and of God. She 
has long lain under the curse of God, who has called his people to come 
out from her, that they be not partakers of her plagues. 

c. It is the unanimous opinion of all the Reformed Churches, that the 
whole papal body, though once a branch of the visible Church, has long 
since become utterly corrupt, and hopelessly apostate. It was a convic- 
tion of this which led to the Reformation, and the complete separation of 
the Reformed body from the papal communion. Luther and his coadju- 
tors, being duly ordained presbyters at the time when they left the Romish 
communion, which then, though fearfully corrupt, was the only visible 
Church in the countries of their abode, were fully authorized by the word 
of God, to ordain successors in the ministry, and so to extend and perpet- 
uate the Reformed Churches as true Churches of Christ, while the contu- 
macious adherence of Rome to her corruptions, as shown in the decisions 
of the Council of Trent (which she adopts as authoritative), cuts her off 
from the visible Church of Christ, as heretical and unsound. This was 
the opinion of the Reformers, and it is the doctrine of the Reformed 
Churches to this day. In entire accordance to this is the decision of the 
General Assembly of our Church, passed in 1835 (see Minutes of General 
Assembly, vol. 8, p. 33), declaring the Church of Rome to be an apostate 
body. 

d. The decision by the Assembly of 1835, renders the return of a nega- 
tive to the inquiry proposed by the Presbytery of Ohio, indispensable on 
the ground of consistency; unless we are prepared to admit, in direct con- 
tradiction to the standards of the Presbyterian Church, that baptism is 
not an ordinance established by Christ in his Church exclusively, and that 
it may be administered by an agent of the Man of Sin, an emissary of 
the prince of darkness ; that it may be administered in sport or in blas- 
phemy, and yet be valid as though administered by a duly commissioned 
steward of the mysteries of God. 

e. Nor can it be urged that the papal hierarchy is improving in her 
character, and gradually approximating to the scriptural standard. She 
claims to be infallible: her dogmas she promulgates as the doctrines of 
heaven ; and she pronounces her heaviest anathema against any and every 
man who questions her authority, and refuses to bow to her decisions. 
She cannot recede from the ground she has assumed. She has adopted as 
her own, the decisions of the Council of Trent, which degrade the word 
of God ; which claim equal authority for the Apocrypha as for the New 
Testament; and which declare the sense held and taught by holy mother 
Church, on the authority of tradition and of the Fathers, to be the true 
and only sense of Scripture. All who deny this position, or who question 
her authority, she denounces with the bitterest curses. 

/. She thus perverts the truth of God ; she rejects the doctrine of justi- 
fication by faith ; she substitutes human merit for the righteousness of 
Christ; and self-inflicted punishment for gospel repentance: she proclaims 
her so-called baptism to be regeneration, and the reception of the conse- 
crated wafer in the eucharist, to be the receiving of Christ himself, the 
source and fountain of grace, and with him all the grace he can impart. 
Is this the truth? Is reliance on this system, true religion? ('an, then, 
the papal body be a Church ? 

g. The Church (i. e., the Church visible), as defined in our standards, is 



662 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

the whole body of those persons, together with their children, who make 
profession of the holy religion of Christ, and of submission to his laws. 
(Form Gov., chap, ii., sec. ii.) As certainly then, as the dogmas and prac- 
tices of papal Rome are not the holy religion of Christ, must it be con- 
ceded, that the papal body is not a Church of Christ at all ; and if not, 
then her agents, be they styled priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals or 
pope, are not ministers of Christ in any sense ; for they have no connec- 
tion with his true visible Church ; and not being true ministers of Christ, 
they have no power to administer Christian ordinances, and the rite they 
call baptism, is not, in any sense, to be regarded as valid Christian bap- 
tism. 

h. Further, by the perverted meaning they affix, and the superstitious 
rites they have superadded to the ceremonies they perform under the name 
of baptism and the eucharist, the symbolical nature and true design of both 
the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper are lost sight of and 
utterly destroyed — so that, could we by any possibility assign to her the 
name of a Church, she would still be a Church without the two grand ordi- 
nances of the gospel ; she neither administers Christian baptism, nor cele- 
brates the Supper of our Lord. 

i. Moreover, since, by the 11th canon of the Council of Trent, she de- 
clares the efficacy of her ordinances to depend upon the intention of the 
administrator, no man can know with certainty that her form of adminis- 
tration in any ordinance is not a mere mockery : no consistent papist can 
be certain that he has been duly baptized, or that he has received the ver- 
itable eucharist: he cannot know, that the priest who officiates at his altar 
is a true priest, nor that there is actually any one true priest, or any one 
prelate rightly consecrated in the whole papal communion. The papal 
hierarchy has by her own solemn act shrouded all her doings in uncer- 
tainty, and enveloped all her rites in hopeless obscurity. Even on this 
ground alone, the validity of her baptism might safely be denied. 

j. Nor is the fact that instances now and then occur of apparent piety 
in the members of her communion, and of intelligence, zeal and conscien- 
tiousness in some of her priests, any ground of objection against the po- 
sition here taken by this Assembly. The virtues of individuals do not 
purify the body of which they are members. We are to judge of the 
character of a body claiming to be a Church of Christ — not by the opin- 
ions or practices of its individual members, but by its standards and its 
allowed practices. Bound as he is by the authority of his Church — and 
that on pain of her heaviest malediction — to understand the Scriptures 
only in the sense in which his Church understands and explains them, a 
consistent papist cannot receive or hold the true religion, or the doctrines 
of grace. If he does, he must either renounce the papacy, or hypocritic- 
ally conceal his true sentiments, or he must prepare to brave the thunders 
of her wrath. True religion and an intelligent adherence to papal Rome 
are utterly imcompatible and impossible. The Church and the papacy 
are the repelling poles of the moral system. 

k. Difficulties may possibly arise in individual cases. It may not be 
easy at all times to say whether an applicant for admission into the 
Church of Christ has, or has not, been baptized : whether he has been 
christened by a popish pastor or not. In all such doubtful cases the ses- 
sion of a church must act according to the light before them. But it is 
safer and more conducive to peace and edification, to embrace a well 
established principle for our guidance, and act upon it firmly in the fear 
of God, leaving all consequences with him, than to suffer ourselves, with- 
out any fixed principles, to be at the mercy of circumstances. 



OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF BAPTISM. 663 

/. While some other Churches may hesitate to carry out fully the prin- 
ciple of the Reformation, in wholly repudiating popish baptism, as well as 
the popish mass, we, as Presbyterians, feel bound to act on the principle 
laid down by our Assembly so long ago as 1790, that, so long as a body is 
by us recognized as a true Church, are her ordinances to be deemed valid, 
and no longer. 

In 1835 the Assembly declared the papacy to be apostate from Christ, 
and no true Church. As we do not recognize her as a portion of the visi- 
ble Church of Christ, we cannot, consistently, view her priesthood as other 
than usurpers of the sacred functions of the ministry, her ordinances as 
unscriptural, and her baptism as totally invalid. — 1845, pp. 15, 34, O. S. 

8. The Question Indefinitely Postponed. 

The Committee on the Polity of the Church reported an overture from 
the Third Presbytery of New York, which is as follows : 

Is baptism, as administered by the Roman Catholic Church, to be re- 
garded as Christian baptism? [Referred to a Committee — Drs. E. F. Hat- 
field, S. H. Cox and Henry B. Smith — to consider the subject, and report 
to the next General Assembly.] — 1853, p. 342, K S. 

The majority and minority of the Committee each made a report, which 
were discussed at great length. And the whole subject indefinitely post- 
poned.— 1854, p. 512, K S. 

9. The Deliverance of 1845 Affirmed. 

Overture from the Presbytery of Tuscaloosa, asking whether the ordi- 
nance of baptism ought to be administered to a person before reception 
into our Church who presents a certificate of good and regular standing in 
the New School Presbyterian Church, but who has received only Roman 
Catholic baptism. 

The Committee answer that the mere fact that a person has been a 
member of another church has nothing to do with his original baptism. 
The memorialists are referred to the action of the Assembly in 1845. 

Adopted.— 1859, p. 535, O. S. 

10. Ruling- Elders may not Administer Sealing Ordinances. 

Overture from the Presbytery of Peoria on the authority of ruling 
elders to administer sealing ordinances. The Committee recommend that 
they be referred to the Standards, chap, vii., sec. i., and chap, viii., Direct- 
ory for Worship, throughout. 

Adopted.— 1870, p. 22. 

II. It is usually to be administered in the church, in the presence 
of the congregation ; and it is convenient that it be performed im- 
mediately after sermon. 

III. After previous notice is given to the minister, the child to be 
baptized is to be presented, by one or both the parents, signifying 
their desire that the child may be baptized. 

1. Who may be Presented for Baptism. 

a. Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto 
Christ, but also the infants of one or both believing parents are to be bap- 
tized. — Confession of Faith, chap, xxviii., sec. iv. 



664 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

b. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible 
Church, and so strangers from the covenant of promise, till they profess 
their faith in Christ and obedience to him ; but infants descending from 
parents, either both or but one of them, professing faith in Christ and obe- 
dience to him, are, in that respect, within the covenant, and are to be 
baptized. — Larger Catechism, ques. 166 ; Shorter Catechism, ques. 95. 

2. The Duty of Christian Masters to have their Servants Baptized. 

The following case of conscience from Donegal Presbytery was over- 
tured, viz., whether Christian masters or mistresses ought, in duty, to have 
such children baptized as are under their care, though born of parents 
not in the communion of any Christian church. Upon this overture 
Synod are of opinion that Christian masters and mistresses, whose religious 
professions and conduct are such as to give them a right to the ordinance 
of baptism for their own children, may and ought to dedicate the children 
of their household to God in that ordinance when they have no scruple 
of conscience to the contrary. — 1786, p. 527. 

3. Of Christian Slaves to have their Children Baptized. 

It was overtured whether Christian slaves, having children at the entire 
direction of unchristian masters, and not having it in their power to instruct 
them in religion, are bound to have them baptized, and whether a gospel 
minister in this predicament ought to baptize them, and Synod determined 
the question in the affirmative. — 1786, p. 527. 

4. Infant Slaves of Christian Masters. 

Ought baptism, on the profession and promise of the master, to be ad- 
ministered to the children of slaves? 

1. It is the duty of masters who are members of the Church to present 
the children of parents in servitude to the ordinance of baptism, provided 
they are in a situation to train them up in the nurture and admonition 
of the Lord, thus securing to them the rich advantages which the gospel 
provides. 

2. It is the duty of Christ's ministers to inculcate this doctrine, and to 
baptize all children of this description when presented by their masters. — 
1816, p. 617. 

5. Orphan Children of Heathen Parents in the Care of our 

Missions. 

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States 
of America to the Presbytery of Lodiana : 

Dear Brethren : You have submitted to us questions respecting a 
subject which we have no doubt is one of very great importance in regard 
to the progress of religion among the heathen. We have seriously consid- 
ered it, and give you here the result of our deliberations. 

You present to us three questions, to which we reply in the order in 
which the same are presented. 

a. 1. Are all orphan children of heathen parents, committed to the care 
of our missions, entitled to the benefits of the ordinance of baptism with- 
out respect to their ages ? 

We reply, certainly they are not. 

You must make the same distinction that you would make if their pa- 
rents were alive and members of the Christian Church, and desiring to 
have them baptized, the same distinction which is made in Christian coun- 






OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF BAPTISM. 665 

tries. "We add, let those children only be baptized in every case who are 
so committed to the missions, or other Christian tuition, as to secure effect- 
ually their entire religious education. On this point great caution is 
necessary. 

b. 2. You ask (on the presumption that the preceding question is an- 
swered in the negative), Are those only to be baptized who have not at- 
tained to years of discretion ? 

This question we answer in the affirmative. 

c. 3. Your third question is in substance as follows : If those only who 
have not attained to years of discretion are to be baptized, at what age 
shall the federal right be supposed to cease and personal responsibility to 
commence ? 

Although it is not difficult to answer this question in accordance with 
the standards and the practice of the Presbyterian Church, yet the rule 
may frequently be found difficult of application. Our answer to the 
question, however, is : 

The officers of the Church must judge in each particular case whether 
the proposed subject of baptism has arrived at years of discretion or not. 
We can adopt no other rule in our own practice, and we can recommend 
no other to you. We refer you to chap, ix., sec. ii., of our Directory for 
Worship. If the person proposed to be baptized has acquired that ma- 
turity of mind which renders him capable of making an intelligent pro- 
fession of religion himself, he ought not to be baptized on the faith of an- 
other. Our Confession of Faith recognizes the right to baptism of the 
infant children only of such parents as are members of the Church. We 
do not doubt that in heathen countries children of heathen parents ordi- 
narily arrive at what are called years of discretion later than those who 
enjoy the advantages of Christian instruction in early life ; but in a coun- 
try where the religion of all consists in forms and ceremonies, great care 
should be taken that the Christian religion does not even appear to par- 
take of the formality and emptiness of Mohammedanism and Paganism. — 
1843, p. 179, O. S. 

6. Obligations and Qualifications of Parents. 

a. The Synod do also exhort all the ministers within our bounds to take 
due care in the examination of all candidates for baptism, or that offer to 
dedicate their children to God in that sacred ordinance, that they are 
persons of a regular life, and have suitable acquaintance with the princi- 
ples of the Christian religion ; that that seal be not set to a blank, and 
that such be not admitted to visible church relation that are manifestly 
unfit for it— 1735, p. 115. 

b. That previously to the administration of baptism, the minister shall 
inquire into the parents' knowledge of the great and fundamental doc- 
trines of the gospel, and the regularity of their lives ; and being satisfied 
so as to admit them, shall, in public, point out the special duties of the 
parents, and particularly that they teach their children the doctrines and 
precepts of Christianity, contained in the scriptures of the Old and New 
Testaments, and comprised in the Westminster Confession of Faith and 
Catechisms, which therefore he shall recommend unto them. — 1755, p. 267. 

c. The following reference from the Synod of Philadelphia was laid be- 
fore the Assembly : As baptism is to be administered to the infants of 
those who are members of the visible Church (but our Directory leaves 
the description of the visible and credible profession of Christianity vague 
and indefinite), it is humbly proposed to the Assembly to give some pre- 
cise direction and definition of such a profession for the information of 

84 



666 THE DIKECTOKY FOR WORSHIP. 

its ministers. In answer to the above reference, the Assembly judged it 
unnecessary, and perhaps impracticable, to deliver rules more explicit 
than those contained in the standards of our Church ; but should cases 
of difficulty arise, they must be decided respectively, according to their 
own merits, before the proper judicatories. — 1794, p. 91. 

d. Our Confession of Faith recognizes the right to baptism of the in- 
fant children only of such parents as are members of the Church. — 1843, 
p. 180, O. S. 

IV. Before baptism, let the minister use some words of instruc- 
tion, respecting the institution, nature, use, and ends of this ordi- 
nance; showing, 

That it is instituted by Christ ; that it is a seal of the righteous- 
ness of faith ; that the seed of the faithful have no less a right to 
this ordinance, under the gospel, than the seed of Abraham to cir- 
cumcision, under the Old Testament; that Christ commanded all 
nations to be baptized ; that he blessed little children, declaring that 
of such is the kingdom of heaven ; that children are federally holy, 
and therefore ought to be baptized ; that we are, by nature, sinful, 
guilty, and polluted, and have need of cleansing by the blood of 
Christ, and by the sanctifying influences of the Spirit of God. 

The minister is also to exhort the parents to the careful perform- 
ance of their duty ; requiring, 

That they teach the child to read the word of God ; that they in- 
struct it in the principles of our holy religion, as contained in the 
Scriptures of the Old and New Testament; an excellent summary 
of which we have in the Confession of Faith of this Church, and in 
the Larger and Shorter Catechisms of the Westminster Assembly, 
which are to be recommended to them, as adopted by this Church, for 
their direction and assistance, in the discharge of this important 
duty ; that they pray with and for it ; that they set an example of 
piety and godliness before it, and endeavor by all the means of God's 
appointment, to bring up their child in the nurture and admonition of 
the Lord. 

1. Parents required to Enter into Engagements. 

The following question, through the Committee of Overtures, was read, 
viz. : 

Whether, besides requiring of parents dedicating their children to God 
in baptism, an express acknowledgment of the duties of parents, and rec- 
ommending to them the observance thereof, it should be considered as 
essential to require that they come under an explicit vow or solemn en- 
gagement also to perform those duties ? whereupon the Assembly 

Resolved, That an answer to this question is contained in the Directory 
for Public Worship of this Church, under the head of the Administra- 
tion of Baptism, which requires an express engagement upon the part of 
parents.— 1794, p. 89. 



V. Then the minister is to pray for a blessing to attend this ordi- 
nance ; after which, calling the child by its name, he shall say, 

" I baptize thee, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost." 

As he pronounces these words, he is to baptize the child with 
water, by pouring, or sprinkling, it on the face of the child, with- 
out adding any other ceremony : and the whole shall be concluded 
with prayer. 

Although it is proper that baptism be administered in the presence 
of the congregation; yet there may be cases when it will be expedi- 
ent to administer this ordinance in private houses; of which the min- 
ister is to be the judge. 

Mode of Baptism. 

Is it expedient, in the present state of the Church, for a Presbyterian 
minister to baptize by immersion in any case ? 

The Confession of Faith, chap, xxviii., sec. hi., teaches as follows, viz. : 
Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary ; but baptism is 
rightly administered by pouring or sprinkling of water upon the person. 
Your Committee see no cause for adding anything to the doctrine of the 
Confession on this subject. Adopted. — 1834, p. 433. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 

I. The communion, or supper of the Lord, is to be celebrated 
frequently ; but how often, may be determined by the minister and 
eldership of each congregation, as they may judge most for edification. 

1. 'Where there is no Church Organized. 

a. It was moved that the restriction laid by the last General Assembly 
on our missionaries, which confines them to administer the ordinance of 
the Lord's Supper in such places only where there are church officers 
regularly appointed, be repealed, and it is hereby repealed accordingly. — 
1798, p. 146. 

2. Not Usually in the Bounds of a Congregation without Consent. 

While the Assembly, as a general principle, disapprove of the admin- 
istration of the sacraments, by one of their ministers, within the bounds 
of a congregation with which he is not connected, without the consent of 
the minister and session of said congregation ; yet under the peculiar local 
circumstances of the people among which Mr. Maccalla occasionally ad- 
ministered ordinances, the Assembly cannot decide that he deserves cen- 
sure. Therefore, Resolved, That the decision of the Synod of Kentucky, 
affirming a decision of the Presbytery of Ebenezer in regard to the com- 



THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

plaint of the Rev. Mr. Dobbins, against the Rev. Mr. Maccalla, be, and it 
hereby is affirmed. — 1824, p. 124. 

3. "Where a Minister may Statedly Preach, he may Administer the 

Lord's Supper. 

The Judicial Commission appointed to hear and try an appeal and 
complaint of the church and congregation of Mifflinburg against the 
action of the Synod of Philadelphia, on the appeal and complaint of the 
Rev. Isaac Grier, D. D., beg leave to report : 

That they have issued the case pro forma, according to the directions 
of the Book of Discipline in the case of appeals and complaints, and after 
a full hearing, do unanimously adjudge : 

1st. That the decision of the Synod of Philadelphia, affirming the right 
of Rev. Mr. Grier to preach in Mifflinburg to the people of his charge, be 
approved and confirmed. 

2d. That the restriction preventing him from administering the Lord's 
Supper in Mifflinburg, except under extraordinary circumstances, be 
removed.— 1870, p. 31. 

4. Administered in a Private House in Sickness. 

Overture No. 12, from the Central Presbytery of Philadelphia, asking 
the Assembly to decide whether, in no case of sickness or of conversion, 
however peculiar, the session of a church is not at liberty to administer 
the Lord's Supper in a private house. 

The Committee recommend the following minute: 

The standards of our Church are clear in their teaching, that the Lord's 
Supper is not to be received by any one alone, yet, in cases of protracted 
sickness or approaching death, when the desire is very strongly urged by 
a member of the church, to enjoy the administration of the Lord's Sup- 
per, a pastor, having duly admonished the applicant that such ordinance, 
however a source of spiritual comfort, is not, in such cases, an imperative 
duty, or indispensable to salvation, may, with a member of his session, and 
such communicants as may appropriately be permitted to partake in such 
solemnity, proceed to administer this sacrament — a minute of every such 
act to be entered on the records of session. 

The recommendation was adopted. — 1863, p. 37, O. S. 

[For answer as to question on the authority of ruling elders to admin- 
ister sealing ordinances, see above, chap, vii., sec. i.] 

II. The ignorant and scandalous are not to be admitted to the 
Lord's Supper. 

III. It is proper that public notice should be given to the congre- 
gation, at least, the Sabbath before the administration of this ordi- 
nance, and that, either then, or on some day of the week, the people 
be instructed in its nature, and a due preparation for it ; that all may 
come in a suitable manner to this holy feast. 

IV. When the sermon is ended, the minister shall show, 

That this is an ordinance of Christ ; by reading the words of in- 
stitution, either from one of the evangelists, or from 1 Cor., xi. chap- 
ter ; which, as to him may appear expedient, he may explain and 
apply ; that it is to be observed in remembrance of Christ, to show 









669 

forth his death till he come; that it is of inestimable benefit, to 
strengthen his people against sin ; to support them under troubles ; 
to encourage and quicken them in duty ; to inspire them with love 
and zeal ; to increase their faith, and holy resolution ; and to beget 
peace of conscience, and comfortable hopes of eternal life. 

He is to warn the profane, the ignorant, and scandalous, and those 
that secretly indulge themselves in any known sin, not to approach 
the holy table. On the other hand, he shall invite to this holy table, 
such as, sensible of their lost and helpless state of sin, depend upon 
the atonement of Christ for pardon and acceptance with God ; such as, 
being instructed in the gospel doctrine, have a competent knowledge 
to discern the Lord's body, and such as desire to renounce their sins, 
and are determined to lead a holy and godly life. 

1. The Ignorant or Scandalous Excluded. 

Such as are found to be ignorant or scandalous, notwithstanding their 
profession of the faith, and desire to come to the Lord's Supper, may and 
ought to be kept from that sacrament by the power which Christ hath 
left in his Church, until they receive instruction, and manifest their reform- 
ation. — Larger Catechism, quest. 173. 

2. Not the Custom to Invite those who have not Professed Christ. 

Overture No. 42, asking if it accords with the spirit and usage of the 
Presbyterian Church, to invite persons, believers, not members of any 
evangelical church, to partake of the Lord's Supper. The Committee 
recommend the reply, that " it is not in accordance with the spirit and 
usage of the Presbyterian Church to extend such invitations." Adopted. — 
1872, p. 75. 

V. The table, on which the elements are placed, being decently 
covered, the bread in convenient dishes, and the wine in cups, and 
the communicants orderly and gravely sitting around the table (or in 
their seats before it), in the presence of the minister; let him set the 
elements apart, by prayer and thanksgiving. 

The bread and wine being thus set apart by prayer and thanksgiv- 
ing, the minister is to take the bread, and break it, in the view of 
the people, saying, in expressions of this sort : 

" Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the same night in which he was be- 
trayed, having taken bread, and blessed and broken it, gave it to his 
disciples ; as I, ministering in his name, give this bread unto you, 
saying [here the bread is to be distributed], Take, eat: this is my 
body, which is broken for you : this do in remembrance of me." 

After having given the bread, he shall take the cup, and say, 

" After the same manner, our Saviour also took the cup ; and hav- 
ing given thanks, as hath been done in his name, he gave it to the 
disciples; saying [while the minister is repeating these words let him 



670 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

give the cup], This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is 
shed for many, for the remission of sins : drink ye all of it." 

The minister himself is to communicate, at such time as may ap- 
pear to him most convenient. 

The minister may, in a few words, put the communicants in mind, 

"Of the grace of God, in Jesus Christ, held forth in this sacra- 
ment ; and of their obligation to be the Lord's ; and may exhort 
them to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called; 
and, as they have professedly received Christ Jesus the Lord, that 
they be careful so to walk in him, and to maintain good works." 

It may not be improper for the minister to give a word of exhort- 
ation also to those who have been only spectators, reminding them, 

" Of their duty ; stating their sin and danger, by living in disobe- 
dience to Christ, in neglecting this holy ordinance ; and calling upon 
them to be earnest in making preparation for attending upon it, at 
the next time of its celebration." 

Then the minister is to pray, and give thanks, to God, 

" For his rich mercy, and invaluable goodness, vouchsafed to them 
in that sacred communion ; to implore pardon for the defects of the 
whole service; and to pray for the acceptance of their persons and 
performances ; for the gracious assistance of the Holy Spirit, to enable 
them, as they have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so to walk in him ; 
that they may hold fast that which they have received, that no man take 
their crown ; that their conversation may be as becometh the Gospel ; 
that they may bear about with them,' continually, the dying of the Lord 
Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in their mortal 
body ; that their light may so shine before men, that others, seeing 
their good works, may glorify their Father, who is in heaven." 

The collection, for the poor, and to defray the expense of the ele- 
ments, may be made after this, or at such other time as may seem 
meet to the eldership. 

Now let a psalm or hymn be sung, and the congregation dismissed, 
with the following or some other gospel benediction : 

" Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our 
Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of 
the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do 
his will, working in you that which is Avell pleasing in his sight, 
through Jesus Christ ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." 

VI. As it has been customary, in some parts of our Church, to 
observe a fast before the Lord's Supper ; to have a sermon on Satur- 
day and Monday ; and to invite two or three ministers, on such occa- 
sions ; and as these seasons have been blessed to many souls and may 



OP THE ADMISSION OF PEESONS TO SEALING OKDINANCES. 671 

tend to keep up a stricter union of ministers and congregations ; we 
think it not improper, that they who choose it may continue in this 
practice. 



CHAPTER IX. 
OF THE ADMISSION OF PERSONS TO SEALING ORDINANCES. 

I. Childeen, born within the pale of the visible Church, and ded- 
icated to God in baptism, are under the inspection and government of 
the Church ; and are to be taught to read, and repeat the Catechism, 
the Apostles' Creed, and the Lord's Prayer. They are to be taught 
to pray, to abhor sin, to fear God, and to obey the Lord Jesus Christ. 
And, when they come to years of discretion, if they be free from scan- 
dal, appear sober and steady, and to have sufficient knowledge to dis- 
cern the Lord's body, they ought to be informed, it is their duty, and 
their privilege, to come to the Lord's Supper. 

[See also Book of Discipline, chap, i., sec. vi.] 

1. Pastoral Care over Baptized Children. 

a. Whereas, The Book of Discipline states that children born within 
the pale of the visible Church, and dedicated to God in baptism, are under 
the inspection and government of the Church, and specifies various im- 
portant, particulars in which that inspection and government should* be 
exercised, as also directs the mode in which they shall be treated if they 
do not perform the duties of church members ; and whereas, there is rea- 
son to apprehend that many of our congregations neglect to catechise the 
children that have been admitted to the sealing ordinance of baptism, and 
do not exercise suitable discipline over them ; therefore, 

Resolved, That the different Presbyteries within our bounds are hereby 
directed to inquire of the different sessions whether a proper pastoral care 
be exercised over the baptized children in their congregations, that they 
learn the principles of religion, and walk in newness of life before God, 
and that said Presbyteries do direct all sessions delinquent in this respect 
to attend to it carefully and without delay. — 1809, p. 431. 

b. Resolved, That the General Assembly recommend, and they do hereby 
recommend to the pastors and sessions of the different churches under 
their care, to assemble as often as they may deem necessary during the 
year the baptized children, with their parents, to recommend said children 
to God in prayer, explain to them the nature and obligations of their bap- 
tism, and the relation they sustain to the Church. — 1818, p. 691. 

2. Discipline of Baptized Children.— The Subject Postponed. 

a. How far, and in what sense, are persons who have been regularly 
baptized in infancy, and have not partaken of the sacrament of the Lord's 
Supper, subject to the discipline of the Church? 

Resolved, That the public standards of this Church contain a sufficient 
answer to the question stated in the above reference. — 1799, p. 171. 



672 THE DIEECTOEY FOE WOESHIP. 

b. [The Book of the Synod of Kentucky] contains a reference from said 
Synod to this Assembly of a case relative to the disciplining of baptized 
persons arrived at maturity, not in communion. 

This reference was committed to Dr. Clark, Messrs. Nathan Grier and 
Picton, who were directed to report to the Assembly on the subject. — 
1811, p. 468. m 

The Committee . . . brought in their report, which was read, and the 
subject indefinitely postponed. — 1811, p. 475. 

c. Resolved, That Drs. Miller and Komeyn, and Rev. James Richards, 
be a Committee to prepare and report to the next Assembly a full and 
complete answer to the following overture from the Synod of Kentucky, 
viz.: 

What steps should the Church take with a baptized youth, not in com- 
munion, but arrived at the age of maturity, should such youth prove dis- 
orderly and contumacious? — 1811, p. 480. 

t The Committee appointed by the last Assembly to report to this As- 
sembly on the subject of disciplining baptized children, reported, and the 
report was recommitted to the same Committee for revision and publica- 
tion, and it was 

d. Resolved, That the Assembly, without expressing any opinion on the 
principles it contains, recommend it to the serious consideration of all the 
Presbyteries and ministers that in due time a decision may be had on the 
important subjects discussed in the report. — 1812, p. 509. 

e. [In 1814 the matter came up again, and it was] 

Resolved, That the whole subject be referred to a Committee, to con- 
sider and report to the Assembly what shall appear to them to be the 
correct method of procedure to be adopted relative thereto, in the circum- 
stances in which it is now before the Assembly, and that Drs. Green, 
Woodhull and Wilson, and Messrs. Caldwell and Connelly, be the Com- 
mittee.— 1814, p. 543. 

/. The report on the subject of disciplining baptized children, which 
had at a former session of this Assembly been laid on the table, was again 
read and recommitted to the same Committee, with the addition of Drs. 
Griffin and Blatchford, and Messrs. Blackburn, Fisher and Haslett.— lb., 
p. 551. 

[This Committee was subsequently discharged, and the whole subject 
indefinitely postponed. — 1814, p. 567.] 

g. A reference from the Presbytery of Fayetteville on the subject of ex- 
communicating a person who had been baptized, but had not been received 
into full communion of the Church, was overtured, and was committed to 
Dr. Miller, Messrs. Finley, Freeman, Cook and Haslett. 

The unfinished business of yesterday, viz., the consideration of the re- 
port of the Committee to which had been committed the reference of the 
Presbytery of Fayetteville, concerning the proper construction of the first 
article of the first chapter of the forms of process, relative to persons who 
have been baptized, but have not been admitted to the Lord's table, was 
resumed. After a long discussion on the subject, a motion was made and 
seconded for an indefinite postponement. The question being taken, was 
determined in the affirmative, and therefore the further consideration of 
the subject was indefinitely postponed. — 1815, pp. 578, 589. 

h. In consequence of but little being said [in the presbyterial narratives] 
in regard to the care and instruction of the baptized children of the Church, 
the Assembly fears that there is a lamentable deficiency in this respect. 
Let us, as we value that covenant which makes the promise not only ours 
but our children's, take a more diligent oversight of these youthful mem- 



OF THE ADMISSION OF PERSONS TO SEALING ORDIXA-NCES. 673 

bers of our Church. Too often are they left to wander unrestrained and 
forgotten in the paths of error and of sin. Can the Church answer to her 
great Head, if this neglect of duty be not mourned over and corrected? — 
1835, p. 37. 

3. Children should be trained in the Faith of our Fathers. 

We have two suggestions to make to Christian parents on this general 
subject. One is, that they cause their children to be brought up in the 
faith of their fathers. We do not mean by this that our youth should be 
prevented from following out their honest convictions of duty ; but that 
they should be dissuaded from uniting with other denominations from 
mere caprice or childish fancies. We consider the conduct of those 
parents who suffer their children to abandon our own Church without 
any adequate reason, as in a high degree reprehensible, and calculated to 
inflict a serious injury both on the Church and on their divided households. 
—1840, p. 310, O. S. 

4. Catechetical Instruction. 

a. The following resolutions on the subject of catechetical instruction 
were unanimously adopted, viz. : 

1. Resolved, That this General Assembly considers the practice of cate- 
chetical instruction as well adapted to the prosperity and purity of our 
Zion. 

2. Resolved, That this Assembly view also with deep regret the neglect, 
on the part of many of our churches, of this good old practice of our 
fathers — a practice which has been attended with such blessed results to 
the cause of pure and undefilecl religion. 

3. Resolved, That the institution of Sabbath-schools does not exonerate 
ministers and parents from the duty of teaching the Shorter Catechism to 
the children of the Church. 

4. Resolved, That this Assembly earnestly and affectionately recom- 
mend to all the ministers and ruling elders in its connection to teach dili- 
gently the young of their respective congregations the Assembly's Shorter 
Catechism.— 1849, p. 181, K S. 

5. Family Training- essential to the Increase of the Ministry and 

the Church. 

b. Resolved, That the Assembly regard Christian training at all periods of 
youth, and by all practicable methods, especially by parents at home, by 
teachers in institutions of learning, and by pastors through catechetical 
and Bible classes, as binding upon the Church, according to the injunc- 
tion, Train up a child in the way he should go, and as having a vital con- 
nection with the increase of the numbers and efficiency of the ministry 
and of the stability and purity of the Church. — 1854, p. 30, O. S. 

6. Placing Children in Catholic Schools a Violation of Covenant 

Engagement. 

What course ought church sessions to pursue with members of the 
Church who send their children to Catholic boarding-schools, where they 
are entirely deprived of the evangelical means of grace, and are obliged 
to attend upon papistical services ? 

1. Resolved, That this Assembly deem such conduct on the part of any 
Protestant parents, whether church members or not, as highly injudicious, 
fraught with great danger to their children, and utterly inconsistent with 
every principle of Protestantism. 

85 



674 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

2. Resolved, That we deem such conduct in church members, whose 
children have been dedicated to God in baptism, as a violation of their 
vows made in that ordinance, and a great hindrance to the training up of 
their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 

3. Resolved, That it be recommended to all ministers in our connection 
where such a practice exists, to present this subject from the pulpit, and 
in other suitable ways to admonish those who offend. — 1849, p. 265, O. S. 

II. The years of discretion, in young Christians, cannot be pre- 
cisely fixed. This must be left to the prudence of the eldership. 
The officers of the church are the judges of the qualifications of those 
to be admitted to sealing ordinances ; and of the time when it is pro- 
per to admit young Christians to them. 

Sec. iii., 8, below. 

III. Those who are to be admitted to sealing ordinances shall be 
examined as to their knowledge and piety. 

1. Universalists not to be Admitted to Sealing- Ordinances. 

a. A question from the Synod of the Carolinas was introduced as fol- 
lows, viz. : 

Are they who publicly profess a belief in the doctrine of the universal 
and actual salvation of the whole human race, or of the fallen angels, or 
both, through the mediation of Christ, to be admitted to the sealing ordi- 
nances of the gospel ? 

The Assembly determined that such persons should not be admitted. 
—1792, p. 60. 

b. The consideration of Dr. McCorkle's letter was resumed. On the 
proposition in the letter, requesting a reconsideration of the sentence of 
the General Assembly, respecting the doctrine of universal salvation, 
passed at Carlisle in 1792, the Assembly unanimously agreed to adhere to 
the aforesaid decision. — 1794, p. 86. 

2. Persons refusing" to Present their Children in Baptism not to 
be refused Communion, but the Expediency of Beceiving them 
to be Judged of by the Session. 

The Committee appointed on Overture No. 7, from the session of 
Union Grove church, Illinois, made the following report, which was 
adopted, viz. : 

That two questions are submitted in this overture to the judgment of 
the Assembly, viz. : 

1. Is it the duty of church sessions to admit to membership persons 
who refuse to present their children to God in the ordinance of baptism? 

2. What is the duty of the session in case of parents, members of the 
church, who refuse from conscientious scruples to present their children 
for baptism ? 

For a reply to these questions, the session are referred to the Digest, 
part iv., chap, ii., sec. 7, p. 98, where the decision of the Assembly on the 
principle involved in both is recorded as follows : 

A letter also came, through the Committee of Overtures, from Bethuel 
Church, Esq., inquiring whether he may be admitted to occasional com- 
munion, whilst he has scruples concerning infant baptism. 



OF THE ADMISSION OF PEBSOXS TO SEALING ORDINANCES. 675 

The letter from Bethuel Church, Esq., as overtured, was read, and the 
motion formerly made thus amended, That the session of the church of 
Cambridge be permitted to receive Mr. Church upon satisfactory evidence 
of his good character, his scruples notwithstanding, was taken up and 
agreed to. 

But while it is clear, that persons otherwise of good Christian charac- 
ter, are not to be excluded from the communion of the church, because 
they have scruples concerning infant baptism, there is in every case, 
where such persons apply for admission, a question as to the expediency 
of receiving them, upon which the session of the church must decide. — 
1834, p. 449. 

3. Duelists to be Received only on Evidence of Repentance. 

Resolved, Also, that it be, and it is hereby recommended to all the 
ministers under the care of the Assembly, that they scrupulously refuse to 
attend the funeral of any person who shall have fallen in a duel ; and 
that they admit no person who shall have fought a duel, given or accepted 
a challenge, or been accessory thereto, unto the distinguishing privileges 
of the Church until he manifest a just sense of his guilt, and give satis- 
factory evidence of repentance. — 1805, p. 339. 

4. Postmasters Officiating en the Sabbath. 

a. An appeal by Mr. Wiley, postmaster in Washington, Pennsylvania, 
from a decision of the Synod of Pittsburg, by which it is determined that 
Mr. Wiley's officiating as postmaster on the Sabbath day, in existing cir- 
cumstances, is a sufficient reason to exclude him from the special privi- 
leges of the Church, was overtured and read. 

Resolved, That the above decision of the Synod of Pittsburg be affirmed. 
—1810, p. 456. 

b. A petition signed by a number of persons in Washington, Pennsylva- 
nia, and vicinity, praying the revision, with a view to its being rescinded, 
of the decision of the General Assembly of 1810, respecting the case, of 
Mr. Wiley, postmaster, was overtured. 

Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioners be not granted. — 1812, p. 
508. 

5. Proprietor of Mail Stages Running on the Sabbath. 

An overture relative to receiving a person as a member of the Church 
who is a proprietor in aline of stages which carries the mail, and runs on 
Sabbath. 

Resolved, That it is the decided opinion of this Assembly that all at- 
tention to worldly concerns on the Lord's day, further than the works of 
necessity and mercy demand, is inconsistent both with the letter and spirit 
of the fourth commandment; and consequently all engagements in regard 
to secular occupations on the Lord's day, with a view to secure worldly 
advantages, are to be considered inconsistent with Christian character, and 
that those who are concerned in such engagements, ought not to he ad- 
mitted into the communion of the Church while thev continue in the 
same.— 1819, p. 713. 

6. Persons Engaged in the Sale of Intoxicating Drinks. 

Resolved, That the records of the Synod of Pittsburg be approved, ex- 
cept so far as they seem to establish a general ride in regard to the use 
and sale of ardent spirits as a beverage, which use and sale are generally 



676 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

to be decidedly disapproved, but each case must be decided in view of all 
the attendant circumstances that go to modify and give character to the 
same.— 1843, p. 189, O. S. 
[See also 1842, p. 16, O. S.] 

7. Subjection to the Discipline of trie Church R-equisite. 

Is a church session authorized by the principles laid down in the Con- 
fession of Faith, to admit individuals to the Lord's table, who do not sub- 
scribe to the doctrines and submit to the discipline of the Church? 

There can be no doubt that all persons admitted to the communion of 
the Presbyterian Church do in fact and form submit to its discipline (ex- 
cept in cases of occasional communion by members of other churches); 
but every session must judge for themselves of that degree of knowledge 
of Christian doctrine and adherence thereto on the part of those examined 
by them, which may render their reception suitable, and for their own edi- 
fication and the peace of the Church. — 1853, p. 434, O. S. 

8. To be Admitted only by a Session Regularly Constituted. 

The Committee to whom was referred the subject involved in so much 
of the records of the Synod of Cincinnati as relates to the admission of 
persons to church privileges at the great meetings common in that region, 
made the following report, which was adopted, viz.: 

That they have given this subject a careful consideration, and recom- 
mend the adoption of the following resolutions, viz.: 

Resolved, 1. That the order of the churches requires that all persons 
making a public profession of religion be introduced to the communion of 
the church only by an individual session regularly constituted. 

Resolved, 2. That it is the right and duty of sessions to take the ex- 
clusive oversight of their respective congregations, and that the practice 
of one session admitting to a Christian profession persons belonging or in- 
tending to belong to a congregation under the care of another session, is 
irregular, and ought not to be countenanced. 

Resolved, 3. That the purity and prosperity of the Church, as well as 
the best interests of those immediately concerned, demand great circum- 
spection in the admission of persons to church privileges ; and that ordi- 
narily it is deemed improper to receive persons immediately upon their 
indulging a hope of reconciliation with God, especially in the case of the 
young, and of persons of previously immoral lives or lax principles, and 
of those concerning whom little is known. — 1832, p. 373. 

9. The Session the Judge of the Qualification of Candidates for 

Membership. 

Has a session or church constitutional power, in examining a candidate 
for membership, to require abstinence from any error, practice, or custom, 
which the members adjudge to be sinful, and decidedly injurious to per- 
sonal piety, and to the interests of the Church of Christ? And, if they 
have this power, then is it expedient to admit persons to membership who 
practice and defend promiscuous dancing, card-playing, and the use, man- 
ufacture and sale of intoxicating drinks as a beverage? 

The Committee recommended the following answer: 

It is the province of the session to judge of the qualifications of candi- 
dates for membership in the church. For their guidance in the matters 



OF THE ADMISSION OF PERSONS TO SEALING ORDINANCES. 677 

noticed in the overture, reference is made to past acts of the Assembly, 
found in the Digest, chap, vii., on ''Moral Questions," sees, iii., iv. and v.* 
The report was adopted. — 1864, p. 510, S". S. 

10. Question as to the Baptism of a Member of trie Friends' 

Society. 

Overture No. 7, from the Presbytery of St. Clairsville. "Would it be 
consistent for a minister of the Presbyterian Church to administer the 
ordinance of baptism to a member of the Friends' Society, who professes 
to believe that "Jesus is the Son of God" and the essential doctrines of 
the Christian religion, but declares his intention to continue his connec- 
tion with the Friends' Society? 

The Committee on Bills and Overtures reported a recommendation that 
the inquirers be referred to the answers in the Larger and Shorter Cate- 
chisms, to the question, " To whom is baptism to be administered?" 

The report was adopted. — 1864, p. 314, O. S. 

11. Intercommunion -with those -who Maintain an Irregular Minis- 

try Discouraged. 

The Committee on Overture No. 3, viz.: a question from the Presbytery 
of Bethel, respecting holding communion with the followers of Wm. C 
Davis, a deposed minister, and calling themselves Independent Presby- 
terians, reported, that in their judgment the questions proposed in said 
overture ought to be answered in the negative. They therefore would 
recommend the adoption of the following resolution, viz.: 

Resolved, That while this Assembly readily acknowledges the right of 
the session to determine according to the Scriptures and the Constitution 
of our Church, the qualifications for admission to sealing ordinances, yet 
they feel it to be their duty to declare, that in their judgment, the services 
of those who have received only lay-ordination, and of those who have 
been deposed from the gospel ministry, are unscriptural and unwarrant- 
able ; and therefore an attendance on their ministrations cannot be in the 
order of the gospel, and ought to be discouraged and discountenanced by 
every friend of the Redeemer's kingdom. — 1833, p. 407. 

IV. When unbaptized persons apply for admission into the church, 
they shall, in ordinary cases, after giving satisfaction with respect to 
their knowledge and piety, make a public profession of their faith, 
in the presence of the congregation ; and thereupon be baptized. 

1. On Baptism upon a General Profession of Faith in Christ. 

The Committee on the Polity of the Church reported an answer to the 
following inquiry : 

"Is it forbidden by our standards to baptize adult converts upon a 
general confession of faith in Christ, previous to their being received into 
a particular church, and assenting to its articles of faith ?" as follows, viz. : 

A profession of faith in Christ and obedience to him is all that is re- 
quired in our standards of those who are out of the visible Church, in 
order to their being baptized. (See Confession of Faith, chap, xxviii., 
sec. iv. ; Larger Catechism, quest. 166; Shorter Catechism, quest. 95.) 

* The reference above is to Moore's New Digest, sections on intemperance, the thea- 
tre, dancing and gambling, pp. 257-265. See in this Digest under Discipline, chap, i., 
sec. iii. 



678 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

Hence, cases may occur in which, as in the case of Philip and the Ethio- 
pian eunuch, it may be proper to baptize a person who does not expect im- 
mediately to connect himself with any particular church. But inasmuch 
as it was the obvious intent of the Saviour that all his disciples should be 
associated in local churches, and inasmuch as we cannot obey one of his 
commandments, that requiring us to remember him at his table, without 
such connection : therefore, your Committee believe that in no ordinary 
circumstances can a person give good evidence of a readiness to obey Christ 
in all things, who, having the opportunity, does not connect himself with 
some particular branch of the visible body of Christ. In the practice of 
our Church, and according to her standards, baptism is manifestly regarded 
as a part of the general profession of faith in, and obedience to, Christ, 
which constitute his initiation into the visible Church, and into some par- 
ticular branch of it ; and in no ordinary case ought the several parts of 
this solemn profession to be separated. — 1860, p. 244, N. S. 
[See Form of Government, chap, ix., sec. vi., 5.] 

2. To Admit to Sealing Ordinances belongs Exclusively to the 
Session.— Forms of Admission. 

Overture No. 38, from the Presbytery of Brooklyn, on the methods of 
receiving members to the communion of our churches and urging the im- 
portance of uniformity in these methods, as well as calling attention to 
" serious and hurtful evils " growing out of a disregard of the teachings 
of our standards on this subject. 

The following answer is recommended by the Committee: 

1. That the admission of persons to sealing ordinances is confided, by 
the Form of Government, really and exclusively to the church session. 

2. That any forms, for publicly recognizing those who have been thus 
admitted to sealing ordinances, should keep in view the principle thus 
declared, and should give effect to the distinction, so clearly laid down by 
our standards, between admitting the children of the Church to the Lord's 
table, and the unbaptized to membership in the Church. 

3. That it be referred to a Committee of five, to report to the next 
General Assembly, whether it is desirable to propose uniform methods of 
publicly recognizing these classes of persons respectively, and, if they 
deem it desirable, to prepare such forms as may seem to them most appro- 
priate. Adopted.— 1872, p. 89. 

The Committee reported, and the further consideration of the report 
was referred to the next Assembly. — 1873, p. 549. 



CHAPTER X. 

OF THE MODE OF INFLICTING CHURCH CENSURES. 

I. The power which Christ hath given the rulers of his Church is 
for edification, and not for destruction. As, in the preaching of the 
word, the wicked are, doctrinally, separated from the good; so, by 
discipline, the Church authoritatively makes a distinction between the 
holy and the profane. In this, she acts the part of a tender mother, 
correcting her children only for their good, that everyone of them 
may be presented faultless, in the day of the Lord Jesus. 



OF THE MODE OF INFLICTING CIIUKCH CENSURES. 679 

II. When any member of the Church shall have been guilty of a 
fault, deserving censure, the judicatory shall proceed with all tender- 
ness, and restore their offending brother in the spirit of meekness; 
considering themselves, lest they also be tempted. Censure ought to 
be inflicted with great solemnity ; that it may be the means of im- 
pressing the mind of the delinquent with a proper sense of his dan- 
ger, while he stands excluded from the privileges of the Church of 
the living God, and that, with the divine blessing, it may lead him 
to repentance. 

III. When the judicatory has resolved to pass sentence, suspend- 
ing a member from church privileges, the moderator shall address 
him to the following purpose : 

" Whereas you are guilty [by your own confession, or convicted by 
sufficient proof, as the case may be] of the sin of [here mention the 
particular offence], we declare you suspended from the sacraments of 
the Church, till you give satisfactory evidence of the sincerity of 
your repentance. " To this shall be added such advice, admonition, 
or rebuke, as may be judged necessary; and the whole shall be con- 
cluded by prayer to almighty God, that he would follow this act of 
discipline with his blessing. We judge it prudent, in general, that 
such censures be inflicted in the presence of the judicatory only; but, 
if any church think it expedient to rebuke the offender publicly, this 
solemn suspension from the sacraments may be in the presence of the 
congregation. 

IV. After any person hath been thus suspended from the sacra- 
ments, it is proper that the minister, and elders, and other Christians, 
should frequentty converse with him, as well as pray for him in pri- 
vate, that it would please God to give him repentance. And it may 
be requisite likewise, particularly on days preparatory to the dispens- 
ing of the Lord's Supper, that the prayers of the church be offered 
up for those unhappy persons who, by their wickedness, have shut 
themselves out from this holy communion. 

V. When the judicatory shall be satisfied as to the reality of the 
repentance of any offender, he shall be admitted to profess his repent- 
ance, and be restored to the privileges of the Church. Which restora- 
tion shall be declared to the penitent, in the presence of the session, 
or of the congregation; and followed with prayer and thanksgiving. 

VI. When any offender has been adjudged to be cut off from the 
communion of the Church, it is proper that the sentence be publicly 
pronounced against him. 

VII. The design of excommunication is, to operate upon the 
offender as a means of reclaiming him ; to deliver the Church from 



680 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

the scandal of his offence : and to inspire all with fear, by the exam- 
pie of his punishment. 

The minister shall give the church, or congregation, a short narra- 
tive of the several steps, which have been taken, with respect to their 
offending brother, and inform them, that it has been found necessary 
to cut him off from the communion ; and shall, in the presence of 
the church, or congregation, pronounce this sentence in the following 
or like form, viz. : 

He shall begin, by showing the authority of the Church to cast out 
unworthy members, from Matt, xviii. 15, 16, 17, 18; 1 Cor. v. 1, 2, 
3, 4, 5 ; and shall briefly explain the nature, use, and consequences 
of this censure ; warning the people to avoid all unnecessary inter- 
course with him who is cast out. 

Then he shall say, 

" Whereas A. B. hath been, by sufficient proof, convicted of [here 
insert the sin], and after much admonition and prayer, obstinately 
refuseth to hear the Church, and hath manifested no evidence of re- 
pentance; therefore, in the name, and by the authority, of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, I pronounce him to be excluded from the communion 
of the Church." 

After which, prayer shall be made, that the blessing of God may 
follow his ordinance, for the conviction and reformation of the excom- 
municated person, and for the establishment of all true believers. 

VIII. When one who hath been excommunicated shall be so 
affected with his state, as to be brought to repentance, and to desire 
to be re-admitted to the privileges of the Church; the session, having 
obtained sufficient evidence of his sincere repentance, shall, with the 
advice and concurrence of the Presbytery, restore him. In order to 
which, the minister shall, on two Lord's days previous thereto, in- 
form the congregation of the measures which have been taken with 
the excommunicated person, and of the resolution of the session to 
receive him again to the communion of the Church. 

On the day appointed for his restoration, when the other parts of 
divine service are ended, before pronouncing the blessing, the minis- 
ter shall call upon the excommunicated person, and propose to him, 
in the presence of the congregation, the following questions : 

" Do you, from a deep sense of your great wickedness, freely con- 
fess your sin, in thus rebelling against God, and in refusing to hear 
his Church; and do you acknowledge that you have been in justice 
and mercy cut off from the communion of the saints?" Answer, " I 
do." u Do you now voluntarily profess your sincere repentance and 
deep contrition, for your sin and obstinacy : and do you humbly ask 



OF THE SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE. 681 

the forgiveness of God, and of his Church ?" Answer, "I do." "Do 
you sincerely promise, through divine grace, to live in all humbleness 
of mind and circumspection ; and to endeavor to adorn the doctrine 
of God our Saviour, by having your conversation as becometh the 
gospel ?" Answer, " I do." 

Here the minister shall give the penitent a suitable exhortation, 
addressing him in the bowels of brotherly love, encouraging and com- 
forting him. Then he shall pronounce the sentence of restoration in 
the following words: 

"Whereas you, A. B., have been shut out from the communion of 
the faithful, but have now manifested such repentance as satisfies the 
Church: In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by his authority, 
I declare you absolved from the sentence of excommunication formerly 
denounced against you ; and I do receive you into the communion of 
the Church, that you may be a partaker of all the benefits of the Lord 
Jesus, to your eternal salvation." 

The whole shall be concluded with prayer, and the people dismissed 
with the usual blessing. 



CHAPTER XL 

OF THE SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE. 

I. Marriage is not a sacrament ; nor peculiar to the Church of 
Christ. It is proper that every commonwealth, for the good of soci- 
ety, make laws to regulate marriage ; which all citizens are bound to 
obey. 

II. Christians ought to marry in the Lord ; therefore it is fit that 
their marriage be solemnized by a lawful minister; that special in- 
struction may be given them, and suitable prayers made, when they 
enter into this relation. 

1. Marriage Solemnized by Licentiates. 

That while our Form of Government does not recognize licentiates as 
ministers of the gospel, yet this Assembly do not consider them as violat- 
ing any rules of the Church by solemnizing marriage in those States where 
the civil laws expressly authorize them to do it. — 1844, p. 377, O. S. 

2. Marrying- in the Lord Defined. 

It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry who are able with judgment 
to give their consent, yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the 
Lord. And, therefore, such as profess the true reformed religion should 
not marry with infidels, papists or other idolaters: neither should such as 
are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are notoriously 
86 



682 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresies. — Confession of Faith, 
chap, xxiv., iii. 

3. Marriage of Heathen Converts.— The Presbyteries to Judge. 

A memorial from the Presbytery of Ningpo, in China, asking for advice 
from this General Assembly on the subject of the marriage of professing 
Christians with the heathen. 

The Committee recommended that it be answered as follows: 
In performing the work of missions among the heathen, many difficnl 
ties will arise which will require great wisdom and forbearance, and which 
can only be overcome by a wise application of scriptural rules. Of this 
kind are the cases respecting marriage, which will frequently occur so 
long as the great majority of the people are heathen. And this applica- 
tion of these rules must be made with a sound discretion, and be very 
much modified by particular circumstances. That the apostolical direc- 
tion, "be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers," is the advice of 
the Lord by the apostle, and is to be observed carefully in all cases, as far 
as practicable, is true. But like other divine injunctions, it must be ap- 
plied in all cases with due consideration of circumstances. It is not, 
therefore, in the circumstances stated in the overture, to be regarded as 
sinful universally and necessarily for a Christian to marry a heathen ; nor 
is a Christian to be subjected to discipline on this account, unless the cir- 
cumstances show criminality and require the infliction of censure, of which 
circumstances the missionaries are the best judges. [The overture was] 
referred back to the Presbytery of Ningpo. — 1850, pp. 458, 482, O. S. 

III. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman only: and 
they are not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity pro- 
hibited by the word of God. 

Marriage is to be between one man and one woman ; neither is it 
lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to 
have more than one husband at the same time. — Confession of Faith, chap, 
xxiv., i. 

1. Questions of Marriage of Divorced Persons. 

Adultery or fornication, committed after a contract, being detected 
before marriage, giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that 
contract. In the case of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the inno- 
cent party to sue out a divorce, and after the divorce to marry another, 
as if the offending party were dead. — Confession of Faith, chap, xxiv., v. 

2. A Minister, having Married again, Required to Cease Officiat- 
ing until Proof is Furnished of the Death of his "Wife. 

The business concerning Mr. Van Vleck and his people again taken into 
consideration. 

It was concluded that after the Presbytery had examined the several 
evidences brought in relation to the crime of bigamy, alleged against Mr. 
Van Vleck, as also the exceptions offered by the said Van Vleck against 
the evidences and in vindication of himself, the Presbytery not finding the 
evidences clear and positive enough to prove the crime against him, and 
yet Mr. Van Vleck's vindication not sufficient to take off the scandal 
Wholly, do therefore, till such time as Mr. Van Vleck bring satisfying 
proof of his first wife's death, for the honor of the gospel, advise that he 



OF THE SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE. 683 

do not officiate as a minister of the gospel. To which advice he does will- 
ingly agree. 

Ordered, upon the whole, that a letter be writ to Mr. Van Vleck's peo- 
ple by the moderator and Mr. Hampton. — 1712, p. 26. 

3. Nothing but Adultery or "Willful Desertion which cannot be 

Remedied Just Cause of Divorce. 

Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments, 
unduly to put asunder those whom Gocl hath joined together in marriage, 
yet nothing but adultery, or such willful desertion as can no way be reme- 
died by the Church or civil magistrate, is cause sufficient of dissolving the 
bond of marriage: wherein a public and orderly course of proceeding is 
to be observed, and the persons concerned in it not left to their own wills 
and discretions in the case. — Confession of Faith, chap, xxiv., vi. 

4. In Divorce for Adultery the Innocent Party may Marry Again. 

The following question, referred to Synod by the Presbytery of Done- 
gal for their decision, was brought in by the Committee of Overtures, 
viz.: 

Whether, on full proof of adultery by one party, the Presbytery has a 
right to declare the marriage so far void as that the innocent party may 
marry again without being liable to church censure? 

And after some time spent in debating the case, it was moved and 
agreed that each member should speak to the question in the order of the 
roll. After which the vote was put, and the question carried in the affirm- 
ative, by a small majority. — 1785, p. 509. 

5. A Bigamist to be Excluded from the Privileges of the Church. 
— "Willful Desertion a just Cause for Divorce. — If just Cause ex- 
ist and Divorce be Refused, the Church may Receive him. 

A married man left Ireland a number of years ago, leaving his family 
behind him, with hopes of providing better for them in this country. He 
afterward returned to Ireland three sundry times, with an intention of 
bringing in his family. But by no arguments could his wife be persuaded 
to come with him ; and the last time peremptorily refused all farther co- 
habitation. He afterward returned, and remained in single life ten years 
in this country. He is since married, and has children in second mar- 
riage : his wife and he are desiring communion. 

This man ought not to be admitted to the privileges of the Church; be- 
cause, although willful and obstinate desertion is a legal cause of divorce, 
yet it does not appear that this man has actually been divorced from his 
wife ; and it is improper and dangerous to receive to Church communion 
such persons as, in the eye of the civil law, are living in vice. And al- 
though a good man may sometimes be oppressed by power, and prevented 
from obtaining a divorce where sufficient causes exist, yet it does not ap- 
pear from your representation that he has used the proper means to obtain 
a legal divorce, nor even to authenticate the facts upon which he founds 
his application for the privileges of the Church by sufficient evidence from 
Ireland — the place in which they happened, and where alone they can be 
substantiated; and it is contrary to all just rules of proceeding to take any 
evidence or representation ex parte. But, the decision of the Assembly 
notwithstanding, if it shall appear that this man has separated from his 
wife by her willful and obstinate desertion, and that he has taken all just 
means to obtain a divorce, to which he was lawfully entitled, but was pre- 



684 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

vented and oppressed by the power of antagonists or of unjust courts; and 
if he shall moreover produce such evidence of these facts from the place 
in which they happened, as would entitle him to a divorce by the laws of 
this land and of this Church, then, in that case, it is the opinion of the 
General Assembly that such man, behaving himself otherwise as a good 
Christian, may be admitted to Church privileges. But in such case, it is 
necessary that the most authentic evidence be required and great caution 
used, both that the proceedings of the Church may not be inconsistent 
with the civil law, and that a door be not opened to laxness on this im- 
portant subject of morals. — 1790, p. 28. 

6. Marriage with a Woman Divorced for Cause other than Adul- 
tery. 

[The Assembly, by a vote of 106 to 52, sustained the complaint of the 
Presbytery of Des Moines, in the case of Rev. James H. Shields. The 
minute adopted states the case — ] 

a. In the year 1853, Maria C. Cowles presented a petition under oath to 
the District Court of Wayne county, Iowa, praying for a divorce from her 
husband, William A. Cowles, in which it was stated substantially, that she 
had been lawfully married to said Cowles in January, 1839, in the State 
of Massachusetts ; that they had lived together there until August, 1851, 
when she separated herself from him, and proceeded to Iowa, where she 
has since resided. That, previous to her departing from him in 1851, her 
husband was in the habit of becoming intoxicated, and when so intoxi- 
cated, was ill-natured and abusive — so much so, that her situation as his 
wife became intolerable ; and she had been under the necessity of leaving 
his house and of making her own living since that time, the defendant 
having neglected to make provision for her support since the period of her 
separation from him. No pertinent proof of the truth of these allegations 
was made ; but the court, notwithstanding, granted her a divorce a vin- 
culo matrimonii; when James H. Shields, then a member of the Presby- 
tery of Des Moines, being cognizant of all the facts in the case, w T as mar- 
ried to the said Maria C. Cowles, and has continued to cohabit with her 
as his wife. In April, 1856, the Presbytery instituted proceedings against 
him for adultery, and finally convicted him of that offence, and deposed 
him from the ministry and excommunicated him from the church. There- 
upon the said Shields appealed to the Synod of Iowa, who reversed the 
decision of Presbytery. The case is before this General Assembly on a 
complaint of the Rev. Thompson Bird, on behalf of the Presbytery, 
against the action of Synod. 

In view of all the testimony brought before the Assembly, the com- 
plaint is sustained. 

It has not been made to appear that the said Maria C. Cowles attempted 
to establish the fact of adultery against her husband, William A. Cowles. 
Neither has there been proved "such willful desertion" on his part, as can 
no way be remedied by the Church or civil magistrate," as is recognized in 
the Confession of Faith (chap, xxiv., sec. vi.j, as "cause sufficient of dis- 
solving the bond of marriage." 

The General Assembly do, therefore, consider that the said James H. 
Shields was properly convicted of adultery; and the decision of the Synod 
of Iowa in this case is hereby reversed, and the judgment of the Presby- 
tery of Des Moines therein confirmed. 

The Assembly, whilst rendering this decision, takes occasion to call the 
attention of the churches under its care to a tendency, manifest in some 



OP THE SOLEMNIZATION OF MARPwIAGE. 685 

portions of our country, to relax the sacredness of the marriage tie. Ly- 
ing, as the institution of marriage does, at the very foundation of order, 
purity and prosperity in the State and in the Church, the Assembly can- 
not view without abhorrence any attempt to diminish its sanctity or to 
extend beyond the warrant of the Holy Scriptures the grounds of divorce. 
—1858, pp. 599, 600, N. S. 

c. The Assembly resumed the consideration of the appeal of the Rev. 
George Sheldon. 

The original parties having been fully heard, the roll was called, and 
opportunity was given to the members of the Assembly to express their 
opinions on the case. After which the final vote was taken, and the ap- 
peal was not sustained, nineteen voting in the affirmative, and fifty-four 
in the negative. — 1858, p. 607, N. S. 

[Mr. Sheldon was deposed by the Presbytery of Portage, on the ground 
of adultery, in having married a second wife during the life of his first 
w ; ife, from whom he had obtained a divorce in the civil courts, in the 
judgment of the Presbytery on other than scriptural grounds. From the 
decision of the Presbytery he took an appeal to the Synod of the Western 
Reserve. The Synod decided as follows, viz. : 

After a full and patient hearing of the whole case of appeal by George 
Sheldon from the Presbytery of Portage, the Synod are constrained to be- 
lieve that the decision of the Presbytery was just ; and that the Presbytery 
conducted the case with as much order and tenderness as the inherent dif- 
ficulties of the case would admit.] 

In view of the whole case — 

Resolved, That the decision of the Presbytery of Portage be sustained. 

-ib. 

7. Degrees of Affinity and Consanguinity. 

Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affin- 
ity, forbidden in the w 7 ord ; nor can such incestuous marriages ever be 
made lawful by any law of man or consent of parties, so as those persons 
may live together as man and wife. The man may not marry any of his 
wife's kindred nearer in blood than he may of his own, nor the woman 
of her husband's kindred nearer in blood than of her own. — Confession of 
Faith, ch. xxiv., iv. 

8. Marriage with a Brother's "Widow Incestuous. 

The affair of Andrew Van Dyke, that was referred from the Presby- 
tery of New Castle to the Synod, came under consideration, and a consid- 
erable time being spent in discoursing upon it, it was determined nemine 
contradicente, that his marriage with his brother's wife or widow was in- 
cestuous and unlawful, and their living together as the consequence of 
that marriage, is incestuous and unlawful ; and that so long as they live 
together, they be debarred from all sealing ordinances, and that Mr. 
Wotherspoon make intimation hereof to his congregation in what time 
and manner he shall think convenient. — 1718, p. 50. 

b. Left to the Discretion of the Session. 

The appeal of Mr. William Adams from a decision of the Synod of 
Pittsburg was laid before the Assembly. The minutes of the Synod re- 
specting the case being read, it appeared that the said William Adam- 
had married his brother's widow ; that his case having been brought lie- 
fore the Presbytery of Erie, the said Presbytery had pronounced his mar- 
riage unconstitutional, and that the Synod, upon an appeal, had confirmed 



686 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

the judgment of the Presbytery. From this judgment of the Synod, Mr. 
Adams appealed to the General Assembly. 

The Assembly, having taken the subject into consideration, were in- 
formed by some of their members, who are also members of the Synod 
of Pittsburg, that Mr. Adams' moral and religious character is perfectly 
fair and exemplary, except in what respects his marriage, which was con- 
tracted above fifteen years ago. — 1805, p. 338. 

The report of the Committee to whom the appeal w T as referred having 
been read and amended, was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

Whereas, Frequent decisions on marriages of a similar nature have 
been given by the late Synod of New York and Philadelphia, and by the 
General Assembly ; and whereas, it appeared on these occasions that while 
such marriages are offensive to some, to others they appear lawful, there- 
fore this Assembly consider the subject doubtful and delicate, and do not 
think it expedient to express any opinion on the decision of the Synod of 
Pittsburg in the present case. But in conformity to a decision made by 
last Assembly on a marriage somewhat similar, this General Assembly re- 
fers the case of Mr. Adams to the session of the church of Rocky Spring, 
or that of any other in which he may be, and leave it to their discretion 
to act according to their own best light and the circumstances in which 
they find themselves placed. — 1805, p. 340. 

9. Marriage with a deceased "Wife's Sister. 

a. In the case of a man's marrying two sisters, one after the other's 
death, the Synod judge, That, as the Levitical law, enforced also by the 
civil laws of the land, is the only rule by which we are to judge of mar- 
riages, whoever marry within the degrees of consanguinity and affinity 
forbidden therein act unlawfully, and have no right to the distinguishing 
privileges of the Church ; and as the marriages in question appear to be 
within the prohibited degrees, they are to be accounted unlawful, and the 
persons suspended from special communion while they continue in this 
relation.— 1761, p. 312. 

b. Anthony Dushane, who has married the sister of his former wife, 
and whose case has been before the Synod for two years past, preferred 
a petition that he might no longer be debarred the privileges of the 
church on account of said marriage. 

After full and deliberate discussion, the question was put, "Shall An- 
thony Dushane and his wife be capable of Christian privileges, their mar- 
riage notwithstanding?" which was carried in the affirmative by a consid- 
erable majority. — 1782, p. 495. 

Remonstrances from sundry congregations were brought in by the Com- 
mittee of Overtures, requesting a reversing of the decision of the last 
Synod, respecting the marriage of a man with his former wife's sister. 

The Synod having again resumed the consideration of the judgment 
which they passed last year concerning Anthony Dushane, declare their 
dissatisfaction with all such marriages as are inconsistent with the Levit- 
ical law, find that persons marrying within the degrees of consanguinity 
prohibited in that law, ought to suffer the censures of the Church ; and 
they further judge, that, although the marriage of a man to two sisters 
successively, viz., to the one after the death of the other, may not be a di- 
rect violation of the express words of that law, yet, as it is contrary to the 
practice of the Protestant Churches in general, and an evidence of great 
untenderness toward many serious and well-disposed Christians, and may, 
through the prejudices or generally received opinions of the members of 
our Church, be productive of very disagreeable consequences ; the persons 



OF THE SOLEMNIZATION OF MAERIAGE. 687 

contracting such marriages are highly censurable, and the practice ought 
to be disallowed in express terras by the Synod, and we do therefore con- 
demn such marriages as imprudent and unseasonable. Yet as some 
things may be done very imprudently and unseasonably, which when done 
ought not to be annulled, we are of opinion that it is not necessary for 
the persons whom this judgment respects, to separate from one another, yet 
they should not be received into the communion of the Church, without a 
solemn admonition, at the discretion of the session of the congregation to 
which they belong ; and the Synod publicly recommend it to all their 
members to abstain from celebrating such marriages, and to discounte- 
nance them by all proper means in their power. — 1783, p. 500. 

10. "Where a Brother's and Sister's Relicts married together. 

The Synod judge that such a marriage, however inexpedient it may be, 
yet, as we cannot find it prohibited by the Levitical law, it is not to be 
condemned as incestuous. — 1760, pp. 301 and 303. 

11. Marriage to Deceased "Wife's Sister Disapproved. 

a. The Committee to which had been referred the appeal of Mr. Wil- 
liam Vance from the judgment of the church session of Cross Creek, and 
the judgment of the Presbytery of Washington, Pa., by which judgment 
Mr. Vance had been excluded from church privileges on account of his 
being married to the sister of his deceased wife, reported, and their report 
was read, and the consideration and discussion of it was postponed, to 
take into consideration the following resolutions, which, after a full dis- 
cussion, were adoj)ted by the Assembly as their decision in the case, viz. : 

Resolved, That, in the opinion of this General Assembly, the marriage 
of a man to the sister of his deceased wife, and all similar connections, 
are highly inexpedient, unfriendly to domestic purity, and exceedingly 
offensive to a large portion of our churches. 

Resolved, That it be, and it hereby is earnestly enjoined upon the min- 
isters, elders and churches of our communion, to take every proper occa- 
sion to impress the sentiments contained in the foregoing resolution, on 
the public mind, and by all suitable means to discourage connections so 
unfavorable in their influence on the peace and edification of the Church. 

Resolved, That while the Assembly adopt the opinion, and would enforce 
the injunction above expressed, they are by no means prepared to decide 
that such marriages as that in question, are so plainly prohibited in Scrip- 
ture, and so undoubtedly incestuous, as necessarily to infer the exclusion 
of those who contract them from church privileges; they, therefore, re- 
fer the case of Mr. Vance back again to the session of the church of 
Cross Creek, agreeably to former decisions of the General Assembly in 
similar cases, to be disposed of in such manner as the said session may 
think most conducive to the interests of religion. — 1821, p. 22. 

[Reaffirmed in 1822, p. 45.] 

b. Assembly Sustains Suspension and Refuse to Alter Confession. 

The Committee on Mr. McCrimmon's appeal from the decision of the 
Presbytery of Fayetteville, confirming his suspension from the commu- 
nion of the Church for having married his deceased wife's sister, reported, 
that in their opinion, no relief can be given to the said McCrimmon with- 
out an alteration of the Confession of Faith, chap, xxiv., sec. iv., the 
last clause of which declares, that "the man may not marry any of his 
wife's kindred nearer in blood than he may of his own, nor the woman of 



688 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

her husband's kindred nearer in blood than of her own;" but inasmuch as 
a diversity of opinion and practice obtains on this very important subject, 
your Committee beg leave to submit the following resolution, viz.: 

Resolved, That the Presbyteries be and they are hereby directed to take 
this matter into serious consideration, and send up in writing to the next 
General Assembly an answer to the question, whether the above quoted 
clause of our Confession shall be erased. 

The above report was adopted. — 1826, p. 177. 

In regard to the proposed erasure of the 4th section of the 24th chap- 
ter of the Confession of Faith, sixty-eight Presbyteries have reported ; 
fifty of them against the erasure, and eighteen in favor of it. The sec- 
tion, therefore, is not to be erased. — 1827, p. 218. 

c. Case of Archibald Me Queen. — Suspended, and Suspension Sustained. 

[The Rev. Archibald McQueen appealed from a decision of the Pres- 
bytery of Fayetteville, by which he was suspended from the ministry for 
marrying the sister of his deceased wife.] 

"Shall the appeal be sustained ?" Ayes, 11 ; nays, 68. Sustain in part, 
8 ; excused, 1. 

Resolved, That the judgment of the Presbytery of Fayetteville, in the 
case of Archibald McQueen, be affirmed, and that the appeal be dis- 
missed.— 1842, p. 44, O. S. 

[Upon a memorial against the Presbytery of Fayetteville for refusal to 
restore Mr. McQueen,] 

Resolved, That the prayer of the memorialist be granted so far as that 
this General Assembly recommend to the Presbytery of Fayetteville to 
reconsider their decision in the case of the Rev. Archibald McQueen ; 
and if in their judgment it should appear conducive to the peace of the 
Church and the promotion of religion in the region around them, to restore 
Mr. McQueen to the communion of the Church, and to the exercise of the 
functions of the gospel ministry, on the ground that in his case the ends 
of discipline are attained by the operation of the sentence under which 
Mr. McQueen has been lying for a period of three years. — 1845, p. 32, O. S. 

[The Presbytery, acting under the discretion thus conceded, restored 
Mr. McQueen. A complaint was taken.] 

Resolved, That the complaint of the Rev. Colin Mclver and others 
against the Synod of North Carolina, for having sustained the action of 
the Presbytery of Fayetteville in restoring the said Archibald McQueen, 
in accordance with the judicial decision of the Assembly of 1845, cannot 
be entertained by this house, and is hereby dismissed. 

In making this disposition of the above-mentioned complaint, this Gene- 
ral Assembly wishes it to be distinctly understood, that they do not mean 
either to retract or modify any judgment hitherto expressed by any As- 
sembly respecting the offence for which Mr. McQueen was suspended from 
the exercise of the gospel ministry. They simply declare that his case can- 
not be regularly brought before them by this complaint. — 1847, p. 395, 0. S. 

On motion, the order of the day was suspended to take up the following 
resolution, viz. : 

Resolved, That the General Assembly overture to the Presbyteries the 
following question, viz. : Shall that part of the fourth section of the 
twenty-fourth chapter of the Confession of Faith, from i. to ii., which 
says, " Nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any 
law of man, or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together 
as man and wife," be stricken out? 



OF THE SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE. 689 

The previous question being insisted on, the resolution was put to the 
vote, and lost.— 1847, p. 397, O. S. 

d. The appeal of John Cathey from a decision of the Synod of North 
Carolina, sustaining the action of the Presbytery of Concord, and the ses- 
sion of the Paw Creek church, by which he was suspended from the 
church for marrying his deceased wife's sister, was not sustained. Ayes, 
26 ; nays, 55. — 1848, p. 57, O. S. 

12. "With a "Wife's Brother's Daughter. 

After mature deliberation, the Synod declare their great dissatisfac- 
tion with all such marriages as are inconsistent with the Levitical law, 
which in cases matrimonial we understand is the law of our nation, and 
that persons intermarrying in these prohibited degrees, are not only pun- 
ishable by the laws of the country, but ought to suffer the censures of the 
Church ; and further judge, though the present case is not a direct viola- 
tion of the express words of the Levitical law, yet as it is contrary to the 
custom of Protestant nations in general, and an evidence of great unten- 
derness, and so opposite to such precepts of the gospel as require Chris- 
tians to avoid things of ill report, and all appearance of evil, and what 
is offensive to the Church; that the person referred to in this instance, 
ought to be rebuked by the church session, and others warned against 
such offensive conduct ; and in case these persons submit to such rebuke, 
and are in other respects regular professors, that they be not debarred of 
Christian privileges. — 1772, p. 427. 

13. "With a "Wife's Half-brother's Daughter. 

A reference from the Synod of Virginia was received through the Com- 
mittee of Overtures, respecting a certain Charles Mitchel, who had mar- 
ried his former wife's half-brother's daughter, requesting the opinion of 
the Assembly whether such persons may be admitted to church privileges. 
Whereupon, 

Resolved, That though the Assembly would wish to discountenance im- 
prudent marriages, or such as tend in any way to give uneasiness to seri- 
ous persons, yet it is their opinion that the marriage referred to is not of. 
such a nature as to render it necessary to exclude the parties from the 
privileges of the Church. — 1797, p. 127. 

14. "With a Deceased "Wife's Sister's Daughter. 

a. Keference on the petition of John Latham, who has married his de- 
ceased wife's sister's daughter, praying a reconsideration of his case, which 
was tried and issued against him, nine years ago, in the Synod of the 
Carolinas. 

After mature deliberation, it was 

Resolved. That the case of John Latham, referred for the decision of 
the General Assembly by the Synod of the Carolinas, be remitted to the 
said Synod, and that they be directed to review the case, and, if they shall 
judge it to be consistent with the existing laws of the State and the peace 
of the Church, they may admit the parties alluded to to its privileges. — 
1799, p. 176. 

b. The session of the church of Westminster, in Jefferson county, State 
of Tennessee, having requested the direction of this Assembly in a case of 
discipline, viz. : Whether a man and his wife were admissible to church 
privileges who had been related to each other as uncle and niece — that is 

87 



690 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

to say, the woman being sister's daughter to the man's former wife. 
Whereupon, the Assembly 

Resolved, That such marriages as that in question have been determined 
both by the late Synod of New York and Philadelphia and by the Gen- 
eral Assembly to be on the one hand not forbidden by the laws of God, 
and on the other hand to be contrary to the general practice of Protestant 
Churches, and the feelings and opinions of many serious Christians among 
ourselves, and on that account to be discountenanced ; therefore, 

Resolved, That when such marriages take place, the session of the 
church where they happen are carefully to consider the case, and if they 
think it expedient, to administer such discipline as they may judge to be 
deserved for that want of Christian tenderness and forbearance that are 
incumbent on all the professors of our holy religion, or for violating any 
municipal law, if this has been done, and then to admit or restore them to 
good standing in the Church. And if the session judge that the state of 
society is such where these marriages take place as that neither the duty 
of Christian tenderness and forbearance, nor the laws of the State have 
been violated, they may admit the persons concerned to Christian privi- 
leges without censure. — 1802, p. 248. 

c. It appeared that a Mr. James Gaston had been censured as being 
guilty of incest for having married a woman who was sister's daughter 
to his former wife, and had brought the cause by appeal to the Synod 
of Pittsburg. The Synod, conceiving that the cause involved a high 
question of discipline, chose to refer it to the General Assembly for their 
decision. 

The Assembly having given repeated decisions on similar cases, cannot 
advise to annul such marriages, or to pronounce them to such a degree 
unlawful as that the parties, if otherwise worthy, should be debarred from 
the privileges of the Church. But as great diversity of opinion seems to 
exist on such questions in different parts of the Church, so that no abso- 
lute rule can be enjoined with regard to them that shall be universally 
binding and consistent with the peace of the Church, and as the cases in 
question are esteemed to be doubtful, the Assembly is constrained to leave 
it to the discretion of the inferior judicatories under their care, to act ac- 
cording to their own best lights and the circumstances in which they find 
themselves placed. — 1804, p. 306. 

d. A reference from Bethel Church, South Carolina, was overtured, re- 
questing the decision of the Assembly in relation to a case in which a per- 
son had married the sister of his deceased wife. On motion, 

Resolved, That this reference be answered by the decision of the Assem- 
bly of 1804. [Above, c.]— 1810, p. 456. 

15. With a Sister's Daughter. 

The report of the Committee on Bills and Overtures in answer to the 
two questions, "May a man, in accordance with the teachings of the Scrip- 
tures, marry a daughter of his own sister?" and " When members of the 
>Church have contracted such a marriage, may they still retain their stand- 
ing in the Church ?" was taken up for consideration. 

A motion was made for indefinite postponement, which was lost. 

The report of the Committee was postponed, and the following substi- 
tute, proposed by Rev. S. P. M. Hastings, was adopted : 

Resolved, 1. That the first question be answered in the negative, such 
marriages being evidently contrary to the teachings of the Scripture, and 
incestuous. See Lev. xviii. 6, 12, 13. 

Resolved, 2. That the second question in the overture be answered as 



OF THE SOLEMNIZATION OP MARRIAGE. 691 

follows, viz.: In the judgment of this Assembly, such a connection as is 
contemplated by the overture demands the judicial action of the Church, 
and if not repented of, should incur Church censure. — 1853, p. 339, N. S. 

16. Loose Opinions on Marriage Condemned- 
Overture No. 31, from the Presbytery of Schuyler, on the subject of 
divorce. The Committee recommend the adoption of the following reso- 
lution : 

Whereas, Latitudinarian ideas on marriage and divorce are alarmingly 
prevalent at the present time, and, in some portions of the country, prac- 
tically demoralizing, 

Resolved, That this General Assembly enters its solemn protest against 
such loose opinions, and calls upon all its ministers to use their moral in- 
fluence to create a more healthful sentiment in the community and a thor- 
oughly scriptural practice in the Church. 
Adopted.— 1872, p. 73. 

IV. The parties ought to be of such years of discretion as to be 
capable of making their own choice: and if they be under age, or live 
with their parents, the consent of the parents or others, under w 7 hose 
care they are, ought to be previously obtained, and well certified to 
the minister, before he proceeds to solemnize the marriage. 

Clandestine Marriage Discouraged. 

The Synod do recommend it to all their members to use the greatest 
caution that they do not countenance any clandestine marriages, and espe- 
cially that they do not marry any that they have reason to suspect to go 
contrary to the minds of their parents and guardians in seeking it. — 1735, 
p. 115. 

V. Parents ought neither to compel their children to marry con- 
trary to their inclinations, nor deny their consent without just and 
important reasons. 

VI. Marriage is of a public nature. The welfare of civil society, 
the happiness of families, and the credit of religion, are deeply inter- 
ested in it. Therefore the purpose of marriage ought to be sufficiently 
published a proper time previously to the solemnization of it. It is 
enjoined on all ministers to be careful that, in this matter, they neither 
transgress the laws of God, nor the laws of the community : and that 
they may not destroy the peace and comfort of families, they must be 
properly certified with respect to the parties applying to them, that 
no just objections lie against their marriage. 

Publication of Purpose of Marriage. 

What is a sufficient publication of the purpose of marriage according 
to the second sentence of the sixth section of the eleventh chapter of the 
Book of Discipline ? 

Resolved, That the following be given as an answer to this question, 
viz.: That the Presbyteries are the best judges in the case. — 1820, p. 740. 



692 THE DIEECTOEY FOE WOESHIP. 

VII. Marriage must always be performed before a competent num- 
ber of witnesses ; and at any time, except on a day of public humili- 
ation. And we advise that it be not on the Lord's day. And the 
minister is to give a certificate of the marriage when required. 

VIII. When the parties present themselves for marriage, the min- 
ister is to desire, if there is any person present w r ho knows any law- 
ful reason why these persons may not be joined together in the mar- 
riage relation, that they will now make it known, or ever after hold 
their peace. 

No objections being made, he is then severally to address himself 
to the parties to be married, in the following or like words : 

" You, the man, declare, in the presence of God, that you do not 
know any reason by pre-contract or otherwise, why you may not law- 
fully marry this woman." 

Upon his declaring he does not, the minister shall address himself 
to the bride, in the 'same or similar terms : 

" You, the woman, declare, in the presence of God, that you do not 
know any reason, by pre-contract or otherwise, why you may not 
lawfully marry this man." 

Upon her declaring she does not, he is to begin with prayer for the 
presence and blessing of God. 

The minister shall then proceed to give them some instruction from 
the Scriptures, respecting the institution and duties of this state, 
showing, 

" That God hath instituted marriage for the comfort and happiness 
of mankind, in declaring a man shall forsake his father and mother, 
and cleave unto his wife ; and that marriage is honorable in all ; that 
he hath appointed various duties, which are incumbent upon those 
who enter into this relation ; such as, a high esteem and mutual love 
for one another ; bearing with each other's infirmities and weaknesses, 
to which human nature is subject in its present lapsed state ; to en- 
courage each other under the various ills of life ; to comfort one 
another in sickness ; in honesty and industry to provide for each 
other's temporal support; to pray for and encourage one another in 
the things which pertain to God, and to their immortal souls ; and 
to live together as the heirs of the grace of life.''* 

Then the minister shall cause the bridegroom and bride to join 
their hands, and shall pronounce the marriage- covenant, first to the 
man, in these words : 

" You take this woman, whom you hold by the hand, to be your 
lawful and married wife ; and you promise, and covenant, in the 



OF THE SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE. 693 

presence of God and these witnesses, that you will be unto her a lov- 
ing and faithful husband, until you shall be separated by death." 

The bridegroom shall express his consent, by saying, " Yes, I do." 

Then the minister shall addres<3 himself to the woman, in these 
words : 

" You take this man, whom you hold by the hand, to be your law- 
ful and married husband; and you promise and covenant, in the 
presence of God and these witnesses, that you will be unto him a 
loving, faithful, and obedient wife, until you shall be separated by 
death." 

The bride shall express her consent, by saying, " Yes, I do/'* 

Then the minister is to say, 

" I pronounce you husband and wife, according to the ordinance 
of God ; whom therefore God hath joined together, let no man put 
asunder." 

After this the minister may exhort them, in a few words, to the 
mutual discharge of their duty. 

Then let him conclude with prayer suitable to the occasion. 

Let the minister keep a proper register for the names of all per- 
sons whom he marries, and of the time of their marriage, for the 
perusal of all whom it may concern. 



694 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

CHAPTER XII. 

OF THE VISITATION OF THE SICK. 

I. When persons are sick, it is their duty, before their strength 
and understanding fail them, to send for their minister, and to make 
known to him, with prudence, their spiritual state ; or to consult him 
on the concerns of their precious souls. And it is his duty to visit 
them, at their request, and to apply himself, with all tenderness and 
love, to administer spiritual good to their immortal souls. 

II. He shall instruct the sick, out of the Scriptures, that diseases 
arise not out of the ground, nor do they come by chance ; but that 
they are directed and sent by a wise and holy God, either for correc- 
tion of sin, for the trial of grace, for improvement in religion, or for 
other important ends : and that they shall work together for good, to 
all those who make a wise improvement of God's visitation, neither 
despising his chastening hand, nor fainting under his rebukes. 

III. If the minister finds the sick person to be grossly ignorant, 
he shall instruct him in the nature of repentance and faith, and the 
way of acceptance with God, through the mediation and atonement 
of Jesus Christ. 

IV. He shall exhort the sick to examine himself, to search his 
heart, and try his former ways, by the word of God ; and shall assist 
him, by mentioning some of the obvious marks and evidences of 
sincere piety. 

V. If the sick shall signify any scruple, doubt, or temptation, 
under which he labors, the minister must endeavor to resolve his 
doubts, and administer instruction and direction, as the case may seem 
to require. 

VI. If the sick appear to be a stupid, thoughtless, and hardened 
sinner, he shall endeavor to awaken his mind; to arouse his con- 
science ; to convince him of the evil and danger of sin ; of the curse 
of the law, and the wrath of God due to sinners ; to bring him to an 
humble and penitential sense of his iniquities ; and to state before 
him the fullness of the grace and mercy of God, in and through the 
glorious Redeemer ; the absolute necessity of faith and repentance, in 
order to his being interested in the favor of God, or his obtaining 
everlasting happiness. 

VII. If the sick person shall appear to have knowledge, to be of 
a tender conscience, and to have been endeavoring to serve God in 
uprightness, though not without many failings and sinful infirmities; 
or if his spirit be broken with a sense of sin, or through apprehen- 



OF FASTING AND THANKSGIVING. 695 

sions of the want of the divine favor ; then it will be proper to ad- 
minister consolation and encouragement to him, by setting before him 
the freeness and riches of the grace of God, the all-sufficiency of the 
righteousness of Christ, and the supporting promises of the gospel. 

[For cases where it may be proper to administer the Lord's Supper in 
the sick chamber, see Directory, chap, viii., sec. i., 2.] 

"VIII. The minister must endeavor to guard the sick person against 
ill-grounded persuasions of the mercy of God, without a vital union 
to Christ; and against unreasonable fears of death, and desponding 
discouragements ; against presumption upon his own goodness and 
merit, upon the one hand, and against despair of the mercy and grace 
of God in Jesus Christ, on the other. 

IX. In one word, it is the minister's duty to administer to the sick 
person, instruction, conviction, support, consolation, or encourage- 
ment, as his case may seem to require. 

At a proper time, when he is most composed, the minister shall 
pray with and for him. 

X. Lastly, the minister may improve the present occasion, to ex- 
hort those about the sick, to consider their mortality : to turn to the 
Lord, and make their peace with him ; in health to prepare for sick- 
ness, death, and judgment. 



CHAPTER XIII. 
OF THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD. 

I. When any person departs this life, let the corpse be taken care 
of in a decent manner; and be kept a proper and sufficient time be- 
fore interment. 

II. When the season for the funeral comes, let the dead body be 
decently attended to the grave and interred. During such solemn 
occasions, let all who attend conduct themselves with becoming grav- 
ity ; and apply themselves to serious meditation or discourse: and 
the minister, if present, may exhort them to consider the frailty of 
life and the importance of being prepared for death and eternity. 

Carousing 1 and Ostentatious Parades Discountenanced. 

That as the too great use of spirituous liquors at funerals in some 
parts of the country, is risen to such an height as greatly to endanger the 
morals of many, and is the cause of much scandal, the Synod earnestly 
enjoin, that the several sessions and Committees shall take the most effect- 
ual methods to correct these mischiefs, aud discountenance by their ex- 



696 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

ample and influence all approaches to such practices, and all ostentatious 
and expensive parades, so inconsistent with such mortifying and distress- 
ing occasions. — 1766, p. 359. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



OF FASTING, AND OF THE OBSERVATION OF THE HAYS OF 
THANKSGIVING. 

I. There is no day under the gospel commanded to be kept holy, 
except the Lord's day, which is the Christian Sabbath. 

II. Nevertheless, to observe days of fasting and thanksgiving, as 
the extraordinary dispensations of divine providence may direct, we 
judge both scriptural and rational. 

We will further observe, that the duty of fasting, as united with 
prayer, appears to be too much disregarded, if not entirely neglected by 
many Christians of the present day. We agree with our fathers of the 
Reformation, that the appointment of annual or stated fasts is not author- 
ized under the gospel dispensation ; but occasional fasting, both public 
and private, such as is called for by peculiar circumstances, or by the 
dispensations of heaven, are still among the appointed means of grace, 
and form an important part of Christian duty. Our Saviour said, the 
children of the bride-chamber would fast when the bridegroom was taken 
from them ; surely such a dispensation as we have lately witnessed should 
lead those children to fast.— 1838, p. 48, O. S. 

III. Fasts and thanksgivings may be observed by individual 
Christians ; or families, in private ; by particular congregations ; by 
a number of congregations contiguous to each other ; by congrega- 
tions under the care of a Presbytery, or of a Synod ; or by all the con- 
gregations of our Church. 

IV. It must be left to the judgment and discretion of every 
Christian and family, to determine when it is proper to observe a 
private fast or thanksgiving; and to the church sessions to de- 
termine for particular congregations ; and to the Presbyteries or 
Synods to determine for larger districts. When it is deemed ex- 
pedient that a fast or thanksgiving should be general, the call for 
them must be judged of by the Synod or General Assembly. And 
if at any time the civil power should think it proper to appoint a 
fast or thanksgiving, it is the duty of the ministers and people of 
our communion, as we live under a Christian government, to pay all 
due respect to the same. 



OF FASTING AND THANKSGIVING. 697 

Churches should observe Days appointed by the Local Authorities. 

In this connection, the Committee further recommend that this Assembly 
sanction and approve the practice of particular churches observing, with 
appropriate worship, days of thanksgiving, recommended in proclamation 
by the governors of commonwealths in which they are located. 

The recommendations were adopted. — 1849, p. 266, O. S. 

Days of Fasting appointed by the Supreme Judicatory. 
1. Upon the Occasion of the French "War. 

a. The Synod, under a sense of the present distressed and calamitous 
state of the country, do agree that they will recommend to all their con- 
gregations to unite in observing the last Thursday of October instant, as 
a day of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer. 

The Synod propose further to recommend to their congregations to 
spend part of the last Thursday of every month in extraordinary prayer, 
while the present mournful state of our public affairs continues. 

And they do further most earnestly recommend it to all their members, 
present and absent, to exert themselves in an extraordinary manner, in 
their several spheres of influence, for a general and thorough reformation 
of those crying abominations which seem most evidently to have kindled 
the anger of heaven against this land. 

And that they would, in their public performances, frequently explain and 
warmly press on their hearers the' necessity of such a reformation in this day. 

The Synod taking into serious consideration the dangerous situation of 
the public at this juncture, by means of a potent, prevailing and cruel 
enemy; the divided state of these colonies; the abounding of profanity, 
luxury, infidelity, error and ignorance; the evident suspension of spiritual 
influences from the Church, which is followed with an evident insensibility 
under the judgments as well as ordinances of God; together with other 
awful aspects of divine Providence ; cannot but view them as plain dem- 
onstrations of his displeasure. We have been warned and chastised, first 
more gently, then more terribly; but not returning to Him that smites us, 
his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. Judg- 
ment yet proceeds, the prospect becomes darker and darker, and all things 
respecting us, are loudly alarming. When God judges he will overcome; 
none have ever hardened themselves against him and prospered. Nothing 
but impiety rouses his vengeance, and nothing but repentance toward him, 
and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, can turn it away. We have not 
so much as the least reason to expect deliverance and safety in a way of 
impenitent sinning ; for we are assured, if we walk contrary to our God, 
he will walk contrary to us, and will punish us yet seven times more for 
our iniquity. And as we judge that extraordinary distresses are calls to 
extraordinary humiliation and acts of devotion, so we look on ourselves 
bound, not only as members of the community, but by the duty of our 
office, as those who are entrusted with the declaration of God's revealed 
will, to warn ail who will attend unto us, and earnestly exhort them to 
prostrate themselves before his offended majesty, in the humblest manner; 
to deprecate his righteous displeasure ; implore his mercy for themselves, 
their children, country and nation, their and our rightful and gracious 
sovereign King George the Second, his royal family, all officers civil and 
military, and the whole Church of God ; and solemnly endeavor sincere 
and thorough reformation. For this purpose the Synod agree to recom- 
mend the last Thursday of this instant, to be observed as a day of public 



698 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

fasting and prayer, in all the congregations under our care. We also rec- 
ommend to all the members of our body, that they exert themselves in 
promoting a reformation from those evils which have evidently kindled 
the anger of heaven against this land ; and that they would frequently 
urge the necessity of such a reformation in this day. 
Signed in the name of the Synod, 

RICHARD TREAT, Synod Clerk 
—1756, p. 276, Synod of New York. 

b. [In 1758 the reunited Synod~] recommend that a day of fasting and 
prayer be observed by all the congregations under our care, to deprecate 
the wrath of God, to pray for a blessing on his majesty's armaments by 
sea and land, in order to procure a lasting and honorable peace, and in 
particular for the success of all intended expeditions in America; for the 
prosperity of his Prussian majesty's arms, and advancement of the Pro- 
testant interest; for the overthrow of antichristian errors, superstition and 
tyranny; and the universal spread of pure and undefiled religion. And 
'tis ordered that the members within the bounds of this province, observe 
it on the sixteenth of June next, being the day appointed by this govern- 
ment for that purpose ; and that those brethren who live in the bounds of 
other governments, observe it on such a day in June or July next as the 
several Presbyteries think proper. 

And as prayer has been made without ceasing, by the Church in times 
of imminent danger, and God has heard, his people in a day of trouble, 
and delivered them, the Synod recommend that some time be spent in so- 
cial prayer, by every congregation within their bounds, on the last Thurs- 
day of every month, during these times of trouble and rebuke. — 1758, p. 
290. 

[Also in 1760, p. 305 ; and 1761, p. 310.] 

2. On the War with Spain. 

The Synod seriously considering that our nation is involved in an 
additional war with Spain, and the melancholy state of religion in our 
churches, do agree that the third Thursday of June be observed as a day 
of public fasting and prayer in all the congregations under the care of 
our Synod, where the government under which they live has not, or shall 
not before that time appoint another day for that purpose, that all may 
humble themselves before Almighty God, to deprecate his just displeasure, 
and pray for the blessing of heaven on his majesty's person, counsels and 
arms, and for the revival of true piety among us. — 1762, p. 315. 

3. On Account of the Troubles with England. 

a. The Synod taking into their serious consideration the dark and 
threatening aspect of our public affairs, both civil and religious, as loudly 
calling for deep humiliation before God, and earnest application to the 
throne of grace, do agree to observe the third Thursday of June next, as 
a day of solemn fasting and prayer, to implore the divine compassion, that 
it may please God in his great mercy to avert those calamities which, on 
account of our manifold provocations, we have great reason to fear. — 1774, 
p. 460. 

b. The Synod considering the present alarming state of public affairs, 
do unanimously judge it their duty to call all the congregations under 
their care to solemn fasting, humiliation and prayer, and for this purpose 
appoint the last Thursday of June next to be carefully and religiously ob- 



OF FASTING AND THANKSGIVING. 699 

served. But as the Continental Congress are now sitting, who may proba- 
bly appoint a fast for the same purpose, the Synod, from respect to that 
august body and for the greater harmony with all other denominations, 
and for the greater public order, if the Congress shall appoint a day not 
above four weeks distant from the said last Thursday of June, order that 
the congregations belonging to this Synod do keep the day appointed by 
the Congress, in obedience to this resolution ; and if they appoint a day 
more distant, the Synod order both to be observed by all our communion. 
The Synod also earnestly recommend it to all the congregations under 
their care to spend the afternoon of the last Thursday in every month in 
public solemn prayer to God, during the continuance of our present 
troubles. — 1775, p. 465. 

[See also 1777, p. 478 ; 1778, p. 481 ; 1779, p. 483 ; 1780, p. 488.] 

4. Before the Second "War with England. 

In 1808 the Assembly appointed the second Thursday of September as 
a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer, to beseech the Kuler of the uni- 
verse that for Christ's sake he would be pleased to avert the calamities 
with which we are threatened. That he would restore harmony to the 
contending nations of the world ; that he would pour out his Spirit upon 
our churches more generally and more abundantly; bless the efforts that 
are making to christianize the heathen, and to extend the blessings of the 
gospel to the destitute inhabitants of our land. — 1808, p. 409. 

5. During the "War with England. 

[See Minutes, 1812, p. 497 ; 1813, p. 524.] In this case it was— 
Resolved, That if the President of the United States shall, previous to 
the day specified (first Thursday in August), recommend the observance 
of a day of humiliation, fasting and prayer, different from that which 
has been assigned, then, and in that case, it is recommended to the 
churches under our care, to observe the day which may be appointed by 
the civil government of our country ; otherwise to observe the day ap- 
pointed by the General Assembly. 
[See also 1814, p. 572.] 

6. On the Outbreak of the Civil "War. 

a. Gratefully acknowledging the distinguished bounty and care of al- 
mighty God toward this favored land, and also recognizing our obligations 
to submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, this General 
Assembly adopt the following resolutions : 

Resolved, 1 . That in view of the present agitated and unhappy condition 
of this country, the first day of July next be hereby set apart as a day of 
prayer throughout our bounds, and that on this day ministers and people 
are called on humbly to confess and bewail our national sins ; to offer our 
thanks to the Father of light for his abundant and undeserved goodness 
toward us as a nation ; to seek his guidance and blessing upon our rulers 
and their counsels, as well as on the Congress of the United States about 
to assemble ; and to implore him, in the name of Jesus Christ, the great 
High Priest of the Christian profession, to turn away his anger from us, 
and speedily restore to us the blessings of an honorable peace. 

Resolved, 2. That this General Assembly, in the spirit of that Christian 
patriotism which the Scriptures enjoin, and which has always character- 
ized this Church, do hereby acknowledge and declare our obligations to 
promote and perpetuate, so far as in us lies, the integrity of these United 



700 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

States, and to strengthen, uphold and encourage the Federal Government 
in the exercise of all its functions under our noble Constitution: and to 
this Constitution in all its provisions, requirements and principles we pro- 
fess our unabated loyalty. 

And to avoid all misconception, the Assembly declare that by the terms 
" Federal Government," as here used, is not meant any particular admin- 
istration, or the peculiar opinions of any particular party, but that central 
administration, which being at any time appointed and inaugurated ac- 
cording to the forms prescribed in the Constitution of the United States, 
is the visible representative of our national existence. 

This paper was adopted by the following vote : yeas 156, na} T s 66. — 
1861, p. 329, O. S. 

b. In view of the turbulence and the menace of our times, the drear in- 
auguration of civil war, and the prospect of its ravages of physical and 
moral desolation in our country, 

Resolved, 1. That we acknowledge the agency and the just judgments 
of our God in all this, and would humble ourselves before him with the 
prayer — O Lord, in wrath remember mercy ! spare thy people, and restore 
peace in all our borders ! 

Resolved, 2. That Friday, June 28th, be appointed, in these national 
and solemn relations, as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer before 
God, to confess our sins, to supplicate his mercy and gracious return to 
us, almighty to save; and especially that he would prepare the members 
of both houses of Congress, so soon to convene, in this crisis of our affairs, 
for all their duties, with wisdom, piety and patriotic sincerity of devotion 
to the good of our one great nation ; and that he would bless our Presi- 
dent and his Cabinet, our army and our navy, and order all the operations 
of this new and dreadful war, for his own glory, the prosperity of his own 
Zion, and the ultimate good of our country for this and all coming ages. — 
1861, p. 464, N. S. 

7. On Account of the Profanation of the Sabbath. 

The Committee appointed to consider the measures proper to be adopted 
to promote the sanctification of the Sabbath, made a report, which being 
read and amended, was adopted, and is as follows, viz. : 

Resolved, That the second Thursday of November next be and it hereby 
is recommended to be observed as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer 
on account of the sin which rests upon the Church and on the whole land 
by the profanation of the Sabbath ; and that it be given in charge to all 
Synods and Presbyteries in our connection, to take such order on this 
subject as may be most effectual in securing the observance of that day 
by the churches.— 1830, p. 302. 

8. For the Conversion of the "World. 

The Committee to whom was referred Overture No. 11, viz.: "On the 
appointment of a day of prayer for the conversion of the world," made the 
following report, which was unanimously adopted, viz. : 

It being understood that Christians and churches, both in this country 
and in Europe, have at different times desired the public designation of a 
day to be observed by all Christians throughout the world as a day of fast- 
ing and prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the whole family 
of man, and this Assembly being deeply impressed with the importance 
and high privilege of such an observance, and feeling urged and encour- 
aged to more importunate supplications in view of the recent revivals of 



OF FASTING AND THANKSGIVING. 701 

religion in this land, as well as the signs of the present time in relation to 
the prospects of the Church in other nations, therefore, 

Resolved, That it be recommended to the ministers and churches under 
the supervision of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 
the United States, and of the churches in correspondence with the same, 
to observe the first Monday in January, 1833, as a day of fasting and 
prayer for the divine blessing on the ministry of the gospel throughout 
the world, for the revival of religion in the whole of Christendom, and for 
the entire success of those benevolent enterprises which have for their 
object the world's conversion to God. 

Resolved, That other denominations of Christians in the United States, 
and the Christian churches in all other countries, be, and they hereby are 
affectionately, and with Christian salutations, invited to concur in the ob- 
servance of the day above specified. 

Resolved, That these resolutions be published with the signature of the 
moderator and clerk of the General Assembly for the information of such 
Synods, Assemblies, Associations, Conferences, Conventions and other ec- 
clesiastical bodies as may choose to recommend the above observance to 
the churches under their care. And may grace, mercy and peace be mul- 
tiplied to all throughout the world who love our Lord Jesus Christ. — 
1832, p. 365. 

[See also minutes of 1833, pp. 397-399. It became thenceforth a custom 
for the Assembly to designate the first Monday in January of each year 
as a day of fasting and prayer for the conversion of the world, and to rec- 
ommend the last Thursday in February as a day of prayer for colleges, 
theological seminaries and other institutions of learning. See minutes, pas- 
sim. Recently the " week of prayer" has taken the place of the first Mon- 
day, and the last Thursday in January been substituted for the last in 
February.— 1871, p. 577.] 

9. The "Week of Prayer.— The First Entire "Week in January. 

On the appointment of a concert of prayer for the conversion of the 
world. 

This overture is based upon a proposal from the missionary brethren 
of Northern India to observe the second Monday of January, 1860, and 
the succeeding week, as a season of special prayer all over the globe for 
the conversion of the w r orld. This General Assembly cordially sympa- 
thize with the object contemplated, as it implies the desire that Christians 
everywhere may more directly regard the missionary and aggressive cha- 
racter of our faith, as it tends to call forth their affections toward each 
other, and toward a perishing world ; and especially as it recognizes the great 
truth of our dependence upon divine power for the success of the gospel. 

We, therefore, recommend to the churches under our care to observe 
the time thus specified in such manner as the various sessions or Presby- 
teries may direct. Adopted. — 1859, p. 532, O. S. 

[See also 1860, p. 21, O. S; 1861, p. 335, O. S. ; 1862, p. 620, O. S. ; 
and annually to 1867.] 

In 1861, p. 469, the Assembly, N. S., appointed the first week in De- 
cember " as a season of special prayer for the outpouring of the Spirit on 
our congregations, and in special religious services calculated to edify the 
saints, and lead sinners to Christ." In 1862, p. 16, the Assembly recom- 
mends " that another week of prayer be observed during the coming eccle- 
siastical year; but that the time be changed so as to correspond with that 
recommended first by the Lodiana mission — the first entire week in 
January." 



702 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

[See also 1863, p. 277, N. S. ; 1864, p. 462, N. S., and annually to 1869. 
The custom has come to have almost the force of law.] 

The Assembly renewed the following recommendations of last year : 
1. The observance of the first week of each new year, as a special sea- 
son of united supplication throughout the Christian world, has already 
been attended and followed by results too grand to allow of a question as 
to its claims upon our churches. — 1872, p. 94. 

V. Public notice is to be given a convenient time before the day 
of fasting or thanksgiving comes, that persons may so order their 
temporal affairs, that they may properly attend to the duties thereof. 

VI. There shall be public worship upon all such days : and let the 
prayers, psalms, portions of Scripture to be read, and sermons, be all 
in a special manner adapted to the occasion. 

"VII. On fast days, let the minister point out the authority and 
providences calling to the observation thereof; and let him spend a 
more than usual portion of time in solemn prayer, particular confes- 
sion of sin, especially of the sins of the day and place, with their 
aggravations, which have brought down the judgments of heaven. 
And let the whole day be spent in deep humiliation and mourning 
before God. 

VIII. On days of thanksgiving, he is to give the like information 
respecting the authority and providences which call to the observance 
of them ; and to spend a more than usual part of the time in the 
giving of thanks, agreeably to the occasion, and in singing psalms or 
hymns of praise. 

It is the duty of people on these days to rejoice with holy gladness 
of heart ; but let trembling be so joined with our mirth, that no 
excess or unbecoming levity be indulged. 






CHAPTER XV. 
THE DIRECTORY FOR SECRET AND FAMILY WORSHIP. 

I. Besides the public worship in congregations, it is the indispens- 
able duty of each person, alone, in secret ; and of every family, by 
itself, in private, to pray to, and worship God. 

II. Secret worship is most plainly enjoined by our Lord. In this 
duty every one, apart by himself, is to spend some time in prayer, 
reading the Scriptures, holy meditation and serious self-examination. 
The many advantages arising from a conscientious discharge of these 
duties are best known to those who are found in the faithful discharge 
of them. 



THE DIRECTORY FOR SECRET AND FAMILY WORSHIP. 703 

III. Family-worship, which ought to be performed by every fam- 
ily, ordinarily, morning and evening, consists in prayer, reading the 
Scriptures, and singing praises. 

IY. The head of the family, who is to lead in this service, ought 
to be careful that all the members of his household duly attend ; and 
that none withdraw themselves unnecessarily from any part of family- 
worship; and that all refrain from their common business, while the 
Scriptures are read, and gravely attend to the same, no less than 
when prayer or praise is offered up. 

V. Let the heads of families be careful to instruct their children 
and servants in the principles of religion. Every proper opportu- 
nity ought to be embraced for such instruction. But we are of opin- 
ion, that the Sabbath-evenings, after public worship, should be 
sacredly preserved for this purpose. Therefore, we highly disap- 
prove of paying unnecessary private visits on the Lord's day; admit- 
ting strangers into the families, except when necessity or charity 
requires it ; or any other practices, whatever plausible pretences may 
be offered in their favor, if they interfere with the above important 
and necessary duty. 

1. Duties of Ministers to urge Family Religion. 

a. [As means] " to revive the declining power of godliness, the Synod 
do earnestly recommend it to all our ministers and members to take par- 
ticular care about ministerial visiting of families, and press family and 
secret worship, according to the Westminster Directory; and that they also 
recommend it to every Presbytery, at proper seasons to inquire concern- 
ing the diligence of each of their members in such particulars." Unani- 
mously adopted. — 1733, p. 105. 

b. The Synod do not only renew the order, but earnestly obtest every 
of our brethren of the ministry, conscientiously and diligently to pursue 
the good design thereof. — 1734, p. 107. 

c. Let heads of families be careful to instruct their children and those 
committed to their care in the great principles of our holy religion. Let 
their morning and evening sacrifices be daily offered up in their families 
to God.— 1799, p. 178. 

d. Parents, train your children in the "nurture and admonition of the 
Lord ; your houses should be temples of the living God, in which should 
ascend to his mercy-seat the continual incense of your daily sacrifices. 
Pious parents can most effectually preach to the hearts of their children 
by their affectionate precepts, and their holy example. Your instructions 
will best prepare them to receive benefit from the public ordinances of re- 
ligion. And oh ! can you see these dearest portions of yourselves ready to 
perish, without earnestly reaching forth a hand to pluck them as brands 
from the burnings?"— 1804, p. 316. 

e. We have observed with pain, that in some Presbyteries the duties of 
family religion, and of catechetical instruction, are neglected. Truly it is 
shameful in men, who call themselves by the name of Christ, not to honor 
him before their families, by worshiping him statedly. Every head of a 
family is responsible for all its members to God and his country. How 



704 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 

can he expect to fulfill his duty, if he does not pray for and with them, 
aud instruct them from the word of God? If he does not honor God, it 
cannot be expected his family will. And a Christian family living with- 
out family religion, is a contradiction. It argues, on the part of such pro- 
fessors, an awful declension and a criminal dereliction of duty. — 1808, p. 
402, and Minutes, passim. 

2. The Evening of the Lord's Day Especially set apart for Family 
Training. — The Standards need no Change to fit them to the 
Present Times. 

The Committee on the Polity of the Church have had under considera- 
tion the following overture from the Presbytery of Genesee : 

Overture of the Presbytery of Genesee to the General Assembly meet- 
ing at Philadelphia, May 21, 1863. 

We petition for a revision of the Directory for Worship, with a view 
to the following points : 

1. To reclaim the Sabbath afternoon, or evening, expressly for family 
instruction, and to enforce the duty of parents. 

2. To give a constitutional recognition to the Sabbath-school, as a cher- 
ished instrumentality of the Church for the nurture of her own youth, and 
the evangelization of others; and to provide that the time appropriated be 
ample, as esteeming this to be a cardinal means of grace. 

3. To restrict its assemblies, in all ordinary cases, to one part of the 
day, so as to avoid trenching upon the time appropriated to the paramount 
duties of parents. 

4. To secure to the pastor, unequivocally, as the divinely-appointed 
teacher of the lambs of the flock, the prerogative, and hold him to the 
responsibility, of presidency over the school, with provision for a vice- 
president or superintendent, to serve in the absence of the pastor. 

5. To recognize the church session as invested with authority, and re- 
sponsible for the details of the organization, the appointment and removal 
of teachers, and the whole government of the school. 

6. To provide for such a system of distinctive instruction as will secure 
to our youth a thorough training, not only in the doctrines of grace, but 
in the principles of order which the Scriptures set forth, and keep con- 
tinually before their minds the burden of baptismal obligations, and the 
value of covenant privileges, as sealed to the children of God's people. 

The Committee recommend, that the Assembly reply to the above over- 
ture as follows : 

The matters, in view of which the Presbytery of Genesee ask a revision 
of the Directory for Worship, are mainly such that, according to our Con- 
stitution, it is already competent to every church to regulate them for it- 
self, agreeably to its own views of what will best promote its growth and 
spiritual welfare. 

The Directory for Worship expresses the opinion of the Church, that 
the evenings of the Lord's day, after public worship, should be sacredly 
reserved for the religious instruction of children by their parents. (See 
chap, xv., sec. v.) 

The Sunday-school, like all the religious institutions and agencies of 
each individual church, is, and ought to be, under the watch and care of 
the session ; and should be regarded, not as superseding, but as co-oper- 
ating with, the entire system of pastoral instruction, the responsibilities of 
which it should not in any manner diminish. 

There is nothing in our Constitution which prescribes the number of 
public services to be held on the Lord's day, or which restrains any church 



THE DIRECTORY FOR SECRET AND FAMILY WORSHIP. 705 

from appropriating to the Sunday-school such a portion of the day as may 
seem to them desirable. 

The peculiar position of baptized children as members of the church, 
to be, as members, trained in all Christian virtues and duties, is so ex- 
pressly set forth in our standards, that no revision of them could present 
it with greater clearness, or in a more authoritative form. (See Confes- 
sion, chap, xxv., sec. ii.; Larger Catechism, ques. 166; Form of Govern- 
ment, chap, ii., sees, ii., iv.; Book of Discipline, chap, i., sec. vi.; Direc- 
tory for Worship, chap, ix., sees, i.-iii.) 

The Assembly, therefore, judge that no necessity demands the revision 
which is asked for, and simply recommend to the churches to conform 
their ideas and usages to our own standards. — 1863, pp. 240, 241, N. S. 

3. Catechetical Instruction Enjoined on Parents. 

It was unanimously — 

Resolved, That the Assembly hereby most earnestly remind parents and 
others of the duty of catechising children and youth, and enjoin this duty 
upon them, as one whose performance no instruction that children receive 
in the Sabbath-school or elsewhere, outside the family, can supersede or 
supply.— 1870, p. 123. 

89 



INDEX 



Abbot, C. J., Case of, 518, 559. 
Ability of Will, 218, 226, 228, 309. 
Absence of Accused, 505-510, 563. 

of Appellant, 583-586, 595. 

of Records, 557, 570, 590, 591, 595. 

of Testimony, 590. 

of Papers, 590, 591. 
Absent Parties, Trial of, 506-510. 

Rights of, 520, 521, 523. 

Church Members, 625-627. 
Absentees from Church Courts, 194, 198, 199. 

from Ordinances, 493, 494, 569, 575, 625, 
626. 
Abstinence, Total, 486, 487. 

from Ardent Spirits, 301, 484, 485. 
Accused, Arraignment of, 501. 

Absence of, 505, 506-510, 563. 

Conference with, 503, 525. 

Citation of, 118, 501, 503, 510, 524. 

Counsel for, 505, 507, 513, 570, 581, 584. 

Rights of, 502-511, 513, 517, 519, 523, 
578. 
Accuser in Judicial Cases, Individual, 500, 
521. 

Common Fame, 118, 208, 500, 521, 529, 
540, 541, 563, 568. 

Duties of, 502, 522. 
Actual Process, 500-517. 
Adam, Sin of, 220, 227, 229. 

Man's Relation to, 227-229. 
Adams, William, 685, 686. 
Administration of Baptism, 658-667. 

of Lord's Supper, 667-671. 
Admission to Sealing Ordinances, 671- 

678. 
Admonition to Accuser, 500. 

to the Court, 208, 538, 562, 569. 

Judicial, 127, 192, 222, 496, 512, 525, 
546, 574, 589. 
Adopting Act, 46, 47. 
Adoption of the Standards, 45, 51, 52. 

Required, 54, 57. 
Adultery, 682-685. 
Affinity, Degrees of, 685-693. 

Elective, 135, 231. 
Age of Infancy, 658, 664, 665, 691. 
Agency of the Spirit, 224, 228, 230, 319. 

Moral, 218, 226, 228, 309. 
Agreement of Parties, 417, 420. 
Almsgiving, 316. 
Alternates, 131, 466-468. 
Amendments of the Confession, 327, 328. 

of the Constitution, 51, 325, 330. 

to Motions, 206. 
Amusements, 476-480. 
Andrews, Edward, 169, 544. 
Andrews, Josiah B., 589. 



Apostles' Creed, 671. 
Appeals, Of, 548-593. 

Distinguished from Complaint, 548. 

Who may Appeal, 548. 

Subjects of, 548-552. 

Postponement of, 512, 558-560, 585, 591. 

Sequence of, 555, 556, 603. 

Bar to, 557-560. 

Limitation of time to, 552, 553, 557, 
595. 

Order of Issuing, 552, 560-566, 569, 
570. 

The Decision, 567-583. 

Abandonment of, 583-586. 

Protest on, 583-585. 

Who may Vote, 579, 586, 607. 

Operation of, 589, 590. 

Duty of Judicatory in, 590, 591. 

Duty of Appellant, 552, 554, 557, 583. 

Original Parties in, 552, 563, 580, 592. 

Informalities in, 551-556. 

Personal Attendance, 584-586, 595. 
Appellant, Rights of, 511. 

Spirit of, 589. 

Abbott, C. J., 518, 559. 

Adams, William, 685, 686. 

Andrews, Josiah B., 589. 

Arthur, William, 505, 571. 

Atwater, James, 571. 

Baldwin, C. H., 585. 

Barnes, Albert, 226, 227, 588-592. 

Bell, Benjamin, 553, 557. 

Bell, Joseph E., 566, 570. 

Bergen, Church of, 553. 

Birch, Thomas L., 151, 549, 550. 

Bloomington, Church of, 498. 

Bourne, George, 496, 555, 567. 

Boyd, Samuel, 521. 

Bradford, Thomas, 572, 582. 

Breckinridge, Robert J., et al., 596. 

Bushnell, Pope, 590. 

Chamberlain, Hiram, 572. 

Connell, Joseph, 150, 420. 

Cooperstown, Church at, 556. 

Craighead, Thos. B., 223, 226, 554, 577, 
583. 

Cross, A. B., 588. 

Davis, Wm. C, 191. 

Davis, R. M., 585. 

Dobbins, Robert B., 572. 

Frazer, A. G., 534. 

Frazer, Alexander, 493, 563, 567. 

Gordon, Alexander, 493, 567. 

Gordon, John, 568. 

Hamilton, Duncan, et u.r., 559. 

Hawes, Newton, 572, 5S4. 

Hill, Maria, 564. 

Hotchkiss, G. A., 493. 

Hummer, Michael, 550. 

7U7 



708 



JUDEX. 



Hudson, Presbytery of, 549. 

Lockwood, L. R., 554, 565. 

Lowrey, Samuel, 123, 533, 554, 560, 570. 

McCalla, Win. L., 522. 

McQueen, Archibald, 688. 

Martin, John W., 558. 

Mifflinsburg, Church of, 565, 600. 

Miller, Silas, 552, 567. 

Price, David, 127, 496. 

Pice, Matt. H., 555. 

Rockafeller, et al., 552. 

Rollins, John, 581. 

Sheldon, George, 685. 

Skinner, John, 574. 

Snodgrass, James, 585. 

Spillman, J. H., 502. 

Taylor, James, 585. 

Todd, John, 576. 

Turbitt, John, 556, 560. 

Wilson, Joshua L., et al., 592. 

Worrell, T. F., 533, 568, 580. 

Yale, Charles, 553, 556. 
Ardent Spirits, Abstinence from, 484, 485. 

Manufacture of, 487, 495. 

Traffic in, 487, 490-495, 675. 
Arianism, 308. 
Arminianism, 308. 
Assembly, General, Of the, 200-336. 

Mode of Dissolving, 332. 
Atonement of Christ, 227, 230. 
Austin, David, 160. 
Authority of Confession, 54. 

of Notes on, 52. 



Balch, Hezekiah, 220-222. 

Baldwin, C. H., 585. 

Baptism, Administration of, 658-667. 

Who may Baptize, 658, 659. 

Romish Baptism, 660-663. 

Subjects of, 663-665. 

Formula of, 666. 

Mode of, 667. 

of Adults, 129, 130, 677, 678. 

of a Quaker, 677. 

on a General Profession, 677. 
Baptized, Care over, 671. 

Relation of, to the Church, 497, 644, 
665, 671. 

Discipline of, 671, 672. 

Instruction of, 640-645, 671, 673. 
Barnes, Albert, 226, 227, 544, 545. 
Beecher, Wm. H., 576, 606. 
Bell, Benjamin, 553, 557. 
Bell, Joseph E., 566, 570. 
Benevolence and Finance, 455. 
Betting, 301, 480. 
Bigamy, 682, 683. 
Bills and Overtures, Com. of, 213. 
Birch, Thomas L., 151, 549, 550. 
Bishops or Pastors, 112-114. 
Board of Education, 353-364. 

( Charters of, 354, 355, 359, 360. 

Constitution, 356-358. 

Rules of, 361-363. 
Board of Missions, 423, 424. 

of Home Missions, 426-430. 

Charters of, 425, 427-430. 
Board of Foreign Missions, 430-433. 

Constitution of, 430. 

Charters of, 432, 433. 



Board of Publication, 433, 441. 

Charter of, 441. 
Board of Church Erection, 442-448. 
Plan of, 443-447. 
Charters, 447, 448. 
BOOK OF DISCIPLINE, 475-629. 
Chap. I., Sec. I., II., III., 475-495. 
IV., 495. 
V., 495^96. 
" " VL, VII., 497. 
Chap. II., Sec. I., II., III., 497-498. 

IV., V., 498. 
Chap. III., Sec. I.-VL, 499. 
Chap. IV., Sec. I.-IV., 500. 

V., 501. 
" " VL, VII., 502. 

" " VIII., 502, 503. 

IX., X., 503, 504. 
XL, XIL, 505, 506. 
XIIL, 506-510. 
" " XIV., XV., 510, 511. 

XVI., 511, 512. 
XVIL, 512, 513. 
XVIIL, 513. 
" XIX., XX., 513. 
" XXL, XXIL, 513, 514. 
XXIIL, 515-517. 
Chap. V., Sec. I., II., 517-519. 

" " III., 519, 520. 

IV., 520, 521. 
V., VL, 521. 
VII., 522-524. 
" VIII., IX., 524, 525. 
" X.-XIV., 525. 
" XV., XVI., 526-528. 
XVIL, 528. 
Chap. VL, Sec. I., II., 528. 

III.-VL, 529. 
VIL-IX., 530. 
X.-XV., 531. 
" XVL, XVIL, 532. 
Chap.VIL, Sec. L, II., 532-534. 

" " Sub-Sec. L, 534-536. 

II., 537. 
" " " III., 537-540. 

" IV., V., 540. 

" " " VL, 541, 542. 

" Sec. II., Sub-Sec. I., 542, 543. 

" " " II., 543, 544. 

" " " III., IV., 544, 545. 

" " " V.,VL, 545, 546. 

"VII., VIII., 546. 

IX., 547. 

" Sec.IIL, Sub-Sec.I.,IL, 548. 

" " " III., 548-552. 

" " " IV.,V., 552-554. 

" " " VL, 555-557. 

" " " VII., 557-560. 

VIII., 560-565. 

« " " IX., 566, 567. 

" " " X., 567-583. 

XL, 583-586. 

« " " XIL, 586-588. 

" « " XIIL, 588, 589. 

" XIV.,XV.,589,590. 

« " " XVL, 590, 591. 

« u « XVIL, 592, 593. 

" Sec. IV., Sub-Sec. I., 593, 594. 

" " " II., 594-602. 

" III., 602-60'). 

" " " IV., 605, 606. 

" V., 606, 607. 



INDEX. 



709 



Chap. VII., Sec. IV., Sub-Sec. VI., VII., 607. 
Chap. VIII., Sec. L, 607. 

II., 608. 
III., 608, 609. 
■ IV., 609. 
V., 610. 
" VI.-VIIL, 610-611. 
Chap. IX., Sec. I., 611-613. 
" II.-V., 613. 
" " VI., 614, 615. 

" VII., 616. 
Chap. X., Sec. I., 616, 617. 
" II., 617-620. 
" III., 620, 621. 
" IV., 622. 
Chap. XI., Sec. I., 622-625. 
" II., 625. 
" III., 625-627. 
" " IV., 627, 628. 

" V., 628, 629. • 
Boundaries of Synods, 71, 92, 182-188. 

of Presbyteries, 71, 92. 
Bourne, George, 496, 518, 527, 543, 555, 567. 
Boyd, Samuel, 521, 567. 

BlTKIAL OF THE DEAD, 695. 

Bushnell, Pope, 590. 



Call, Form of a, 405, 406. 
how Subscribed, 409. 
how to Prosecute, 409, 416, 417. 
Candidates, Of Licensing, 352-402. 
Examination of, 310, 361, 366, 397, 398. 
must Adopt Standards, 46, 49, 411. 
be Liberally Educated, 310, 366, 369. 
Time of Study, 398, 399. 
When Received, 361, 365, 366. 
by What Presbytery, 364. 
by whom Licensed, 145, 364, 365. 
Trials for Licensure, 397, 398. 
Licensure of, 399. 
Transfer, 400. 
Card Playing, 477-480. ■ 
Casting Vote, 142, 204, 460. 
Catechisms, Adopted, 45, 48, 51. 

Part of the Standards, 55, 56, 91. 
to be Taught, 56, 642, 671, 673, 703. 
Standard Copy, 56. 
Heidelburg, 56. 
Caution in Receiving Charges, 500. 
Censure, Church, Mode of Inflict- 
ing, 678-681. 
Admonition, 127, 192, 222, 496, 512, 525, 

546, 574, 589. 
Suspension, 116, 160, 493, 501, 524, 556, 

565, 566, 568, 570, 571, 679, 687, 688. 
Deposition, 148, 159, 161, 496, 518, 525, 

550, 556, 560, 567, 576, 581, 684, 685. 
Excommunication, 128, 494, 502, 512, 

527, 556, 568, 571, 575, 581, 679, 680, 

687. 
Without Trial, 494, 501, 502, 511, 524, 

573, 581. 
Without Citation, 501, 510, 524. 
Disproportionate, 496, 569, 573, 574. 
Unconstitutional, 192, 537, 571, 572, 

573, 575. 
of Informants, 498. 
of Lower Courts, 151, 502, 505, 511, 

515, 516, 537-540, 549, 553, 555, 575, 

588, 589, 591. 



Censure. Removal of, 159, 504, 512, 526, 573, 
527, 571, 581, 680, 681. 

must be Recorded, 537, 560. 
Certificate of Good Standing, 130, 622, 625. 

of Dismission, 351, 493, 569, 622, 625. 

Return of Unused, 124, 352. 
Chairman of Committee, 206. 
Challenge of Witnesses, 529. 
Chaplains, 164, 165. 

Charge at Ordination, etc., 346, 348, 412, 418. 
Charges, Tabling of, 501, 503, 524, 541. 

must be specific, 502, 503, 577. 
Charter of Trustees of the Assembly, 333- 
335. 

of Board of Education, 354, 355, 359, 
360. 

of Board of Home Missions, 425, 427- 
430. 

of Board of Foreign Missions, 432, 433. 

of Board of Publication, 441. 

of Board of Church Erection, 447, 448. 

of Presbyterian House, 456. 
Charters, Church, Of, 108, 109. 
Children,, Instruction of, 640-645, 671, 673. 
Christ, Offices of, 309, 310. 

Righteousness of, 221, 228-230. 
Church, Of the, 107-111. 

Members of, 107, 108, 109. 

Organization of, 107, 108, 172. 

Officers of the, 112-119. 

Ordinances in a, 120. 

Government and Judicatories, 
120-123. 

Relation to the State, 121, 122, 276. 

Collegiate, 127, 138. 

Censures, 120, 678-680. 

Confessions, 129, 542. 

Withdrawal of a, 172. 

Dissolution of a, 172. 
Church Psalmist, 650, 651. 

Charters, 108, 109. 

Bethuel, 674. 
Citation, How Attested, 502. 

of Accused, 118, 501, 503, 510, 524. 

of Witnesses, 501, 502, 519, 524. 

of Congregation, 416, 417, 419. 

of Judicatories, 525, 541. 

Second, 503, 504, 505, 525, 578. 
Civil War, The, 235-245. 
Clapp, Theodore, 112, 160. 
Clerks, Of, 461, 512. 

Duties of, 206, 461, 502. 

of the Assembly, 208-211. 
Collins, Aaron C, 526. 

Commencement of Process, 141, 501 , 524, 54 1 . 
Commission, Form of, 468. 

Absence of, 202, 4(59, 470. 

Irregularities in, 469, 470. 
Commissions, Committee on, 202, 463. 

Judicial, 521, 564, 565, 567. 

for Taking Testimony, 520, 531. 

Commissioners to the General As- 
sembly, 462-474. 

Ratio of, 211, 212. 

When Elected, 463. 

Irregularity in Electing, 463, 464. 

Attendance of, 465. 

Alternates, 466-468. 

from New Presbyteries, 465, 466. 

Excluded rending Action, 277, 33i 

Expelled, 277, 278. 

Fund, 470-474. 
Committee, How Appointed, 205. 



710 



INDEX. 



Committee, Chairman of, 206. 

of Prosecution, 208. 
Committees, Standing, viz. : 

on Elections, 202, 463, 464, 469. 
on Commissions, 202. 
on Bills and Overtures, 213. 
on Judicial, 208, 214, 564. 
on Polity of the Church, 214. 
on Home Missions, 214. 
on Foreign Missions, 214. 
on Education, 214. 
on Publication, 214. 
on Church Erection, 214. 
on Theological Seminaries, 214. 
on Ministerial Relief, 214. 
on Freedmen, 214. 
on Sustentation, 214. 
on Correspondence, 214. 
on Benevolence, 455. 
on Mileage, 216. 
on Finance, 216. 
on Narrative, 214. 
on Devotional Exercises, 216. 
on Leave of Absence, 215. 
Committees, Permanent, viz. : 

on Ministerial Relief, 448-451. 

on Home Missions for Freedmen, 451, 

452. 
Committees on Reunion, 60, 67, 90. 
Reports of, 61-65, 67-77, 90-94. 
Common Fame, 118, 497, 518, 529, 565, 568. 
Prosecutions under, 208, 500, 521, 540, 

541, 563, 593. 
Communion, Admission to, 671-678. 

Exclusion from, 481, 503, 512, 527, 679. 
Terms of, 44, 307, 487, 495. 
Competency of AVitnesses, 528. 
Complaints, Of, 593-607. 

Distinguished from Appeals, 593, 594. 

How Brought, 593, 609. 

Order of Issuing, 522, 560. 

What is a Complaint, 594. 

By Whom Brought, 594-606, 609. 

Subjects of, 595, 602-605. 

Notice to be Given, 605. 

Effect of, 606. 

Dismissed, 595-602. 

Cases of, viz. : 

Baird, James H., et al., 351. 

Birch, Thomas L., 151, 549, 550. 

Bird, Thompson, 684. 

Beecher, Wm. H., et al., 576, 606. 

Breckinridge, R. J., et al., 405, 596. 

Carson, W.P., 420, 600. 

Oathcart, Robert, 592. 

Church at New Orleans, 160. 
7th Cincinnati, 564, 573. 
5th Philadelphia, 582. 
Park, 596. 

Clark, J. T., et al., 338. 

Cochran, John, 553, 556. 

Connell, Joseph, 150. 

Cook, Charles J., 595. 

< lowan, Alex. M., 580, 603. 

Davidson, J. W., et al., 522. 

Dobbins, Robert B., 572, 623. 

Duffield, George, 151. 

Farris, Robert P., 601. 

Finley, Robert S., et al., 514, 575, 587, 
5! VI. 

Fisher, James P., 605. 

Green, Ashbel, 115. 

Guild, William B., 193, 350, 514. 



Complaints, Cases of, Guy, Alexander, 
601. 
Hindman, Francis, 144, 501, 549, 612. 
Houston, Samuel, et al., 584. 
Hynes, T. W., et al., 343. 
Irvine, D. W., 601. 
Junkin, George, 516. 
Kern, Christopher, et al., 580. 
Kirkpatrick, J., 516. 
Knox, Franklin, 577. 
Livelev, W. M., 585. 
McDowell, W. S., 192. 
Mclver, Colin, et al., 596, 605. 688. 
McPheeters, S. B., 174. 
Mack, John, 511, 524. 
McKinney, D., et al., 556. 
McQueen, Archibald, 596. 
Metcalf, A. D., et al., 548. 
Miller, Alexander, 524. 
Monfort, J. G., 591. 
Nevin, Alfred, et al., 344, 345, 558. 
Nichols, S. J., 601. 
Perkins, W., et al., 574. 
Rice, M. H., 555. 
Russell, James, 591, 600. 
Sawyer, E. N., et al., 585. 
Shepherd, Smiley, 172. 591. 
Smiley, James, 561, 562, 579, 615. 
Smith, J. Y., 338. 
Strong, George P., et al., 558. 
Turbitt, John, 603. 
West, Nathaniel, 493, 569, 627. 
Wheeler, Edwin, et al., 558. 
White, W. M., 556. 
Presbytery of Blairsville, 341. 
of Carlisle, 512, 573. 
of Oxford, 511. 
of Philadelphia 3d, 557. 
of Cincinnati, 564. 
of St, Clairsville, 600. 
Synod of Kentucky, 563. 
Concurrent Declarations, 92. 
Confession of Faith, Authority of, 54, 96. 
Adopted, 45, 51, 96. 
Mode of Adopting, 47, 50, 91. 
How Amended, 326-328. 
of Guilt, Effect of, 525. 
of Heresy, 128, 505. 
Congregation, Vacant, 461, 462, 528. 
Organization of, 107, 108, 173. 
Transfer of, 175, 187, 188. 
Consanguinity, Degrees of, 685-693. 
Conscience, Rights of, 43, 44, 48, 276, 306. 
Consent of Parties, 417, 564, 565. 
Constitution, Adopted, 51, 52. 
How Amended, 325-329. 
Notes to, 52. 
Constitutional Rules, 325. 
Continuance of Case, 585. 
Contumacious Acts, 120, 504, 532, 578. 
Contumacy, 503-505, 525, 571, 578. 

Proceedings in, 504, 505, 506-510, 525. 
Conversion, Agency of the Spirit, 224, 228, 
230, 319. 
Evidence of, 49. 
Correction of Error, 533. 

of Records, 535. 
Correspondence, 267, 268-270. 

between O. S. and N. S., 56-61. 

with New England Churches, 268, 270. 

with Southern Presbyterian Church, 

273-275. 
Committee on, 214. 



INDEX. 



711 



Corresponding Bodies, 276, 277. 
Members of Session, 124. 
of Presbytery, 180. 
of Synod, 191, 198. 
of Assembly, 212, 213. 
Counsel for Accused, 505, 507, 513, 570, 581, 
584. 
for Complainant, etc., 514, 552. 
Rights of, 514. 

Professional, Excluded, 513, 514. 
Covenant of Works, 222. 
of Grace, 218, 219. 
Church, 129, 542. 
Craighead, Thomas B., 223-226, 503, 526, 

577, 583, 586. 
Credibility of Witnesses, 528, 529. 
Critical Exercise, 398. 
Cross, John, 416. 

Cross-Examination of Witnesses, 530. 
Cumberland Presbyterians, 660. 



Dancing, 301, 476-480. 

Schools, 477. 
Davis, William C, 191, 192, 222, 223, 677. 
Day, Dr. S. F., 351. 
Deacons, Of, 118, 119. 

Electing and Ordaining of, 108, 337- 
352. 
Death of Respondent, 548. 
Decision, Judicial, 567-583. 
must be Respected, 539. 
Confirms the Court below, 115, 150, 174, 
344, 420, 493, 494, 521, 522, 552, 567, 
568, 614, 667, 684, 685, 688. 
Confirms in Part, 192, 339, 549, 567, 573, 

574, 581, 589. 
Reverses, 123, 226, 351, 403, 493, 496, 

505, 563, 568, 571, 572, 581. 
Reverses in Part, 339, 569, 570, 573, 

574. 
Remits for New Trial, 563, 576, 612, 

614. 
Remits, with Instructions, 226, 512, 518, 
519, 527, 554, 576, 577, 579, 580, 603, 
604, 687. 
Sustains pro forma, 193, 339, 350, 523, 

572, 574. 
Dismisses, 173, 420, 551-553, 557, 558, 

583_, 584, 596, 600, 605, 606. 
Dismisses, without Prejudice, 555, 601. 
Dismisses, with Leave, 498, 502, 554, 

580, 586. 
Postpones, for Records, etc., 512, 558, 

591. 
Postpones, by Request, 559, 560, 585. 
Remands, 555, 556, 588. 
Leave to Withdraw, 55S, 561, 593, 596, 

601, 604. 
Suspends, in Absence, etc., 561. 
Restores the Censured, 568, 571, 582. 
Declaration of Trust, 458. 

and Testimony, 604. 
Decrees, Divine, 219. 
Deliverances, On Doctrine, 218-230. 
on Moral Questions, 475-482. 
on Temperance, 4S3-492. 
on State of the Country, 235-245. 
Demission of the Ministry, 162, 165-169, 

605. 
Deposition from the Ministry, 148, 159, 496, 



518, 525, 550, 556, 560, 567, 576, 581, 
684, 685. 
Deposed, Standing of, 527, 528. 

Restoration of, 159, 496, 518, 526, 527, 

556, 576. 
Ministrations of, 660. 
Jurisdiction over, 518, 526, 527, 571, 618. 
Publication of, 161, 528. 
Desecration of Sabbatb, 322-325, 633, 639. 
Desertion, Willful, 683-685. 
Devotional Exercises, Committee on, 216. 
Digest, 3-6. 

DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP, 631-705. 
Chap. I., Sec. L, 631-633. 

II., 633-639. 
" " III.-VL, 639-645. 
Chap. II., Sec. I., II., 646. 
Chap. III., Sec. I.-IIL, 646, 647. 
Chap. IV., Sec. I., 647-651. 

II., 651-654. 
" III., IV., 654. 
Chap. V., Sec. I.-IV., 655, 656. 
Chap. VI., Sec. I., II., 657. 
" III.-VL, 658. 
Chap. VII., Sec. L, 658-663. 

" II., III., 663-666. 
IV., 666. 
V., 667. 
Chap. VIII., Sec. L, 667, 668. 

" II.-IV., 668, 669. 
" V., VI., 669-671. 
Chap. IX., Sec. I., 671-674. 

" II., III., 674-677. 
IV., 677, 678. 
Chap. X., Sec. I.-VIIL, 678-681. 
Chap. XL, Sec. I., II., 681, 682. 
III., 682-691. 
" IV.-VIIL, 691-693. 
Chap. XII., Sec. I.-X., 694, 695. 
Chap. XIII., Sec. I., II., 695. 
Chap. XIV., Sec. I.-IV., 696-701. 
V.-VIIL, 702. 
Chap. XV., Sec. I.-V., 702-705. 
DISCIPLINE, BOOK OF, 475-629. 

General Principles of, 475-497. 
Discretion of Courts, 151, 419, 505, 550, 597. 
Not Subject to Review, 533, 580. 
Years of, 674. 
Dismission, Letter of, Effect, 351, 352, 617, 
619, 625, 627. 
of Ministers, 150-154, 588. 
of Communicants, 622, 623, 626. 
of a Suspended Member, 623. 
bv a Committee, 154, 155. 
Return of, 352. 
Dissent and Protest, 607-611. 

Dissolution of Pastoral Relations, 417, 

419-421. 
of the Assembly, 332. 
Divorce, 494, 682. 

Grounds of, 6S3. 
Divorced, Marriage of, 6S4, 6S5. 
Doctrinal Purity, Letter on, 306-313. 
Doctrine, Deliverances on, 21S-232. 
Dueling and Duelists, 481, 675. 
Duftield, George, 151. 
Dushane, Anthony, 686. 



E 

Education for the Ministry, 353-399. 
Board of, 353-364. 



712 



INDEX. 



Education, Committee of, 355, 356. 

Liberal, Required, 366, 367. 
Waived, 368, 369. 

Popular, Perils of, 278-280. 
Elders, Ruling, Of, 114-118. 

Care in Choosing, 311. 

Election of, 108, 115, 337-352. 

Electors of, 341, 342. 

Disuse of Office of, 170, 231. 

Installation of, 346-348. 

Office of, Perpetual, 112, 348. 

Ordination of, 108, 124, 337-352. 

May Cease to Act, 125, 171, 349, 350. 

Refusing to Act, 125. 

Qualifications of, 311, 337, 339, 340. 

Rule Only Where Elected, 115, 123, 
124, 337, 339, 340. 

Rights and Duties of, 115-117, 124, 131, 
139, 140, 170, 462, 663. 

Term of Service, 342, 345-349. 

Without Charge, 115, 349. 

Suspended, 116. 

Restored, 116. 
Eldership Essential, 115. 
Electing and Ordaining Elders and 

Deacons, 337-352. 
Election and Ordination of Pastors, 
etc., 403-415. 

Who may Call, 338, 403. 
Election of Moderator of Assembly, 202. 

of Trustees of, 334, 335. 
Election, Decree of, 219, 227, 229. 
Elective Affinity, 135, 231. 
Electors of Elders and Deacons, 341, 342. 

of Pastors, 404, 405. 
Error in Decision, 575, 576. 

Correction of, 533, 586. 

in Records, how Amended, 535. 
Evangelists, Ordination of, 231, 412-415. 
Evidence under Oath, 531, 579. 

the Best Required, 533, 560, 561. 

of Notice of Appeal, 552-554. 
t of Complaint, 605, 606. 
Evil Reports, Spreading of, 498. 
Examination of Candidates, 310, 361, 366, 
397, 398. 

of Ministers, 150-153. 
Exceptions to Records of Synod, viz. : 

Albany, 157, 180, 197, 198, 538, 539, 
609. 

Arkansas, 189, 198. 

Buffalo, 119, 193. 

Cincinnati, 192, 193, 195, 198, 536, 537, 
538, 566. 

Columbus, 131, 194, 197. 

Genesee, 128, 192, 587. 

Geneva, 140, 161, 193, 527, 537. 

Georgia, 566. 

Illinois, 191, 195, 198, 199, 517. 

Indiana, 179, 181, 538, 567. 

Kentucky, 193, 198, 536, 539, 547. 

Michigan, 181. 

Minnesota, 193. 

Mississippi, 179, 199, 462. 

Missouri, 539. 

New York, 199, 548. 

North Carolina, 189, 191, 193. 

Northern Indiana, 196. 

Ohio, 123, 194, 515, 538, 539. 

Onondaga, 195, 515, 538. 

Pennsylvania, 193, 198, 515, 538. 

Peoria, 189, 198, 199. 



Exceptions to Records of Synod, Philadel- 
phia, 145, 194, 199, 529, 537, 538. 

Pittsburg, 131, 193, 194, 195, 337, 495, 
515, 537, 675. 

Sandusky, 194, 611. 

Tennessee, 138, 193, 198. 

Utica, 553. 

Virginia, 198, 555. 

Wabash, 197, 198. 

Western Reserve, 115. 

Wheeling, 538. 

Wisconsin, 195, 196,. 197, 198, 535. 
Exceptions must be Recorded, 537, 538. 
Exclusion from Communion, 503. 

Pending Process, 513. 

from Court, 524, 541. 

of Witnesses, 529. 
Excommunication, Of, 527, 680. 

Form of, 680. 

Absolution from, 680, 681. 
Exegesis, Latin, 398. 
Expository Preaching, 657, 658. 
Expulsion of Commissioner, 277, 278. 
Extinct Church, its Members, 617. 

Presbytery, 151, 152, 621. 

F 

Faith, Relation to Regeneration, 223. 

Agency of the Spirit, 228, 230. 
Family Worship, 702-705. 
Family Instruction, 640-642. 

Training, 673. 
Fasting and Thanksgiving, Days of, 
696-702. 
and Prayer, 315, 316, 484. 
before Communion, 670. 
Ferguson, William M., 277, 278. 
Finance, Committee on, 216. 
Foreign Missions, 430-433. 
Foreign Ministers, 155-159. 
FORM OF GOVERNMENT, 43-474. 
Chap. I., Sec. I.-VIIL, 43-106. 
Chap. II., Sec. I.-IV., 107-111. 
Chap. III., Sec. I., II., 112. 
Chap. IV., 112-114. 
Chap. V., 114-118. 
Chap. VI., 118, 119. 
Chap. VII., 120. 
Chap. VIII., Sec. I., II., 120-123. 
Chap. IX., Sec. I., 123, 124. 

" " II., 124, 125. 

III., IV., 125-127. 
" V., VI., 127-132. 

" VII., VIII., 132, 133. 
it u j^ 233 

Chap. X., Sec. I., II., 134-138. ' 
III., 138. 
" " IV., 138, 139. 

" V., VI., 139. 
" " VII., 139-144. 

" VIII., 144-177. 
IX., 177, 178. 
X., 178, 179. 
XL, 179. 
" " XII., 180. 
Chap. XL, Sec. L, 181-188. 

II., 188-191. 
" III., IV., 191, 192. 
" V., 193, 194. 

VI., 194-199. 
Chap. XII., Sec. L, 200-211. 



INDEX. 



713 



Chap. XII., Sec. II., 211-217. 

" III., IV.; 217, 218. 
V., 218-325. 
YL, 325-330. 
VII., 330-332. 
" VIII., 332. 
Chap. XIII., Sec. I., II., 337-345. 
" III., IV., 346. 

V.. 346-352. 
Chap. XIV., Sec. I., 352-364. 

II., 364-366. 
III., 366-397. 
IV.. 397. 
" V., VI., 398, 399. 
" VII.-X., 399, 400. 
XL, 401, 402. 
Chap. XV.. Sec. I., 403, 404. 

II.-IV., 404, 405. 
V., VI., 405-409. 
VII.-X., 409. 
" " XI., 410. 

XII., 410.411. 
" XIII.-XV., 411-415. 
Chap. XVI., Sec. I., 416. 

" " II., 416, 417. 

III., 417. 
« IV.-YII., 418, 419. 
Chap. XVII., 419-421. 
Chap. XVIII., 422-459. 
Chap. XIX., See. I., II., 459-461. 
Chap. XX., 461. 
Chap. XXI., 461, 462. 
Chap. XXII., Sec. I.. 462-46S. 
" II.; 468-470. 
" III., 470-474. 
Fraud, Effect of, 12S, 616, 617. . 
Frazer, Alexander, 493, 563, 567. 
Free Agency, 309. 
Freedmen, Committee on, 451, 452. 
Funerals, 695. 



Gambling, 301, 4S0. 

Gaston, James, 690. 

General Assembly. Of the, 200-336. 

Formation of, 200. 

Organization. 200, 203, 330. 

Rules of Order, 204-208. 

Officers of. 208-211, 331. 

Committees of, 213-216. 

Quorum of, 217. 

Powers of, 217-329. 

Dissolution of, 332. 

Charter of Trustees of, 333, 334. 

Testimonies of. 227-232. 475-495. 

Adjourned Meetings of, 91, 330-332. 
General Principles of Discipline. 
475-407. 

General Review and Control, 534- 

540. 
General Pvitles for Judicatories. 205-208. 
Glebe and Parsonage, 406-408. 
Gloucester, John, 369. 
Good Stand 528. 

Certificate of. 493, 569. 
Gordon, Alexander, 493, 567. 
Gospel Plan. Davis. 222, 223. 
Graham, William, 192. 



Harker, Samuel, 218. 
Haste, Undue, 571, 578. 

90 



Hawes, Newton, 572, 584. 

Heidelburg Catechism, 5Q. 

Heresy, Charges of, 21S-230, 503, 525. 

Confession of, 128, 505. 
Hill, Maria, 564. 
Hindman, Francis, 144, 501, 549. 
s Holy Spirit, 224, 228, 230, 319. 
Home Missions, 422-430. 
Horse Kacing, 301, 480. 
Hummer, Michael, 159, 550. 
Husband and Wife, Testimony of, 529. 
Hymns, Singing of, 647-654. 
Hymnal, 651, 652. 



Ignorance of Eules, 559. 
Immorality, Letter on, 300-302. 
Impenitent, how Dealt with, 120. 
Imposition of Hands, 346, 551, 596. 
Impostor, Ministrations of, 659. 
Imputation of Sin, 220, 228, 229. 

of Righteousness, 221, 22S, 229. 
Incestuous Marriage, 685-690. 
Individual Prosecutor, 500. 
Infancy, Age of, 65S, 664, 6'65, 691. 
Infanticide, 494. 
Infants, Baptism of, 658-667. 

Salvation of, 221, 229. 
Infirmitv, how Dealt with, 526. 
Informality, Effect of, 142, 339, 595. 

Waiver of, 521. 

Censured, 502, 572, 618. 
Installment of Deacons, 346. 

of Elders, 346-348. 

of Pastors, 149, 411-412, 417-419. 
Instruction of Youth, 640-645. 

in Sabbath-schools, 642-644. 

in Judicial Cases, 577, 579. 
Insubordination Censured, 539. 
Intemperance, 4S3— 192. 
Interlocutory Meetings, 208, 516. 

Minutes of, 579. 
Interested Parties, 500, 587. 
"In thesi" Deliverances, 217, 218, 545. 597, 

598. 
" In Transitu," 619. 
Introduction, 3-6. 
Invalid Acts, 659, 660. 
Investigation Demanded, 499. 
Irregular Proceedings, 537, 549, 550. 577- 

579. 
Irregularity, Technical, 613. 

Does not Necessarily Invalidate, 142, 
338, 339. 524. 549. 624. 

Effect of, 537, 540, 570, 572, 580. 



Judicatories, The Several Kinds of, 
120-123. 
General Putles for, 205-208. 
Judicial Committee, 208, 214. 564. 
Jurisdiction. Of, 616-622. 
Appellate, 128, 191, 576. 
Original, 127, 191, 192. 
of the Session, 127, 128, 192, 500, 616, 

617, 625-627. 
of the Presbvterv, 118, 15:', 517, 520, 

621. 
of Synod, 152, 191, 192, 621. 
of the Assembly. (See Powers of.) 
over Absent anil Unknown, 625 



714 



INDEX. 



Jurisdiction, of, over a Suspended Member, 
128. 
over a Dismissed Member, 616, 617. 
over Deposed Ministers, 518, 526, 527, 

571, 618. 
over Suspended Ministers, 160, 571, 576. 
over Dismissed Ministers, 616, 617, 619, 

622. 
over Licentiates, 144, 152, 156, 402, 520. 
Renunciation of, 169, 620. 
Justification by Faith, 221, 309. 



Kent, Judge, Opinion of, 330, 331. 
Knox, Franklin, 577. 



Laing-, Robert, 165. 
Latham, John, 689. 
Lay Preaching, 352, 353. 

Ordination, 147. 
Laying on of Hands, 346, 551, 596. 

on the Table, 206. 
Law Case, 251-262. 
Leave of Absence, Committee on, 215. 

to Withdraw, 558, 561, 593, 596, 601, 
604. 
Letters, The Pastoral, 280-325. 

to President Washington, 287. 

from President Washington, 289. 

to President Lincoln, 238. 

to David Rice, 367, 368, 
Letter of Dismission. 

to Ministers, 150, 154, 588. 

to Communicants, 622, 623-626. 

Effect of, 351, 352, 617, 619, 625, 627. 

Return of, 124, 352. 

Acknowledgment of, 624. 
License, Form of, 400. 

When Recalled, 401. 
Licensing Candidates, 352-402. 
Licensure by Other Bodies, 365. 

Preaching without, 352, 353. 

of Women Forbidden, 353. 
Licentiates, Are Laymen, 401, 402. 

Power of Presbytery over, 144, 152, 156, 
402, 420. 

Powers of Session over, 401, 402. 
Limitation of Time, Op, 622, 629. 

of Letters of Dismission, 625. 

of Certifying to Standing, 493, 627. 

of Process for Scandal, 628. 

When it may not be Plead, 628, 629. 

for Entering an Appeal, 552, 553. 

for Entering a Complaint, 605. 

for Prosecuting a Complaint, 557, 558. 

for Issuing a Complaint, 589, 590. 

for Entering a Protest, 608. 

for a New Trial, 567, 570, 579. 

for Exercising the Veto, 397. 

of a License, 401. 
Litigious Spirit, 574, 589. 
Liturgical Forms, 656. 
Lockwood, L. R., 554, 565. 
Lord's Day. See Sabbath, 631-645. 
Lord's Supper, Administration of, 
667-671. 

Where Administered, 667, 668. 

By whom, 669. 

To whom, 668, 669. 



Lotteries, 301, 480. 

Louisville Church Case, 247-262. 

Lowry, Samuel, 123, 533, 554, 555, 560, 570. 

M 

McCalla, William, 130, 622. 

McClean, John, 144. 

McCoy, John, 145. 

McDowell, William S., 192, 573. 

McQueen, Archibald, 527, 596, 605. 

Magistrates, Civil, 121, 276. 

Mail, Sunday, 631-633, 675. 

Marriage, Solemnization of, 681-693. 

By whom Performed, 402, 681. 

" In the Lord" defined, 681, 682. 

Who may Contract, 682-691. 

of Parties Related by Blood, 690. 

of Parties Related by Affinity, 685, 686, 
688. 

Unlawful, 682, 684-688. 

Clandestine, 691. 

Formula of, 692. 
Members of the Church, 107, 108, 671. 

Absent and Unknown, 625-627. 

Admission of, 107, 129, 130, 674, 676, 
678. 

Dismission of, 130, 622-627. 

Suspension of, 128, 572, 616. 

Who Withdraw, 169. 
Memorial Fund, 98, 99. 

Committee on, 100. 

Report on, 100-105, 106. 
Memorialize, Right to, 543. 
Mercer, Boyd, 164. 
Mileage, Committee on, 215, 216. 
Minister, Of the Translation of a, 

416, 419. 
Ministers, Ordination of, 403, 410- 
412. 

Installation of, 149, 411, 412, 417-419. 

Reception of, 147, 148, 152. 

Foreign, How Received, 155-159. 

Without Charge, 136, 137, 162-164, 339, 
340. 

Who Withdraw, 160-164, 166. 

How Restored, 161. 

Discipline of, 517, 528. 

Suspended, 159, 160, 524, 526, 527, 557, 
565, 618. 

Deposed, 148, 159, 161, 496, 518, 525, 
550, 556, 560, 567, 576, 581. 

Non-resident, 517, 519. 

Restored, 159, 496, 518, 556, 576. 

Unemployed, 176. 
Ministerial Relief Fund, 448-451, 459. 
Ministry, Demission of, 165-169. 

Education for, 353-399. 

Support of, 406-409. 
Minutes of Judicatories. 

to be Read and Approved, 198, 206. 

How Attested, 198. 

of Interloquiturs, 579. 
Missions, Of, 422-459. 
Mistake, Rectified, 560. 
Mode of Inflicting Church Censures, 

678-680. 
Mode of Adopting Standards, 50. 

of Electing Elders, etc., 337, 341-345. 

of Installing Pastors, 411-412, 417-419. 

of Installing Elders, 346-348. 

of Baptism, 667. 
Moderators, Of, 459-461. 



INDEX. 



715 



Moderators, Authority and Duties of, 132, 
142, 178, 179, 203, 208, 530. 

of Church Sessions, 125, 126, 132, 404. 

of Presbyteries, 178, 459. 

of Synod, 190, 460. 

of the Assembly, 201, 203, 460. 

Vote of, 205, 587, 588. 

How Chosen, 202. 

How Installed, 203. 
Moral Questions, 475-495. 
Motions, Rules as to, 206. 
Music, Church, 651-653. 

Control of, 654. 

N 

Names of Absentees Eecorded, 194, 198, 

199. 
Narrative of the State of Religion 199, 214. 

Committee on, 214. 

must be Recorded, 177, 199. 
New Castle, Presbytery of, 267. 
New Testimony, Of, 611-616. 

Trial upon, 544, 554, 556, 612. 

Effect of, 568, 614, 616. 
New Trial, Cases of, 519, 554, 577, 580, 611- 
616. 

Time within which, 567. 

After Lapse of Time, 518, 544, 612. 

Sentence, 572. 
Non-resident Ministers, 517, 519. 

Communicants, 625-628. 
Notes on Constitution, 52-54. 
Notice of Appeal, 552, 554, 578. 

of Complaint, 605. 

Evidence of, Required, 553, 554. 

Failure to Receive, 554. 



Oath, Judicial, 530. 

Testimony under, 531, 579. 
Obedience of Christ, 222, 230. 

to the Moral Law, 222. 
" Offence" Defined, 475, 487-490. 

Cases of, 475-496, 568, 575, 625-627, 
683-691. 

How Removed, 500-528. 
Offences, Private, 497, 498. 
Offences, Public, 499. 
Officers of the Church, 112. 

Qualifications of, 44, 307. 

of the Assembly, 208-211. 
Order, Questions of, 514, 574, 587, 588, 593. 
Ordinances in a Particular Church, 
120. 

Sealing, 658-678. 

Administration of, 117, 119, 658-663, 
667, 668. 

Admission to, 671-678. 
Ordinary and Perpetual Officers, 112. 
Ordination of Church Officers, 337- 
352, 403-415. 

Trials for, 410. 

Questions Proposed, 346, 411, 412. 

Mode of, 346, 412. 

of Deacons, 347, 348. 

of Elders, 337, 346, 347. 

of Ministers, 411, 412. 

the Act of Presbytery, 145. 

by a Commission, 145, 146. 

"sine titulo," 146, 413-415. 

of Evangelists, 412. 



Ordination of Church Officers, Part of El- 
ders in, 116, 117. 

Lay, Invalid, 147. 

Fraudulent, 148. 

on the Sabbath, 148, 410. 

by Other Denominations, 147, 148. 
Organization of Churches, 105, 107, 173. 
Original Jurisdiction, 127, 191, 192. 

of Session, 127. 
Original Parties, Who, 532, 563, 580, 592. 

in "Common Fame," 593. 

must be heard, 563, 580. 
Original Sin, 221, 227-229, 309. 
Opera, The, 478. 

Operation of an Appeal, 589, 590. 
Opinion, Expression of, 566. 
Overtures, Committee on, 213, 547. 



Pardovan, Authority of, 51. 
Parents, Duties of, 665, 673, 703-705. 

Engagements of, 665, 666. 
Parol Testimony, 560. 
Parsonages, 406, 408. 
Pastoral Charge, Resigning of, 419- 

421. 
Pastoral Letters, 280-325. 
on Missions, 280. 
on the French War, 281. 
on the Repeal of Stamp Act, 282. 
on the Revolutionary War, 284. 
on the French Revolution, 289. 
on the Disturbances in Kentucky, 291. 
on the Sabbath, 294. 
on Christian Activity, 296. 
on Prevalent Vices, etc., 300. 
on Doctrinal Purity, 306. 
on Revivals, 313. 
on Restoring the Wastes of the War, 

320. 
on Observance of the Sabbath, 322. 
Pastoral Relation Urged, 113. 

Dissolved, 150, 419-421. 
Pastorate, without Installment, 149, 419. 
Pastors or Bishops, 112-114. 
Duties of, 113, 114, 645, 671. 
Election of, 403-405. 
Who may Vote, 404, 405. 
Translation of, 416-419. 
Installation of, 149, 410-412, 417-419. 
Removal of, 150, 174. 
Support of, 406-409. 
Permanent Clerk, 210, 211. 
Personal Attendance, 584, 586, 595. 
Permanent Committees, 448-452. 
Petition, Right of, 542, 543. 
Plan of Union 1758, 47, 48. 
Plan of Union 1869, 90-93. 
Pleadings on Trial, 531, 563. 
Polity, Committee on, 214. 
Poor "Fund, Control of, 119. 
Popular Education, 278-280. 
Postmasters and the Sabbath, (575. 
Posture in Prayer, 646. 
Power, Church, Force of, 44, 120, 506-510. 
Powers of the General Assembly, 217-332. 
over Synods, 182-187, 263. 
over Presbyteries, 134, 135, 182-187. 

263-266. 
over Churches, 187, L88, 266. 
over Ministers, 182-187, 266. 
to Receive Churches, 266, 267. 



716 



INDEX. 



Powers of the General Assembly, to Cor- 
respond, 267-276. 
to Define the True Judicatories, 246, 

247. 
to Pass on Validity of Elections, 247, 

251-262, 248-470. 
in Discipline, 232-235, 532-607. 
in Doctrines and Morals, 218-325. 
to Propose Amendments, 325-328. 
to Reject Amendments, 328. 
to Exclude Pending Process, 525. 
to Expel, 277. 
Powers of the Synod, 191-193. 

over Presbyteries, 175, 181, 534, 535. 
over Churches, 192, 350, 493. 
over Ministers, 420. 
in Discipline, 120, 513, 532-607. 
Jurisdiction, 152, 191, 192. 
has no Original, 181, 191, 192, 199, 501. 
Powers of the Presbytery, 144-177. 
in Appeals, etc., 144, 500-607. 
over Candidates, 144, 352, 362, 364, 365, 

397-400. 
over Licentiates, 144, 152, 156, 400, 402, 

420, 520. 
to Ordain, 144, 145-149, 410-515. 
to Receive Ministers, 147, 148, 152, 155- 

159. 
to Refuse to Receive, 151, 549. 
to Install Ministers, 112, 149, 403, 410- 

412, 415. 
to Refuse to Install, 149, 408. 
to Remove Ministers, 150, 174, 416, 

419-421, 576. 
to Judge Ministers, 120, 150, 151-153, 

161-163, 502, 517-528, 548-607, 612- 

622. 
to Visit Churches, 170-173, 582. 
to Review Church Records, 170, 534. 
to Organize, Unite and Divide, 107, 173. 
to Order whatever, etc., 174-176, 576. 
to Remove Elders, 171, 350. 
to Try Elders, 118. 
to Restore the Deposed, 159, 518-520, 

527. 
to Restore the Excommunicate, 680. 
Powers of the Session, 127-133. 

in Discipline, 120, 127, 192, 495, 505- 

507, 546, 575, 581. 
in Receiving Members, 127, 129, 130, 

676-678. 
in Dismissing Members, 493, 569, 572, 

623. 
over Licentiates, 401, 402. 
over Members Dismissed, 616, 620. 
over Members Suspended, 128. 
over Members Absent, 506-510, 625-627. 
over Collections, 119, 131, 132. 
over Church Music, 654. 
over House of Worship, 109-111, 255. 
over Sabbath-schools, (J43-645. 
in Election of Pastor, 403. 
in Paction of Elders, 337, 338. 
in taking Testimony, 120, 498, 502, 532. 
Praise, Duty of, 316. 
Pkayer, Of Public, 655, 656. 
in Session, 194, 205. 
in Presbytery, 179, 205, 208. 
in Synod, 193, 194, 205, 208. 
in Assembly, 205, 208, 332. 
Days of, 216, 315, 696-702. 
Week of, 701, 702. 



Prayer, Secret, 702, 703. 

Family, 703-705. 
Preaching of the Word, Of the, 657, 
658. 

Expository, 657. 

Method of, 658. 

Without License, 352, 353. 
Preliminary Principles, 43-106. 
Presbyterian House, 456-459. 
Presbytery, Of the, 134-180. 

How Constituted, 134, 135. 

Quorum of, 139-144. 

Bounds of, 135, 137-139, 231. 

Members of, 136. 

Meetings of, 178. 

Powers of, 144-177. See Powers. 
Previous Question, 206, 207. 
Price, David, 127, 496, 546. 
Principals and Alternates, 131, 466-468. 
Process, Actual, 500-517. 

Commencement of, 141, 500, 524, 541. 

Arrested by Appeal, 589. 

in Case of Scandal, 628. 
Process against a Minister, 517-528. 
Profession of Faith, 129, 130, 667, 678. 
Professional Counsel, 513, 514. 
Pro-forma Decisions, 339, 350, 523, 573, 574. 
Prohibitory Laws, 490. 
Proof Texts, 52, 53. 
Pro re nata Meetings, 179, 191. 
Prosecution, Committee of, 208. 
Prosecutor, Spirit of, 498, 500. 

Admonition to, 500. 
Protests, Nature of, 607-611. 

Who may Protest, 48, 611. 

Cases of, 84, 116, 543. 

Answers to,. 54, 463, 543, 547, 596, 609- 
611, 613. 

in Judicial Cases, 583-586. 
Protracted Meetings, 318. 
Psalms, Singing of, 647-654. 

David's, 647. 

Watts's, 647, 648. 

Rouse's, 648, 649. 

Dwight's, 648, 649. 

and Hymns, 649, 650. 
Psalmist, Church, 650, 651. 
Publication, Board of, 92, 433-441. 

Committee of, 92, 435-437. 

Q 

Questions "in thesi," 217, 218, 545, 554, 
597, 598. 

to Witnesses, 538. 

" Constitutional," 346, 410, 411, 418. 

of Order, 514, 574, 587, 588, 593. 
Quorum, Necessary, 140, 141. 

Less than, may Adjourn, 140, 189. 

of Session, 124, 125. 

of Presbytery, 139-144, 205, 551. 

of Synod,- 188, 189, 205. 

of General Assembly, 205, 217. 

R 

Ratio of Commissioners, 211, 212. 
Reasons for Appeal, 553, 555, 564. 

for Complaint, 605. 

for Decisions, 194-196, 515, 537, 538, 
563, 580. 
Reception of Members, 231. 



INDEX. 



717 



Reconsideration of a Vote, 207. 

of a Case, 544, 576, 612. 

Barred by Appeal, 583, 590. 
Recorded, What must be, 177, 194, 195, 515- 
517, 531, 537, 563, 564, 579, 580, 607. 
Recoi'ds of Session, 132, 133. 

of Presbytery, 177. 

of Synod, 193, 194. 

Review of, 170, 195, 196, 217, 534, 535- 
542. 

How Amended, 133, 535. 

Steps in Reviewing, 536, 537, 575. 

Who may Vote on, 536, 575, 587. 

Exceptions to, see " Exceptions." 

Copies of, 536. 

In Absence of, 558-560. 
References, Of, 542, 547. 

Where Proper, 162, 218, 542. 

Effect of, 544-547. 

Cases of, 115, 154, 157, 543-547, 689. 
Reformed Churches, 270-273. 
Regeneration, 224, 225, 228, 230, 309. 
Register, Church, 133. 
Relief Fund, 448-451. 
Repentance, Evidence Required, 512, 526, 

527, 546, 577, 581, 606. 
Representation, 131, 138, 139. 
Respondent, Death of, 548. 

Absence of, 505, 506-510, 568. 
Restoration to Ministry, 160, 518, 526, 527, 
574. 

to Membership, 128, 496, 504, 527, 568, 
573, 576, 680. 

to Office, 116. 

of Deposed, 159, 496, 518, 526, 527, 556, 
576. 

on Reversal, 582, 583. 

Effect of, 349. 

Form of, 680. 
Resigning a Pastoral Charge, 419- 

421. 
Revivals, Letter on, 313-320. 

Signs of True, 49, 302, 313-320. 
Review and Control, General, 217, 

233, 534-542. See Records. 
Reversal, Effect of, 568-576, 581, 582, 607. 

Reasons to be given, 616. 
Reunion 1758, 47-50. 
Reunion 1869, 57-98. 
Righteousness of Christ, 221, 228-230. 
Right Hand of Fellowship, 117, 346, 419. 
Roll of Judicatory, 206. 

Calling in Trials, 566, 570. 

Reserved, of Absentees, 627. 

Striking from, 128, 154, 160, 165, 169, 
273, 618, 620. 
Romish Baptism, 661-663. 
Rotary Eldership, 343. 
Rules' for Judicatories, 204-208. 
Ruling Elders, 114-118. See Elders. 

S 

Sabbath, Sanctification of, 631-645. 
Observance of, 322-325, 475, 633, 636. 
Letters on, 294-296, 322-325. 
Mails, 631-633, 675. 
Profanation of, 475, 633-635. 
Discipline for, 634, 635. 
Sessions upon the, 189. 
Ordination on, 148, 410. 
Marriage on, 692. 
Traveling on, 637, 638. 



Sabbath, Amusements, 638. 

Schools, 440, 441, 641-645. 
Scandal, Process in, 628. 
Scriptures, Public Reading of, 646, 

647. 
Sealing Ordinances, Admission to, 671- 
678. 

Who may Administer, 117, 119, 653, 
658. 
Sentence on Conviction, 512, 513. 

How Published, 161, 513, 528. 

Too Severe, 496, 568, 569, 574. 
Separation, Right of, 48. 
Session of the Church, 123-133. 

Quorum of, 124, 125. 

Special, Illegal, 123, 124, 560, 570. 

Moderator of, 125-127, 132. 

Powers of, 127-133. See Powers. 
Severance, John F., 621. 
Sheldon, George, 613, 685. 
Shepherd, John, 581. 
Shields, James H., 617, 684. 
Sin, Adam's, 227, 229. 

Original, 221, 227, 229, 309. 
Singing of Psalms, 647-654. 
Sine titulo, Ordination, 146, 413-415. 
Slander, 498, 505, 522. 
Slanderer, 498, 511, 522, 524. 
Slavery and Slaveholding, 481-4S3. 
Slaves, Baptism of, 664. 
Societies, Moral, Relation to the Church, 

491, 492. 
Socinianism, 219, 220. 
Solemnization of Marriage, 681-693. 

See Marriage. 
Southern Presbyterian Church, 273-275, 

276. 
Speaker, Rights of, 207. 
Spicer, Jabez, 496. 
Standards of the Church. 

Adoption of, 45 ; 48, 51, 91. 

Mode of Adoption, 48. 

Include Catechisms, 55. 

Subscription Required, 54, 57. 
Standing Committees, 213-216. 
State of the Country, 235-245. 
Stated Clerk, 208, 209. 
Stated Supplies, 112, 113, 138. 
Stone, Ambrose, 575. 
Striking from the Roll, 128, 154, 160, 165, 

169, 273, 618, 620. 
Study, Time of, 398, 399. 
Sufferings of Christ, 230. 
Sunday Mails, 631-633, 675. 

Schools, 641, 645. 
Support of the Ministrv, 406-409. 
Suspended Minister, 160, 524, 556, 565, 61 S. 

Services of, 528, 660. 

Standing of, 160, 528. 
Suspended Licentiate, 520. 

Elder, 116, 349. 

Member, 128, 572, 616. 
Suspension, from Office, 116, 525, 568, 578. 

from Communion, 568, 571, 584, 589. 

Pending Process, 513, 524. 

for Contumacy, 525, 571. 
Sustentation Fund, 452-455. 
Syllabus, 9-42. 
Synod, Of the, 181-199. 

Members of, 116, 181, 1S2. 
Quorum of, 188, 189, 2Q5. 
Meetings of, Stated, 193. 
Adjourned, 189, 190. 



718 



INDEX. 



Synod, Meetings of, Pro re nata, 190. 

Jurisdiction of, 150, 152, 175, 191, 192. 

Powers of, 191-193. See Powers. 
Synod of Missouri, O. S., 275. 

of Colorado, 187. 
Synods as Erected 1870, 182-187. 

T 

Temperance, Testimonies on, 483-492. 

Societies, 491, 492. 
Temporary Clerks, 211, 461. 
Terms of Communion, 44, 305, 307, 308, 

487, 495, 671-678. 
Term Service of Elders, 342-345. 
Testimonials, Of Standing, 493, 569, 624. 
Testimony, New, 611-616. 
Testimony under Oath, 531, 579. 

What Admissible, 497, 512, 529, 531, 

536. 
Amount Required, 529. 
By Whom Taken, 519, 531. 
to be Engrossed, 132, 506, 515, 532. 
not on Record, 516. 
How Attested, 531, 547. 
not Read, 561, 562. 
Testimony of the Assembly, 
on the Civil War, 235-245. 
on Intemperance, 483-492. 
on Immoralities, 300-302, 475-481. 
On Slavery, 481-483. 
on Doctrinal Errors, 227-231. 
on Sabbath Observance, 322-325, 633- 
635. 
Thanksgiving, Days of, 696-702. 
Thatcher, George H., 605, 606. 
Theatrical Exhibitions, 301, 476-478. 
Theological Instruction, 369-375, 383-386. 
Seminaries, viz. : 
Princeton, 375-383. 
Auburn, 383, 387. 
Western, 387-389. 
Lane, 384, 389. 
Union, 383, 389, 390. 
Danville, 390-393. 
North-western, 393-395. 
German, Newark, 395. 
German, of North-west, 395. 
Lincoln, 395, 396. 
San Francisco, 396. 
Blackburn, 396, 397. 
Todd, John, 576. 

Translation of Ministers, 416-419. 
Traveling on Sabbath, 637, 638. 
Treasurer of Assembly, 209. 
Trial of a Case, 500-517, 518-528, 548-593, 
593-607. 
in Absence of Parties, 505, 506-510, 

563, 583-585, 595. 
Counsel for Accused, 505, 507, 513, 570, 

581, 584. 
Charges must be Specific, 502, 503, 578. 
Notice must be given, 501, 552, 605. 
Evidence of Notice Required, 553, 554. 
Rules must be Observed, 517, 572. See 

under Decision. 
may not be on Review, 540. 
New, 519, 554, 577, 580, 611-616. 
Personal Attendance, 505, 506-510, 563, 

583, 584, 585, 595. 
Best Evidence Required, 533, 560, 561. 
Who may sit on, 579, 586, 587, 588, 607. 
The Vote, 566, 567. 



Trial of a Case, When a Minister should 
Preside, 125, 126. 

Postponement of, 512, 558-560, 585, 591. 
Trustees of the Assembly, 333-336. 

of a Church, 108-111, 255. 

of College of New Jersey, 373, 374. 

of Presbyterian House, 456-459. 

of Church Erection Fund, 442-448. 
Tune Books, 651-654. 
Turbitt, John, 556, 560. 

U 

Unaccept ability of an Elder, 350. 
Unemployed Ministers, 176, 339. 
Uniformity in Mode of Election, 341. 
Union of Church and State, 121. 
Unitarian Baptism, 689. 
Doctrines, 219, 220. 
Unfinished Business, 206. 
United Congregations, 138. 
Universalism, Testimony on, 219. 
Universalists, Excluded, 674. 
Unworthiness, Effect of, 659. 



Vacant Congregations, 461, 462. 

What are, 138, 139, 176, 419, 528. 
Vance, William, 687. 
Van Dyke, Andrew, 685. 
Van Vleck, Mr., 682. 
Veto of the Assembly, 397. 
Vice and Immorality, 300-302. 
Visitation of the Sick, 694, 695. 
Vote, Casting, 142, 204, 205, 460. 

in Judicial Cases, 567, 575, 579, 586, 
587, 607. 

on Approving Records, 536, 575, 587. 
Void, Acts that are, 141, 154, 170, 189, 192, 
275, 276, 537, 550, 571, 572, 575, 582. 
Voidable, 143. 

W 

Walnut Street Church Case, 247-262. 

War, the Civil, 320-322. 

" Way of Salvation," 544, 545. 

Ways of Carrying a Cause, 532, 533. 

Westminster Standards, 45-49, 51, 307. 

Willful Absence, 625, 626. 

Willful Desertion, 683, 684. 

Will, Liberty of, 230. 

Withdrawal, Irregular, 620. 

of Parties, 566-570. 
Witnesses, Of, 528-532. 

Citation of, 501, 502, 519, 524. 

Names to be given, 501, 502. 

Challenge of, 529. 

Examining of, 510, 530. 

Credibility of, 528, 529. 

Must be Sworn, 530, 531, 579. 
Women, Meetings of, 304. 

Ministrations of, 353. 
Woodhull, William, 165, 167. 
Worrell, T. F., 533, 568, 580. 
Worship, Public, Of, 646-658. 
Worship, Family, 702-705. 
Worship, Secret, 702-705. 



Yale, Charles, 553, 556. 

Yeas and Nays, 207. 

Youth, Instruction of, 640-645. 



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